Ramdevra Temple

History

Rajasthan Tourism notes that although many assume Ramdevra is a temple of Lord Rama, it is dedicated to the saint Baba Ramdevji and marks his eternal resting place. It lies 12 km from Pokhran on the Jodhpur–Jaisalmer route and is visited by people of all faiths.

Incredible India dates the shrine’s history back more than 600 years, to when Baba Ramdevji is said to have taken samadhi at this spot. The sanctum holds an image of the seated saint with his camel beside him, and pilgrims offer coconuts, sweets and grain.

Between August and September the Ramdevra Fair is held here, when devotees sing bhajans through the night; many walk long distances across the desert to reach it. The temple also provides free meals, shelter and medical help to pilgrims.

Stories

The Laddu Thrown at Dwarka

Regional legend says that Ajmal Tanwar, a childless ruler, went to Dwarka to pray for an heir. Disappointed when the idol did not answer him, he is said to have flung a laddu at it. A priest told him to seek the deity beneath the sea, where he met Krishna and was granted a son.

Ramdev is believed by devotees to be that son, an avatar of Krishna, born to Ajmal and Minaldevi. The year of his birth is given in tradition as 1352 CE, and he is said to have taken samadhi at Ramdevra at the age of 33.

A Saint for Every Community

Ramdev is honoured by people across communities and is regarded in Rajasthan as the family deity of several groups, including the Meghwal community. According to tradition, five pirs from Mecca came to test him, and after he summoned their own bowls through the air they paid homage and stayed in the region.

The shrine complex at Ramdevra was built around his grave by Maharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner in 1931. It also holds the samadhi of his disciple Dalibai and the tombs of the five pirs.

A Pilgrimage That Crosses the Border

Ramdev's devotion reaches beyond Rajasthan into Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Sindh in Pakistan. At Tando Allahyar in Sindh stands a Rama Pir temple whose annual three-day festival in Bhadrapada is described as the second-largest Hindu pilgrimage in Pakistan.

At Ramdevra itself, a fair is held each year in the month of Bhadrapada, around Ramdev's samadhi day, when many pilgrims travel long distances, some on foot, to reach the shrine.

Good to know

Rajasthan Tourism saint shrine of Ramdev Pir in the Thar

Major Bhadrapada fair and year-round darshan traffic

On the Pokaran–Jaisalmer–Jodhpur desert highway belt

Getting there

Nearest airport: Jodhpur or Jaisalmer. Ramdevra railway station on the Jodhpur–Jaisalmer line; temple in Ramdevra village.