Jhandewalan demolition puts centuries-old Har Shree Nath sect in national spotlight

New Delhi: The recent demolition at the Peer Ratan Nath dargah complex in Delhi’s Jhandewalan has pushed a little-known but centuries-old spiritual tradition into the national spotlight. 

As followers gathered in protest on November 29 against the demolition around the temple  and tensions gripped the neighbourhood, many were left asking what this small compound near Jhandewalan Mandir and the RSS headquarters really represents, and why its devotees feel such deep emotional and cultural attachment to it. 

Often mistaken as a Sufi/islamic shrine because of the name ‘Dargah’, the Jhandewalan site is, in fact, a living remnant of the Har Shree Nath sect - an unusual offshoot of the Nath tradition that has evolved over a thousand years across regions stretching from Nepal to Khorasan. 

Its history, shaped by the teachings of Gorakhnath and layered with the influence of Afghanistan, North West Frontier Province and the then ruling culture, explain why the 80-year-old Dargah/mandir complex next to the RSS headquarters carries an identity which is difficult for the Hinterland Hindus, especially the very homogeneous RSS, to understand.

From Gorakhnath’s disciple to a Khorasan dargah

The Nath Panth, one of the widely practised spiritual streams within Hinduism, traces its origins to Baba Gorakhnath. Over time, the Nath order splintered into several lineages founded by his disciples, Gorakhdam in Gorakhpur being the most prominent one.

One such stream began when Gorakhnath, according to the sect’s own tradition, instructed his disciple Prince Ratan Nath ji of Nepal to travel to Khorasan, comprising most of present-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan and parts of Afghanistan, to spread Nath teachings.

By the time Ratan Nath ji reached Khorasan from Kathmandu, Islam and Central Asian political power were already entrenched in the region. 

Word soon spread about the mystic who had arrived, and local rulers grew curious. One such ruler is believed to have granted him land to establish his Mutt. 

Under the influence of local culture and vocabulary, the establishment came to be known not as a Mutt or mandir but as a dargah.

Ratan Nath ji was given the title “Peer” by the local population and later became popular as Peer Ratan Nath. His shrine was called Har Shree Nath ki Dargah.

Over time, one dargah was established in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, and another in Peshawar. Peer Ratan Nath ji is believed to have taken samadhi there after anointing his successor. 

Following the convention he set, successors did not use “Nath” in their names and instead carried the title “Das”.

Despite Islamic rule, the dargah grew in prominence across Khorasan and attracted followers from the Punjabi Khatri community. 

Its influence spread to cities such as Amritsar, Jalandhar and other parts of undivided Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.

Even the staunch Muslim rulers, known for wide scale Hindu conversion, would pay obeisance at Peer Ratana Dargah/temple.

Just like Sikhs have had 10 gurus. This sect has had 31 gurus since inception.

Discipline without evangelism

Unlike many larger orders, Har Shree Nath’s following has always remained small. The sect defines itself by strict internal discipline and minimal evangelism. 

There is no preaching within the dargah; the rhythm of religious life centres instead on festivals like Shivratri and Guru Purnima, observed without showy spectacle.

On key occasions, elder devotees often wear the traditional Peshawari pagdi, a visual reminder of the community’s North-West Frontier roots. 

Most bhajans and aartis are sung in Peshawari Punjabi, giving the dargah’s soundscape a distinct flavour that is very different from mainstream north Indian temple music.

Partition, refugees and the Delhi base

Partition radically reshaped the sect’s geography. As Hindu refugee families moved out of what became Pakistan and settled across northern India, the Har Shree Nath dargah network expanded on this side of the border. 

Today, there are more than 30 dargahs linked to the tradition across the region.

Delhi has served as the central base since Independence, after the then Maharaj Ji moved from Peshawar to the capital. 

Since Partition, three peers have taken the gaddi in Delhi, anchoring the sect’s leadership in the city even as other centres emerged. Major dargahs were also established in Haridwar and Uttarkashi.

In the late 90s, the then Guru of the sect, undertook journey to Afghanistan and Peshawar Dargahs, which was named as ‘Yatra Khorasan ki’.

The Jhandewalan dargah, now at the centre of the current controversy, is located near Jhandewalan Mandir in a quiet lane adjacent to the RSS headquarters. 

For many families with roots in the North-West Frontier Province, it became the most accessible physical link to the Peshawar shrine.

Jinda Peer, kaali kamli and everyday practice

The customs at the Delhi and Haridwar dargahs remain simple and largely aligned with the wider Nath tradition, but regional influences are clearly visible.

The Jinda Peer, a holy well, is worshipped alongside Baba Bhairo Nath. There are no elaborate code of conduct, but there is one firm rule: devotees are not allowed to wear black inside the dargah. 

The Maharaj Ji himself wears a kaali kamli (black shawl), and over time a belief has taken hold that followers should avoid black as a mark of respect and distinction.

The worship routine centres around bhajan, kirtan and the chanting of “Har Shree Nath”. The sect places a strong emphasis on solitude and inner discipline. 

Maharaj Ji does not deliver sermons or discourses in the style of many modern gurus. Instead, followers approach him quietly for guidance on important life decisions, starting a business, marriage, naming a child or resolving family dilemmas.

The Har Shree Nath community remains tightly knit and consists mainly of Punjabi refugees who migrated to India after Partition. 

Across the border, the dargah in Peshawar is still counted among the oldest operational Hindu temples in Pakistan, where festivals continue to be celebrated with enthusiasm. 

One of the prominent families associated with the Peshawar dargah, community members recall, was the Kapoor family of Bollywood; Prithviraj Kapoor and his ancestors are believed to have been followers.

In Peshawar there are only 70 families left now who keep the Dargah, located on one of the old markets, going. It’s the most prominent Hindu temple in the region. In Jalalabad, Afghanistan, there’s only one Hindu family left that takes care of Dargah/temple. It has survived despite the Taliban rule.

A long lineage with little written history

Over the centuries, more than 30 peers have led the sect across its different centres. Successors are nominated by their predecessors before samadhi.

 Two of the last peers took samadhi at the Delhi dargah itself. The current Maharaj Ji, who hails from Haridwar, has held the gaddi for over a decade.

The sect’s history is recorded in a small internal text called Guru Mahima which, though undated, narrates the stories of each peer.

Several bhajans recount this lineage, referring to the peers as Kaali Kamle Wale Nath Ji. Some lyrics explicitly recall Ratan Nath ji’s Nepalese origins, such as the line, “Baba Kamli Wale Nath Ratan, sano le chalo ju Nepal watan”, which speaks of a longing to return to Nepal as a spiritual homeland.

During his travels, Ratan Nath ji is believed to have established several mandirs and spiritual sites that still practise Nath traditions, though not all are formally associated with Har Shree Nath. 

At the Delhi and Haridwar dargahs, paintings depict miraculous episodes from the lives of Peer Ratan Nath ji and his successors, alongside images of Baba Gorakhnath. 

Over time, Har Shree Nath absorbed regional elements, including Sufi influences; the exact origins of the kaali kamli, for instance, remain unclear but are widely understood in the community as part of this cultural interaction.

Despite scattered references by historians and British-era officials, there is still no comprehensive, authoritative written history of the sect. Much of the knowledge survives in family memories, oral accounts and internal texts.

A demolition that hits inherited memory

For many followers, the Jhandewalan demolition is not just about the loss of a structure or a dispute over land and permissions. 

It is experienced as an assault on a living thread that connects Delhi to Peshawar, Kathmandu and a wider, older world that predates Partition and nation-state borders.

One such family, originally from Hoti Mardan near Peshawar, has followed the Har Shree Nath sect for more than a century. They grew up on stories of the peers and often wondered, as children, why their place of worship in Delhi was called dargah. 

Only later, as they learnt more about their family’s journey and the layered history of the region they came from, did it become clear how many influences the sect had absorbed over centuries, Nath yogic practice, Punjabi cultural forms and the idiom of dargah.