The Bhawan (or temple) has been around since the early 1960s and was set up as an answer to the caste discrimination followers of our community had faced. Thanks to the hardwork of a section of the community the temple changed from a small private group to a focal point for Ravidassia in the West Midlands.
The Early Days
The roots of the Bhawan on Union Row, Handsworth go back to before the 1960s in Birmingham, when a group of Ravidassia immigrants from Punjab, India decided to set up their own place of worship. Up to that point, many of our elders would worship at other temples around the Birmingham area. However, they saw the same prejudice and caste-based discrimination as in India. This is the reason they decided to set up their own temple, run by and for the Ravidassia community.
It was around this time that the original organisation, the Indian Welfare Association was created. Later, that name was changed to the Indian Mutual Support and Social Association Ltd. Members would meet in Benson Hall, Aston Road, Handsworth. Over time however, they realised they needed new premises and for a short time relocated to Green Lane, thanks to the aid of Mr Garib Das. Small services and events had started to be hosted by our own community.
The Committee
The first committee members were voted in on 6 November 1966. One of their first tasks was to find a permanent home for our temple. A meeting was held with Birmingham City Council, to provide a place of worship. One of the early sites was a mandir on Heathfield Road, Handsworth. This however was sold to a different group so a new site had to be found.
It was between 1966/67 that the members decided to disband the limited company and set up a new organisation with a religious title. This was when the Shri Guru Ravidass Cultural Assocation came into being. Still without a site however, they pursued the council to find them a location at a fair price.
By early 1970 the council finally found a site for us, an old church on Union Row, Handsworth. However, the price wasn’t cheap and there were other interested parties. A bidding war started between the two groups and eventually a final price of around £35,000 was agreed upon. All that was required was the signatures of the committee members, and of course the money.
The committee members did as much as they could, even re-mortgaging their houses, to find the money for the deposit. With the help of such people as Mr Babbu Ram Jassi from Linwood Road, Handsworth (who also donated the first palki or shrine to the temple) and Jarnail Singh Hayer, they finally managed to scrape the money together to open the Bhawan. It was formally inaugarated on 15 September 1972.
1970-1990
Over the next decade the standing and reputation of the Shri Guru Ravidass Bhawan grew in stature as the congregation increased and it began to spread the word of Shri Guru Ravidass Maharaj Ji. The loans which had been taken out during the early years were now being paid off and a number of processions were being held annually since 1976.
It was in 1977 that former Prime Minister of India, the Late Mrs Indira Gandhi visited the Birmingham area. She also visited the Bhawan at the time and met with the committee members. As word began to spread, other local Ravidassia joined the congregation – further expanding its numbers.
As more and more people began to visit the Bhawan it became obvious that it needed more space. With the help of the HOPE council agency, the factory buildings next to the Bhawan were purchased and converted into a community centre. Today, various social activities such as punjabi classes, yoga lessons and reading take place there. The first of the community classes was the legal surgery, started in 1986, to provide immigration and visa advice to the congregation.
Unfortunately the Ravidassia community suffered a shock when in 1988 a fire damaged the main part of the Bhawan. It came as a blow to the committee and the congregation, who had worked so hard to build a focal point for the community.
1990s
It took a lot of hardwork, determination and luck to keep the community together during the years the Bhawan was being rebuilt. The fire in 1988 had left it in a dangerous state but on 15 April 1990 the foundation stone of the new building was put in place. This would mark a new decade for the Bhawan where it sought to spread the word of Shri Guru Ravidass Maharaj Ji more vigorously.
The official inaugaration of the new Bhawan took place on 15 March 1992, 20 years after the original one. The new building had a more modern design, and specific areas for prayer and langar. In the same year a plane with the word ‘Congratulations’ was flown throughout the UK on the anniversary of Shri Guru Ravidass Ji’s birthday celebrations.
1992 was also the year of the first Ravidassia conference where scholars and philisophers from across the world were invited to speak and share their views on Shri Guru Ravidass Maharaj Ji, the Ravidassia community and the Dalit population.
2000 onwards
Since the 1990s the Bhawan has cemented its place as a leading place of worship for Ravidassia in the entire world. Today, it has a strong and loyal congregation and many links to the Birmingham City Council and religious organisations. The committee have kept it running and have helped to provide cosmetic changes to enhance the look of the Bhawan – such as clearing the trees on Union Row, fixing the walls which surround it and more work in the car park area.
The Future
The community have come a long way from the early days when blue-collar workers joined together to keep our identity. Today, the younger generation is more educated, wealthier and fully integrated in British society. The old shackles associated with the Ravidassia have become diluted and in many cases dissolved. The future holds many exciting opportunities for the Ravidassia community in the UK – it will be interesting to see which are taken.
