DAYAL BAGH
Located 15 kilometers from Agra, Dayal Bagh is a unique pilgrimage and tourist site in India. This garden houses the memorial of Shiv Dayal Sahib (1818-1878) the founder of the Radha Soami Satsang movement, a religious organization that started in 1861. The Radha Soami movement combines elements from Hinduism, Christianity, Sikhism and Buddhism.
Shiv Dayal Sahib, known as Soami Maharaj by his disciples, was the first of the Guru's or religious leaders of the Radha Soami sect. He is worshipped at this grand memorial whose architecture combines elements from temple, gurudwara, vihara and mosque styles of architecture. The memorial is 110-feet high, has impressive pillars and is made of pure white marble. The inner walls of the memorial have fine pietra dura inlay work.
The building is continuously under construction and work has been going on at for over 100 years. The followers believe that tending the memorial is an ongoing process. You can actually see marble cutters and artisans imparting their skills on the memorial.