Literacy

Total 96%Male 97%Female 95%

Dayalbagh was a pioneer in the field of female education which wasintroduced as early as 1917.

FestivalsBasant and Holi; besides Bhandaras (Religious Feasts).

Management of Colony

ä Self-GovernanceCivic affairs managed through a committee of elected representativesknown as Shiromani Nagar Committee (SNC) under overall supervisionand control of Radhasoami Satsang Sabha. Colony divided intoMohallas each having Sarpanch and Panches for different areas of theMohallas. Honorary volunteers perform several functions.

ä Water SupplyOwn tube wells water supply. In order to sustain ground water levels,Rain Water Harvesting schemes have been implemented.

ä Electric SupplyBulk purchase from M/s. Torrent Power Ltd. is made at 33 KV whichafter step down is supplied to the colony. The colony has its own back-up generation facility also to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply.

As part of its Fundamental duty prescribed by the Constitution topreserve environment, increasing use of solar power is being made inthe colony. Daily power requirement of lighting and running of fans inthe Satsang Hall is met entirely by solar power. Similarly, daily normalrequirements of the Sabha office are also met. Solar power lights havealso been installed in open spaces within and outside the colony inselected areas and for street lighting at selected points. A programmeto instal solar power units in all institutional buildings is underway.To reduce power consumption, CFL lights are used to the maximumpossible extent.

ä Sewage And Garbage DisposalAll Mohallas have a regular sewage system with treatment facilities foreffluents constructed at own cost. Treated water is used for irrigation.SNC arranges garbage disposal.

ä SecurityDay and night pehra performed in shifts by young and old for safetyand security. Community policing through own watch & ward department for safeguarding Satsang and public property.

ä Medical ServicesFree services, consultation, testing as well as supply of medicines inallopathic and Indian systems of medicine are available. A full-fledgedhospital, the Saran Ashram Hospital established in 1926 provides spe-cialised medical services in several branches, including dental treat-ment, pathological testing, ultrasound, ECG and there is a maternitysection. An eye care centre has also been established in which inter aliaseveral types of operations including cataract are performed on a largescale. Beneficiaries are mostly non-residents of Dayalbagh.

ä GaushalaColony has a Gaushala with over 800 heads of cattle. No cattle,male or female, young or old, is sold. Milch cattle yield milk whichmeets full requirement of the colony. Free milk is supplied toyoung school children.

ä Community KitchenA Bhandar Ghar (Langar) provides free meals to visiting pilgrims.Residents who wish to avail its facility so as to free themselves fromthe chores of daily cooking and devote their time to Satsang, Seva andAbhyas are also allowed to procure meals from the Bhandar Ghar atnominal cost.

ä Old Age Women's HomeFor aged women who cannot look after themselves and have no one totake care of them, an old age women's home exists in the colony.Satsangi women volunteers cater to their daily needs.

ä Local GovernmentColony, institutional areas and agricultural fields constitute the NagarPanchayat of Dayalbagh, a Class-III municipality under the U.P.Municipalities Act, 1916, responsible for carrying out municipal func-tions. The President and all members of Nagar Panchayat have consis-tently been elected unanimously in all elections. The Nagar Panchayat isfinancially fully viable.

Dayalbagh ColonyPrivate colony constituted into six Mohallas - Prem Nagar, Vidyut Nagar,Swet Nagar, Soami Nagar, Karyavir Nagar and Saran Ashram Nagar.

Number of Residential Houses971. All owned by Radhasoami Satsang Sabha or by some institutionslike Dayalbagh Educational Institute (Deemed University). No privateproperty within the colony.

Population (2010)

Males 1296 above 12 years of age.Females 1319 above 12 years of age.Children 308 (12 years and below)

Total 2896

Besides there are 416 students living in the hostels within the colony.

Population Profile at Census

Births and Deaths

ReligionHindu. All followers of Radhasoami Faith.

Major Linguistic GroupsHindi, Punjabi and Telugu.

Year Males Females Children Total

2001 1305 1275 493 3074

1991 1134 1232 612 2978

1981 1407 1269 678 3354

Year Births Deaths

2004 3 19

2005 7 28

2006 10 22

2007 11 39

2008 19 23

2009 13 41

Land Use

Climate

ä Extremes of climate. Summer very hot and dry with frequent dust storms.

ä Winter very cold with fog/mist enveloping colony and agricultural fields on several occasions.

ä Hot and humid rainy season.ä Short spring when weather is pleasant.ä Average summer temperature 35°C with maximum going upto 47°C.ä Average winter temperature 14°C with minimum going down to 2°C.ä Average annual rainfall 77.65 cm.

Agricultural Area 1390 acres = 563 hectares = 5.63 Sq.Kms.

Irrigated Area 610 acres = 247 hectares = 2.47 Sq.Kms.

Area Prone to Diluvial Action of River88 acres = 36 hectares

Institutional Area 146 acres = 59 hectares = 0.59 Sq.Kms.

Residential Area 52 acres = 21 hectares = 0.21 Sq.Kms.

Canal 8 acres

Roads 2 acres

Other Infrastructure 11 acres

River Front About 2.5 kms.

Natural Resources None. Sandy soils generally.

Radhasoami FaithFaith founded on Basant Panchami Day, 15th February 1861 by FirstSant Satguru Param Purush Puran Dhani Soamiji Maharaj at Agra, India.

Foundation of DayalbaghFoundation laid on Basant Panchami Day, 20th January 1915 by ParamGuru Huzur Sahabji Maharaj - Fifth Revered Sant Satguru of the Faith. Itis the Headquarters of the Radhasoami Faith.

AdministrationRadhasoami Satsang Sabha, a religious and charitable society registeredunder the Societies Registration Act, 1861, is the apex body governingthe affairs of the followers of the Faith called Satsangis and the colonyof Dayalbagh, under the guidance of the Sant Satguru of the time Whois the spiritual head of the Faith.

Geographic LocationNorth of city of Agra, bounded on the north and west by river Yamuna.

Geographic Coordinates27° - 13' - 27.36" North, 78° - 00' - 48.93" East

Elevation552 feet (168.25 metres) above M.S.L.

TerrainGenerally level land, undulating in some parts.

Area1609 acres = 651 Hectares = 6.51 Sq.Kms.

Dayalbagh an Educational Hub

Visionary leaders of the Faith foresaw education as a thrust area for thecommunity. Several educational institutions were established soon afterthe foundation of Dayalbagh, the first one being a co-educational school.

Dayalbagh Educational Institute (DEI) was accorded the DeemedUniversity status in the year 1981 by the Govt. of India. DEI which hasan innovative programme of value based multi-disciplinary educationlinked to work experience at under-graduate level comprises 6 facultiesviz. Arts, Commerce, Education, Engineering, Science and SocialSciences, 22 departments and two non-university colleges - DEITechnical College and the DEI Prem Vidyalaya Girls IntermediateCollege. The Education policy of DEI aims to develop a "CompleteMan" imbued with the values of humanism, secularism and democracy.To reach out to students beyond its campus, the DEI has recently takenover academic and administrative control of seven schools in thicklyforested backward tribal areas of the Rajaborari Estate, District Harda,M.P. as also in Soami Nagar, New Delhi and Roorkee.

In order to extend the benefits of its innovative, work experiencerelated, value based and holistic educational system which has beencommended by educational authorities, to population in different partsof the country, particularly the weaker sections in remote backwardareas in a cost effective manner at very low fees, the Institute initiateda Distance Education Programme in 2004. The main objective of thiswas to provide employment oriented vocational education, facilitateempowerment of women and to provide higher level programmes suchas diploma, degree courses so as to help them to join the mainstream.

The Distance Education Programme was first launched inMelathiruvenkatanathapuram (MTV Puram), a remote village in Tamil

Nadu near Tirunelveli with rampant unemployment and economic back-wardness. The programmes are now being offered in 75 study centresin India and 3 abroad. These programmes are backed by laboratoriesand workshops and state-of-the-art communication technology includ-ing EDUSAT satellite interactive terminals which provide two way inter-actions between the University and the Study Centres. Some of the pro-grammes are taught via the synchronised online mode, some are webbased while others are in the blended education mode. These pro-grammes have evoked very positive response.

According to Vision-2011, the DEI aims to be amongst the first 20Universities in India by 2011. In accordance with an evaluation madeby the Ministry of Human Resources of the 130 Deemed Universities inIndia, the DEI was placed at the 3rd position.

Apart from initiatives in the field of education, the DEI has also takensteps to make the campus eco-friendly. It is in the process of developinga solar power system for generating 500 MW of electricity. The institutehas already installed a solar concentrator in the girls' hostel for cookingand providing hot water facilities.

In the words of Most Revered Prof. P.S. Satsangi, the policy of DEI isbest summed up in the following words:-

"The DEI Education Policy is an innovative, comprehensive and flexible higher and technicaleducation policy with the mission objective ofevolving a "complete man" (total quality person),which conforms to the concept of total qualitymanagement and is geared for transformation ofIndia to a knowledge society."

The colony also has a School of Languages to teach regional and for-eign languages; a School of Art & Culture to provide training in music,dance and handicrafts; a Tailoring School for empowerment of womenfrom the weaker sections of the society; an Indian Music TrainingCentre; a School of Dress Designing and Interior Decoration. A DayBoarding School to provide special tutorial teaching to students ofunder privileged families who do not have adequate facilities at homehas also been set up.

Way of Life

Partaking of non-vegetarian food, alcohol or intoxicant drugs is pro-hibited. Ostentation and conspicuous consumption are discouraged.Followers of the Faith are enjoined to live on income earned by thesweat of one's brow. The colony of Dayalbagh is maintained and runso as to fulfill its object of having an atmosphere and environmentconducive to successful performance of devotional practices; to sub-due the minds of the residents by subjecting them to proper rigourand discipline and to provide opportunities to the residents for serv-ice of mankind.

To enable followers of the Faith spread over the length and breadthof the country and abroad to participate in Satsang proceedings atDayalbagh during the Bhandara celebrations and Sunday morningSatsang, facility of e-satsang i.e. electronic transmission of the proceed-ings of Satsang has been provided at 226 cities of which 27 are in for-eign countries, benefitting over 33,000 Satsangis.

Residents believe in the ideal of Fatherhood of God and Brotherhoodof Man. Satsangis form a classless, casteless and seamless society.Satsangis partake meals on occasions such as Bhandaras dining togeth-er irrespective of caste, creed or colour. Inter-caste and inter-State mar-riages take place freely.

Dowry is not permitted. Simple, inexpensive marriages take place.Civil marriages may be performed before a Marriage Officer, appointedunder the Special Marriages Act or by Vedic Rites. An amount notexceeding Rs.18,000/- may be spent by each party. Not more than 100persons - 65 from bride's side and 35 from bridegroom's side may beinvited to a marriage meal costing Rs.12/- only, prepared and served by

volunteers to reduce costs.Seva of the Sant Satguru and the community is a basic tenet of the

Faith. Hundreds of Satsangis - young and old, men and women, renderSeva in the agricultural fields everyday in the munificent presence ofthe Sant Satguru. In the community kitchen, even elder women performsuch Seva as their physical condition permits. Articles of daily necessityare either procured from the market by Satsangis volunteer bodies orare produced in cottage units by Satsangis who work by way of Seva ina cooperative way, and are supplied at cost to residents. RetiredGovernment officers, teachers, army officers, professionals, public andprivate sector executives and others render honorary service in theirareas of specialization. In Dayalbagh the attempt is to establish a neworder where men and women live and work in harmony for the serviceof mankind and not for selfish aims.

Published by Radhasoami Satsang Sabha, Dayalbagh, Agra(Copyright Reserved)

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