Sant Niranjan Dass
The head of Dera Sachkhand Ballan since 1994, whose trusts run a charitable hospital, an eye hospital and a school, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.
Sant Niranjan Dass is the spiritual head of Dera Sachkhand Ballan and a leader of the followers of Guru Ravidass. In 2026 he was named for the Padma Shri, from Punjab [1].
A life at the Dera
He was born on 6 January 1942 in Ramdass Pur village near Alawalpur, Jalandhar district [2]. At the age of eight he left home for Dera Sachkhand Ballan, under Sant Sarwan Dass [2]. From 1950 to 1994 he served the congregation under the Dera’s successive heads, and on 9 August 1994 he became its head himself [2].
He also chairs the trust of the Shri Guru Ravidass Janam Asthan Mandir at Seer Govardhanpur in Varanasi [2]. The Shri Guru Ravidass Gate in Varanasi was opened in 1998 by President K. R. Narayanan [2].
Hospitals and a school
Under his leadership the Dera runs the 150-bed Sant Sarwan Dass Charitable Hospital at Kathar, Jalandhar, which offers low-cost care, and a charitable eye hospital near the Dera [2]. The Sant Sarwan Dass Model School in Phagwara teaches more than 1,600 students at low fees; during the Covid-19 pandemic it waived fees while continuing to pay its staff [2].
The Dera serves langar every day, where rich and poor eat together [2]. It has also given help during the pandemic, floods and other disasters [2].
Sources
- [1] Padma Awards 2026: list of awardees — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Accessed 11 October 2026.
- [2] Padma Awards 2026 investiture ceremony brochure: citation for Sant Niranjan Dass — Press Information Bureau, Government of India. Accessed 12 October 2026.
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