Dera Jiwan Nagar, Sirsa

Dera Jiwan Nagar is situated 30 km in the west of the city of Sirsa. It is one of the important religious centres of the Namdhari sect. Those who get the Nam, a mantra or a spiritual chant from the guru and abide by his instructions to live a pious life are called Namdharis or the bearers of the holy name.

The village where the dera or the habitat of the Namdhari sect is located was earlier called Chichal. It was later given its present name after Jeewan Kaur, the mother of the late Pratap Singh, a Namdhari sage. Most followers of the sect hail from the districts of Sheikhupura, Sialkot and Gujranwala district of Pakistan who settled here after the partition of the country.

Periodic congregations are held where the Gurbani or the readings from Guru Granth Sahib are recited. This is followed by a sermon by the chief of the Namdhari sect. The annual festival of Hola is celebrated at the centre with great devotion and fervour on the eve of Chet Badi 1 (March-April). An interesting feature of the festival is the consecration of mass marriages only at the cost of Rs. 11.