Lala Ramanuj Dayal

Lala Ramanuj Dayal, Rais (1869-1911) was born at Hapur and was adopted into the Patharwala Family of Meerut by his maternal uncle Lala Durga Prasadji. Patharwala Family of Meerut has a lineage which is identified for last 400 years. Legend has it that the Patharwala family was in the business of salt trade and banking but sufferred huge losses running into crores during the era of Emperor Auranzeb. The family did not file for bankruptcy to avoid creditors, instead paid all their dues and people said that the family has great sense of pride and reliability and their words could be “cast in stone”, hence “Patharwala”.

Lala Ramanuj Dayal was a great philatropist and donated 50,000 yds of personal property in the heart of Meerut in 1896, which still runs an orphanage and old home by the name of Lala Ramanuj Dayal Vaishya Bal Sadan. He was conferred the title of “Rai Bahadur and Raja Sahab” by the British Government but he passed away at that time at a young age of 42 years. Lala Ramanuj Dayal was very active in setting up eminent educational institutions at Meerut.

Lala Ramanuj Dayal and Smt Anandi Devi had seven children – Sri Mahavir Prasad (Meerut), Smt Kalavati (Moradabad), Smt Radharani (Meerut), Smt Ramkatori (Meerut), Smt Basumati (Delhi), Sri Rameshwar Dayal (Meerut), Sri Harihar Prasad (Meerut).