Villagers conserve Sikh heritage sites near border

Buildings were damaged by wars, weather over past decades

LAHORE: Remnants of an ancient gurdwara attributed to Sixth Sikh Guru Hargobindji and a 300-year-old mansion of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s general Sardar Jawala Singh still exist in the border area of Lahore. Sikhs from many countries, including India, visit the sites now maintained by the fifth generation of Sardar Jawala Singh’s descendants who have embraced Islam.

Lahore has many important and sacred sites, including ancient Sikh temples and shrines. The Padana village near the border of Pakistan and India dates back 300 years. There are still remnants of buildings built with Nanak Shahi bricks. However, the main attraction of this village is the old dilapidated buildings of the Sixth Patshahi Gurdwara and Haveli Sardar Jawala.

Sikh history shows that Guru Hargobindji came to this village to convey the message of the Gurus to the Jats and Rajputs who lived here. The gurdwara built in his memory is still present here. The condition of the main building is quite good and its dome can be seen from several miles. However, families which migrated from Haryana and Mewat in 1947 are residing in the place. The constructions around the gurdwara have been removed but the central building has been restored.

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According to one of the residents, Mohammad Hanif, no one shows up at the gurdwara for worship. The Pak-India wars in 1965 and 1971 caused damage in the village, including the gurdwara. Apart from this, weather conditions have also affected the building. A Muslim Mewati family living here takes care of the preserved part of the Gurdwara as it is a sacred place for Sikhs. Even though there is no Sikh population in the village now, its residents are trying to preserve the gurdwara. Hanif said that whenever Sikhs from other countries like India and Canada come to Lahore, they also visit the gurdwara.

At some distance from the gurdwara is the ancient mansion, which was built in the 17th century. Maharaja Ranjit Singh had gifted the palace to his favourite military general and confidante Sardar Jawala Singh. The mansion's ruins cover an acre of land. It is said that Sardar Jawala Singh married the elder sister of the Rani Jandan, wife of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, in 1835.

The remains of the mansion are owned by the fifth generation of Sardar Jawala Singh. Sardar Irfanullah’s father Sardar Charan Singh converted to Islam in 1942 along with his father and adopted the name Sardar Amanullah.

In 1947, Sardar Amanullah’s brothers and other relatives migrated to India but his family stayed back. Amanullah’s grandson Sardar Saifullah said that this mansion is linked to his family's history and has been damaged in the wars. “However, we still managed to save this building and it remains very dear to our hearts.”

Sardar Saifullah said no government representative had contacted his family so far to improve the condition of the mansion and the gurdwara. He said his family had a home in DHA, Lahore, but it preferred to live in the village because of the memories of their ancestors.

An elder of the village, Mohammad Yousaf, said that there were about 200 rooms in the mansion. Most of this village’s people were Sikh before the creation of Pakistan. After the partition, local people took away the gates and windows, while others destroyed the roof of the building. “Now we have realised the importance of this historic mansion, and stop the people from further harming it.” He said that it is a common heritage of Muslims and Sikhs. While standing on the roof of this mansion, the Indian village of Nowshera can be seen in the midst of lush greenery and the border fence. Most of the families that migrated from here in 1947 have settled in Nowshera village of India.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 8^th, 2020.