Preserving history :Restoration of Gurdwara Chowa Sahib begins in Jhelum

The gurdwara will be opened for worship within a year

LAHORE:

The renovation and decorative work for Gurdwara Chowa Sahib, the oldest Sikh Gurdwara in Jhelum district of Punjab, is in full swing under the supervision of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee and the Evacuee Trust Property Board, a body which oversees Sikh and Hindu religious sites in Pakistan. The project is expected to be completed within a year.

The Evacuee Trust Property Board initiated the restoration work of the historic gurdwara in August last year. Sources said that more than half of the restoration work has been done while decorative and repair work has been started.

Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee’s Secretary-General Sardar Amir Singh told The Express Tribune that the noble task is being sponsored by the Sikh community in the United Kingdom.

“The Evacuee Trust Property Board and the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee had approved the renovation project in a meeting held on August 26, 2019,” he said.

Gurdwara Chowa Sahib is located in the historic fort of Rohtas. According to Sikh tradition, the founder of the Sikh religion Baba Guru Nanak stayed here during a journey. At that time, the water in the area was salty. However, following the stay of Baba Guru Nanak on the site, a pond was discovered there. The pond is considered a sacred place by the followers of the Sikh religion.

Centuries-old Gurdwara opens its doors to pilgrims after seven decades

The present building of Gurdwara Sahib was built in 1864 by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Rohtas Fort, the parent site of the gurdwara, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The gurdwara restoration and decoration project’s head Ranjit Nagara shared photos of the work being conducted at the site.

“Those working here maintain that no change is being made in the design of Gurdwara Sahib,” Nagara said. “The old building and the design of Gurdwara Sahib and its old-style is being restored and lime will be used in the repair work, while parts of the Sikh and Mughal style Gurdwara building will be repaired as they are very dilapidated.”

He added that the entire building of Gurdwara Sahib has been washed while the dome has also been cleaned.

Officials of the Evacuee Trust Property Board said that the Gurdwara was opened and functional before the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji last year. Gurdwara Chowa Sahib is very old and Sikhs have repeatedly demanded that this place be opened for Darshan Deedar. The Pakistani government not only opened the 186-year-old gurdwara but is now working on its rehabilitation and decoration as well.

Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee’s Secretary-General Sardar Amir Singh said that the process will be completed in a year, after which Sikh pilgrims from all over the world will be able to worship here.

“Aside from the Gurdwara Chowa Sahib, the Gurdwara Dera Sahib Lahore, Gurdwara Janam Asthana Nankana Sahib and several other Gurdwaras are also undergoing restoration and decorative work,” he said.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, Septe0mber 13^th, 2020.