Of Sajan Singh Haveli and broken promises
One of the last remaining reminders of the bustling Sikh reign over Rawalpindi, Sardar Rai Bahadur Sajan Singh’s over a century old mansion, is slowly crumbling away.
Once a sign of a new, rising power in the heart of Punjab, this crucial piece of history lies in a dilapidated state even though the Rawalpindi commissioner took special interest and there had been talk as recent as a month ago of restoring the structure and even housing an educational research institute there.
Even as the Sikh era petered out and they lost their grip over Punjab after the meteoric reign of Raja Ranjit Singh, well-known businessman, timber baron and political figure Sardar Rai Bahadur Sajan Singh in 1890 announced to construct a mansion at the Syed Puri Gate of Rawalpindi - an area once the melting pot for a multi-religious Rawalpindi, bustling with temples, mosques and gurdwaras.
Sprawling over 24,000 square feet, the project was completed in an eye-watering three years. Historians say that the doors and windows of the mansion were specially imported from Britain at that time. The mansion also made extensive use of iron to reinforce its doors and windows which sported intricate grillwork. This was so that the house could withstand an assault from any enemy.
A lot of precious wood was also used, both on the inside of the mansion and on its facade.
The 45-room mansion was then handed over to a Sikh general as his residential quarters. Two of the four storeys of the mansion were used by the general’s staff and bodyguards. The upper two floors were reserved for the general and his family.
However, after the downfall of the Sikhs and the Partition, the mansion has fallen prey to neglect.
From having housed Kashmiri and refugees from West India after the Partition, this historic mansion today lies in ruins.
Its fences have been torn, its doors unhinged, windows are broken, sidewalks have sunk into the streets, the stairs have fallen through and its corridors are covered in moss.
The foundations of the building have weakened over the past 127 years to such an extent that its central roof has developed cracks and experts fear it could collapse unless it receives the urgent attention it needs.
A month ago, Rawalpindi Commissioner Captain (Retired) Muhammad Mahmood had visited the mansion, taking a keen interest in restoring it to its former glory. There was also talk of building a science college for girls at the mansion, but this has yet to be fulfilled as well.
Even though the 127-year-old mansion has been declared a national heritage site, little to no work has been done to either repair it or protect it. Residents living around Sajan Singh Haveli maintain that several public officials have visited the mansion over the years, each promising to renovate and restore it, but they have yet to see practical work proceed on the historic property.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 5th, 2020.