New plan approved to restore Sajan Singh Haveli
It took wealthy merchant Sardar Rai Bahadur Sujan Singh three years to construct the iconic building, which is a masterpiece of British-era architecture. PHOTOS: EXPRESS
The Glorious Rawalpindi Task Force has approved a plan to renovate and restore the 130-year-old Sajaan Singh Haveli — consisting of seven gurdwaras and a temple in the heart of the city’s most densely populated Bhabhra Bazaar area — and the Bagh-e-Sardaran Temple.
The archaeology department has been directed to submit the estimated cost within a month for the restoration of the ancient historical heritage sites in their original condition.
Former Rawalpindi Commissioner Muhammad Mahmood, prior to his arrest in the Ring Road scandal, had gotten approval from the Punjab government to restore the historical mansion for Rs400 million. However, the provincial government did not release the funds.
Now it has been decided to start work on the project under the auspices of the Glory Rawalpindi Task Force.
During his visit to Rawalpindi on Friday, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar gave the approval to start work on the project immediately.
Earlier, the renovation cost of the project of the Sajaan Singh Haveli was estimated at Rs50 million. The archaeological department has now been directed to prepare and submit the estimated cost of the renovation project.
Glorious Rawalpindi Task Force Chairman Asif Mehmood told The Express Tribune that in the first phase, the Sajaan Singh Haveli and the Bagh-e-Sardaran Temple will be renovated and restored to their original condition and opened for tourism besides renovation of seven old temples.
The iconic building was built by Sardar Rai Bahadur Sujan Singh, a wealthy merchant some 131 years ago. Its foundation stone was laid in 1890 and was completed in three years. The 24,000-square feet building has four storeys and 45 rooms. Four of its large halls have Victorian-style furniture. But due to lack of proper maintenance, this very important cultural heritage is almost on the verge of collapse.
The restoration of a temple and seven gurdwaras was also part of the project.
Bagh-e-Sardaran Tempal is located in Ghazni Mohalla. This temple was built in 1887. The office of the Special Police Branch is located in this temple now.
The restoration of these two historical heritage sites is expected to start in March and will be completed in four months.
The Sajaan Singh Haveli belonged to a Sikh family that left for India after partition. The family's other property was a royal palace on Mall Road, which now houses Fatima Jinnah Women's University.
Prior to this, a plan to make the Sajaan Singh Haveli a campus of the Fatima Jinnah University was also under consideration but it could not be implemented.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 14th, 2022.