Lost and found: On a heritage trail

The intent was always there: Pakistan did make an attempt to keep at least the most famous of the left-behind legacies of the Hindus and Sikhs up and running. In fact, in April 2016, after 73 years, it dared to open the 300-year-old gurdwara in the deeply conservative Peshawar, a city at the foot of the mountainous Khyber Pass, amid tight security. But the immense tourist potential became all too obvious with the decision to build Kartarpur corridor so that devotees could visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur Sahib in Narowal district, about four-and-half kilometres from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district.Overwhelmed by the news, NRI Sikhs have pledged support to the project. In December 2018, a 25-member Sikh delegation visited Jamrud fort, situated at the entrance of the Khyber Pass, in which Nalwa breathed his last, for the first time since independence and again pledged support.
Perhaps buoyed by these, the Imran Khan government is pushing other renovation and restoration projects that have been gathering dust till now. According to Faraz Abbas, deputy secretary, Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), adequate budget is being allocated for the preservation as well as development of some of the sites. Pakistan’s prominent Punjabi historian, Shahid Shabbir, who has mapped around 350 Hindu, Jain and Buddhist temples across the length and breadth of the country, is of the view that Pakistan government is committed to preserve its rich heritage without any discrimination. Shabbir, who is also the president of Pakistan Heritage Club, says that non-Muslim heritage of Pakistan was being preserved at its best. But his Indian counterpart, Surinder Kochhar, says that a lot of pre-partition Hindu and Sikh heritage in Pakistan has been damaged. But he concedes that in recent past, the Pakistan government has started the restoration and preservation works of some of the temples, gurdwaras and other monuments.
We list here four of the recent projects that gained momentum post Kartarpur corridor...
Krishna temple, Rawalpindi
Sitting perfectly among the domes of the nearby mosques, is the Krishna temple of Rawalpindi. Constructed in 1890, the temple near Rawalpindi railway station saw its ups and down: after partition, things have not always been good, attempts have been made to raze the temple in the past.
But such was its draw among the minuscle Hindu community in Rawalpindi, that they braved it all to keep the daily religious services running all these years.
“The temple priest receives salary from the government,” informs Shabbir. ETPB has plans to spend Rs 80 lakh towards repair and renovation of the temple. The interior of the temple has elaborate glass work.
Intrigued by the Hindu religious rituals, local Muslims also visit the temple, says Shabbir. “I was given a warm welcome when I visited the temple in 2014. Pandit Jay Maharaj informed us about the Hindu deities and rituals,” he says.
A resident of Rawalpindi, Sumaira, who has many Hindu friends, says that the fact that the temple is being renovated at government cost shows how much the government cares about religious places of minorities. “I have been to the temple three times with my Hindu friends. Every time, I felt something palpably spiritual in the temple,” she says.
Sir Ganga Ram's Samadhi
Once upon a time, architect Sir Ganga Ram, the philanthropist who had built many hospitals, schools, colleges and monuments in Lahore, was a celebrated man. He was fondly called the father of the modern Lahore. Sir Gang Ram Hospital is one of the major hospitals in Lahore today. So are Janki Devi Hospital and Gulab Devi Chest Hospital, established in memory of his wife and daughter.
And yet, until recently, he was lying forgotten in his samadhi (tomb), while the locals were using it as a cow shed. The samadhi also came under attack after the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992.
A tad too late, but still a step in the right direction: Pakistan government has now initiated the process of preservation of the samadhi. They have also opened a dispensary near the tomb. According to Abbas of ETPB, the restoration work would complete in two months. He said efforts are being made to popularise the samadhi among tourists.
“When we think of modern Lahore, the first thing that comes to our mind is Sir Gang Ram. We are all indebted to him for his great work,” said Shabbir, adding that more than 40% architectural heritage in old Lahore were projects of Sir Ganga Ram.
Hari Singh Nalwa haveli/fort
Hari Singh Nalwa was a celebrated general in the army of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. And his haveli, situated close to Katasraj cluster of Hindu temples in Chakwal district of Pakistan, reflected his stature. It was an architectural marvel with intricate fresco donning its interiors. But when partition uprooted people, the haveli slipped quietly from the public memory, letting time ravage its uncared for structure. It was on the verge of collapse when the government woke up to its precious legacy.
In recent past, Pakistan government had begun the painstaking work of restoration, not only to preserve the memories of Sikh general, but also to showcase the architectural glory of the haveli to the world. The ETPB has now decided to convert a part of the haveli into a museum.
But for historian Kochhar, the damage is already done. According to him, the fresco inside the haveli was priceless and reflected the ethos of Sikhism. Despite being a warrior, Nalwa himself was an architect, who not only designed his haveli but also around four dozen forts, says Kochhar. “Government is collecting articles and other material related to Hari Singh Nalwa to display in the museum,” says Shabbir. “I was stunned by its beauty when I first saw it,” he adds.
Sanjay Sharma, a resident of Amritsar, who had visited Katasraj temples several times, says that Hindu devotees also perform sewa at the haveli of Hari Singh Nalwa. “Earlier, the building was in shambles, but during my last visit we were pleased to see that it was being repaired by Pakistan government,” says Sharma.
Katasraj temple pond
Katasraj cluster of temples may be one of the UNESCO world heritage sites in Pakistan, but it was not spared from neglect after the partition. It was only after seeing the interest it was generating among the heritage lovers that Pakistan government decided to renovate the place.
But it was not an easy task. For one, the idols had either been vandalised or taken away, forcing the Pakistan government to procure idols of Hindu deities, including Lord Hanuman, Kali Mata and Lord Shiva, to install in the temples.
The temple pond was another story. Nearby cement factories had been drying up the pond by taking subsoil from it. Following the intervention of Pakistan’s former chief justice, ETPB began the restoration work of Amrit Kund (holy pond). First thing it had to do was take firm action against the offending cement factories.
“I first visited Katasraj in 2004, the temples were in a state of utter neglect, children were taking bath in the holy pond,” said Kochhar, adding that it was nowhere near the pictures of Katasraj, taken during the times of the Raj. But he agrees that Pakistan government did heavily penalise the cement factories that were responsible for drying up the pond.