By dinesh on September 3, 2010
The book: Sikh Soldier; Battle Honours, written by Narindar Singh Dhesi, is a great work highlighting the achievements and battle honours won by Sikh soldiers in history. These honours include those won when they were serving in the British Indian Army and mor recently in the army of independent India. The courage and sacrifices of the Sikh soldiers have been exquisitely documented in this book. There is detailed mention of acts of courage of the Sikh soldiers, including those rendered repugnant to the current Indian mindset. This book is unique in a number of ways as the details about the battle honours can’t be found in any other book. Continue reading “Sikh Soldier; Battle Honours”
Posted in Reviews | Tagged Anglo Sikh War, Narindar Singh Dhesi, punjab, Sikh Soldier; Battle Honours, sikhs |
By Amandeep Madra on August 16, 2010
Just days after it was inundated by flood water, the centuries-old Gurudwara Pathar Sahib was full of Sikh and Buddhist devotees praying for those lost in the calamity. Local tradition says that the gurdwara was first constructed in 1517 and was for centuries a Buddhist shrine to ‘lLama Nanak.
Today it is a Sikh shrine and a major tourist destination being about 25 kms from Leh.
With remarkable speed, the local sangat, stranded Sikh truck drivers with the support of the army managed to clean up about four feet of sludge that had flowed down the hills following the rains on the nights August 5 and 6.
Posted in Cultural | Tagged gurdwara, Leh, Restoration, Sikh |
By admin on August 13, 2010
Houses in the old, walled-city of Lahore
An agreement has been signed between the German Embassy Islamabad and the Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan (AKCSP) regarding the restoration of historic homes in the Walled City of Lahore.
According to press release issued here on Tuesday, the Federal Republic of Germany is providing 9.3 million Pakistani rupees for the conservation and rehabilitation of multi-storeyed residential buildings in the Walled City of Lahore which date from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These houses constitute part of Lahore’s historic legacy of architecture and are located in two residential lanes close to Delhi Gate, along the classical ‘Shahi Guzargah’ which leads to the Shahi Qila (Lahore Fort). Continue reading “Germany provides funding for restoration of historic houses in walled city of Lahore”
Posted in Architectural, Cultural | Tagged Lahore, Pakistan, Restoration |
By admin on August 12, 2010
Le Corbusier. Architect of modern Chandigarh
Even as a magisterial panel probes the alleged theft of items designed by Le Corbusier and his cousin Pierre Jeanneret, another piece of Chandigarh’s heritage is set to go under the hammer in London.
Bonhams is planning to auction a collection of furniture designed by Jeanneret, second cousin of internationally renowned architect Le Corbusier, as part of its Post-War and Contemporary Art and Design sale on September 22. Continue reading “More of Chandigarh’s heritage to be auctioned in London”
Posted in Material | Tagged Auction, chandigarh, Le Corbusier, London |
By Amandeep Madra on August 11, 2010
Kristin Kelly, the Khalsa Heritage Complex's chief museum consultant who has resigned from the project
The much-hyped United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Master Plan for Tourism Development across Punjab has been at a standstill for a month now. Its Chief Technical Adviser and the team leader, Roger Goodacre, complaining of a “suffocating” work atmosphere, decided to opt out of the project last month. Even the national coordinator of the UNWTO has gone.
Also in hot waters is the third UNWTO expert, architect Hans Carl Jacobsen, an urban and tourism planner, with over 30 years of international expertise in this field.
Another prestigious project — Khalsa Heritage Centre — too is mired in controversy as its Director, George Jacob, who was hired on a five-year contract, has been sacked. Jacob, a Canada-based NRI, is an alumnus of the famous Smithsonian Institute. Continue reading “Tourism development project runs into controversies as top experts leave”
Posted in Architectural, Cultural | Tagged Anandpur Sahib, Khalsa Heritage Complex, tourism |
By admin on August 10, 2010
Sherpur Fort in Mandi
While successive governments have failed to preserve the historical fort housing the Sherpur police station, its current SHO has spent lakhs of rupees to restore a major portion of it.
Acknowledging his concern for the fort in a shambles and help extended to poor families coming to seek justice, at least 65 social and constitutional organisations of Sherpur Assembly segment, including 38 village panchayats, have decided to felicitate him. Continue reading “Sherpur Fort saved by Conservator Cop”
Posted in Architectural | Tagged conservation, Guru Nanak, Mandi, Sherpur Fort, Sikh |
By Amandeep Madra on August 8, 2010
The sheets of water which devastated Leh town and its outskirts also considerably damaged one of the Sikhs’ holy shrine, Pathar Sahib.
The historical gurdwara, which enshrines the memory of the first Sikh master Guru Nanak Dev’s visit to the then, nearly unsurmountable region about 500 years back, is located about 25km away from the main Leh town on Leh-Nimu road and is maintained by the Army. The locals fondly refer to the guru as ‘Nanak Lama’
Posted in Architectural, Material | Tagged damage, floods, gurdwara, Guru Nanak, Leh, Sikh |
By admin on August 8, 2010
Murals from the dilapidated Pothi Mala building in Ferozpur
The Centre has given its nod for the restoration and preservation of 250-year-old building, Pothimala, and its murals.A high-level team of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) of the Chandigarh circle led by its superintendent archaeologist VC Sharma along with members from drawing, engineering, chemist and other wings visited Pothimala this morning and carried out its physical examination. Continue reading “ASI to restore Pothimala building”
Posted in Architectural, Material | Tagged ASI, conservation, POthimala |
By Kiranjot Kaur on August 5, 2010
The first saabat surat Sikh French citizen of Indian origin S Pal Singh is in custody of Punjab Police and there is complete silence on the issue by all political parties claiming to watch Sikh interests and all religio-social organisations claiming to be thekedar of Sikhi. The silence is deafening ! This is the same Pal Singh on whose suggestion SGPC announced it would send a delegation to France on the issue of turban ban is French schools. It is the same Pal Singh who met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after a thorough security check by central agencies to plead taking up the turban issue with the French Prime Minister Sarcozy . Why is he being ditched by the community ? Where is the voice of Sikhs in Punjab Continue reading “A Conspiracy of Silence in the Punjab”
Posted in blog | Tagged Amritsar, police, SGPC, Sikh |
By admin on July 26, 2010
The tomb of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in old Lahore
The provincial capital, often termed the “Garden of Mughals”, is the hub of the province’s cultural heritage. There are various forts, castles, tombs, gardens, minarets and mosques in the city such as the Lahore Fort, Badshahi Mosque, Sunehri Mosque, Tomb of Anarkali and the Tomb of Asif Khan among others. Continue reading ““Gardens of the Mughals” slowly going to ground”
Posted in Architectural, Cultural | Tagged gardens. bagh, Lahore, Mughal, Pakistan |
