By Dinesh Dhiman on January 16, 2012
PANCHKULA: “It is ridiculous to wipe out the frescos.” This is what Gurmeet Rai, director of Cultural Resource Conservation Initiative (India) and managing trustee of Punjab Heritage Preservation Trust, had to say about the white-washing of over-a-century-and-a-half-old frescos at the Mansa Devi Temple.
Posted in Architectural | Tagged Cultural Resource Conservation Initiative (India), frescos, Haryana Tourism Corporation, Mansa Devi Temple, Panchkula, Punjab Heritage Preservation Trust |
By Dinesh Dhiman on January 12, 2012
AMRITSAR: A huge portion of the historical building in Old Sabji Mandi of Gujranwala, nearLahore, where Maharaja Ranjit Singh was born -known as the haveli of Sardar Mahan Singh after his father- was reportedly demolished on Tuesday.
Members of a land mafia which enjoys political patronage in Pakistan brought down a portion of the haveli, according to a Mohammad Qasim, who lives in the adjoining building. His fatherMohammad Rafiq Amritsari who had migrated to Pakistan from Amritsar during Partition informed TOI over phone from Gujjranwala that about half-a-dozen persons along with labourers began taking the monument apart in the morning.
They stopped the demolition on the intervention of the locals only to return with a truckload of armed persons.
“We couldn’t do anything. Now, it is up to the government to stop them and protect the ancient haveli,” he said.
Mohammad Qasim, a fruit trader, said the front portion as well as part of a roof of the ancient structure, that has more than two dozen rooms, have been demolished. “The people said they had purchased the haveli to construct a shopping plaza,” he added.
According to local historian Surinder Kochhar, in 1891, the then deputy commissioner of Gujjranwala, J Ibbetson, had got a marble slab and a plaque affixed outside the entrance of a haveli where the Maharaja was born. Then, locals used to observe his birthday as a holiday.
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Posted in Architectural | Tagged Amritsar, Gujranwala, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Pakistan, Sardar Mahan Singh |
By Dinesh Dhiman on January 12, 2012
PANCHKULA: Age-old paintings depicting Indian culture of yore are being white-washed and ordinary leaves and flowers are being painted at Mansa Devi Temple. In a blatant violation ofarchaeological rules, the Mansa Devi Shrine Board is white-washing the frescos of Mansa Devi temple.
Continue reading “Losing rare frescos to ‘ignorance’”
Posted in Architectural | Tagged 18 purans, Lord Shiva, Mahabharta, Maharajas of Patiala, Mansa Devi, Panchkula, Parshuram, raaslila, Ramayan |
By Dinesh Dhiman on January 5, 2012
It is not only Guru Teg Bahadur Memorial Museum in the holy city of Sri Anandpur Sahib that is in a state of neglect, the only Anglo-Sikh War Museum at Ferozeshah, 30 km from here, also seems to have been confined to history.
Continue reading “Anglo-Sikh War Memorial in a battle for survival”
Posted in Architectural | Tagged Anandpur Sahib, Anglo Sikh Wars, Anglo-Sikh War Museum, Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, Chhotta Ghallughara, Ferozepur, Ferozeshah, Guru Teg Bahadur Museum, Misriwala, Mudki, punjab, Punjab Heritage Tourism Promotion Board, Sabraon, Wada Ghallughara |
By Dinesh Dhiman on December 15, 2011
AMRITSAR: Even as Pakistan Evacuee Trust Property Board (PETPB) chairman Sayed Asif Hashmi, who was in India in the last week of November, made big claims about protection and maintenance of properties related to Sikh heritage, reports have suggested glaring misuse of Maharaja Sher Singh’s “baradari” in Lahore, which is allegedly being used as a waste dump.
Continue reading “Maharaja Sher Singh’s baradari in Lahore becomes ‘waste dump’”
Posted in Architectural | Tagged Ajit Singh, Baradari, Lahore, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Maharaja Sher Singh, Pakistan, punjab |
By Dinesh Dhiman on December 2, 2011
LAHORE: The Punjab Archaeology Department will restore and conserve four gates of the Walled City on a priority, according to officials.
Continue reading “Four historical gates to be preserved”
Posted in Architectural | Tagged Bhaati Gate and Lohari Gate, Kashmiri Gate, Lahore, Pakistan, punjab, Punjab Archaeology Department, Sheranwala Gate, Walled city |
By Dinesh Dhiman on November 19, 2011
LAHORE - In violation of its own ‘The Punjab Special Premises (Preservation) Ordinance, 1985,’ the Punjab government has made alterations in the historic Lakshmi Building that it had earlier declared to be a ‘special premise’.
Continue reading “‘Who cares, it’s just a building’”
Posted in Architectural | Tagged Lahore, Lakshmi Building, Pakistan, punjab, Punjab Archeology Department |
By Dinesh Dhiman on November 8, 2011
AMRITSAR: A retired professor of Punjab Agriculture University has suggested the SGPC to identify decaying historical trees having religious importance in the state and constitute a team for their revival.
Continue reading “Plea to SGPC to preserve historical trees”
Posted in Cultural | Tagged Amritsar, Anandpur Sahib, Ber Sahib, Golden Temple, historic trees, historical plants, J S Bal, Jandh Sahib, Neem Sahib, punjab, SGPC, Sikhism, Sultanpur Lodhi, Tahli Sahib |
By Dinesh Dhiman on October 5, 2011
Continuing his journey along GT Road, Raza Ali Abidi takes a short detour to visit the much celebrated Rohtas Fort which the Government of Pakistan has, since then, protected under the Antiquities Act, 1975 and which in 1997 won a place in the World Heritage List.
Continue reading “The road much travelled”
Posted in Architectural | Tagged GT Road, Jhelum, Pakistan, Rohtas Fort, Sher Shah Suri |
By Dinesh Dhiman on October 5, 2011
AMRITSAR: Khalsa college will digitize the rich Sikh treasure including rare books, manuscripts and hand written documents during the times of Sikh Gurus, presently preserved in the 81 years old Sikh museum.
Continue reading “Khalsa college to digitise rare books and manuscripts”
Posted in Manuscripts | Tagged Amritsar, Khalsa Army, punjab, Sikh Gurus, Sri Guru Granth Sahib |