| Historic Amritsar Haveli lies neglected |
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| Written by Tribune News Service | ||||||||||||||
| Sunday, 20 May 2007 | ||||||||||||||
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One such over 150-year-old structure is Sarai Sant Ram located outside Hall Gate, which has become a haven for encroachers. With no government department making any effort to preserve the “sarai”, large portions of the heritage building have already collapsed. The main gate of the “sarai” has been pulled down to make trucks pass through it and the remaining structure has developed cracks. A pond, which was an integral part of the “sarai” has been filled up to construct shops. Ram Pal of Rohtak District Transport Cooperation Society Limited, which has its office inside the main gate of the Sarai Sant Ram, said it was believed that the structure was built more than 150 years back as a rest house (sarai) for traders coming to Amritsar. “At that time, the entire population lived within the walled city and the ‘sarai’, Circuit House and District Courts were the only structures located outside the 12 gates of Amritsar city. It is said traders from adjoining cities used to come to Amritsar, which was a commercial hub, on horses. The horses were provided water from the pond. The traders would stay here for the night and head home early morning,” he said. “When we shifted here soon after partition, people would tell us that the ‘sarai’ was built by a landlord, Sant Ram. Since he had no heirs, the property was inherited by his accountant who was his namesake. His next two generations kept collecting rent from the shopkeepers for some time but eventually sold off most of the property,” he added. Those who have their shops inside the “sarai” premises point out that no effort has been made by the district administration to maintain the heritage building, which could have been developed as a window on the past, attracting tourists keen to know more about the holy city. “This despite the fact that last month, secretary, public relations, tourism and cultural affairs, had declared that on the directions of Hira Singh Gabaria, tourism minister, Punjab, 100-year-old ancient heritage havelis, castles, forts and inns would be converted into hotels and as places of tourist importance. This would not only attract the tourists both from within and outside India but also highlight and depict many aspects of ancient cultural heritage of Punjab. The upward trend in the tourists arrivals would result in a substantial increase in the exchange earnings,” said Puri. | ||||||||||||||
Loveleen
said:
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Even though Punjab government has decided to convert heritage “havelis” and monuments into heritage hotels like it has already done in states like Kerala, Gujarat and Rajasthan, many historic buildings in Amritsar are crying for care. 
| Well,it's high time that the government officials start implementing their plans.Why should such historical buildings be left to ruins if they can be restored and contribute to the cultural heritage of the city?Any effort of the government in this direction will be highly appreciated. |
SANDHU Sonny
said:
| No one is interested in preserving History in India I reckon. But people their (in INDIA) have forgotten the word HISTORY itself. Hence, in furture when most large portions of the heritage building have already collapsed or have vanished. There will be no need for ARCHAEOLOGY government department in INDIA. This will save the government from running and spending taxpayers money on ARCHAEOLOGY department employee, who are already idling around in the department and receiving there monthly income and still call themself ARCHAEOLOGIST. Indian student have to go abroad in FUTURE to study and gain experience in this field or the subject will be abolished from the universtiy prospectus in INDIA. Because if there is this subject in future I reckon there won't be much debate on whether which heritage building are older than the other and compare their history to the foreign ones. The professor will have nothing to proof that such Historical HERITAGE building exist. But the students will say listen to HIS STORY the word HISTORY broken in two will sound HIS STORY everyone will have a laugh and like the HISTORICAL HERITAGE BUILDINGS employee at the ARCHAEOLOGY department will according to their age and qualification will be regarde or can qualify as HERITAGE people. Because who knows when was the last recruitment held and when the employee there has started their job since, so they happens to have direct connection with history according to thier subject they had studied and they have been in touch and visited the HERITAGE buildings. History when we divide the two word sounds HIS STORY if we join it together it sounds HISTORY funny is in it. Well I leave this to the Institution of ARCHAEOLOGY India and it relevant government department to choose whether they want an INDIAN history or just his story, which we can hear fron anyone on the street nowadays because it is his story which is why lot of people are missguied in INDIA and for the rest it has become a mystery or myth with out any physical presence of HERITAGE buildings. |
Manprit Singh
said:
| well, ther nothin we can do unless we actually go ther n make a move on things. no point in complainin whilst neatly seated in ur desk n typin away about wot they think. we dont make move, they aint gunna- n all our hertitage is gunna be destroyed. they need funds n bribes thats all. |
SANDHU Sonny
said:
| Indeed, no point in complaning whilst neatly seated in ur/mine desk and typing away. But is it not true a complaint is a gift. Without complaint there is not gonna be any change and we won't learn. I reckon someone or even you will do something about it, as for me I got no connection or link(in INDIA) cannot read or write the language(Hindi & Punjabi) coz born and breed in HONG KONG. But I'm trying to UNDERSTAND and be UNDERSTOOD. Why is it people there(INDIA) are narrow minded, i.e. when they changed the name BOMBAY to MUMBAI coz it was historically called MUMBAI before the British Raj and now the name once again has been restored and many other names. So why this restoration of buildings not possible? Why is that there are so many LAWS in INDIA dated before 1947 still been used and has HER MAJESTY (QUEEN) included in it when India is no longer under British Raj? I am still learning. Hence, submission is the KNOWLEDGE I reckon. |
Simran
said:
| I would just like to say that it is important we maintain our heritage as it links us to our past, a past we as Sikhs should be so proud of. In England the government makes immense efforts to maintain old buildings and there are even laws to protect them. In India, despite there being a specific department to look after the heritage of India, a lot of sites are being lost to age. This is a shame, and I believe it is time that this department got their act together and does something about it. It is about time the streets around Darbar Sahib were cleaned up and the surrounding buildings such as the Amritsar Haveli restored. This will not only attract tourists and help people learn about India's past but also help improve the area. The street-sellers should be assisted in getting permanent slots where they can sell their goods so that no one in fact loses out. Heritage is not only to preserve and inform people about the past, but also help the people living there in the present. |
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