The mosque which shares a wall with Jallianwala Bagh where Sai Hazrat Mian Mir performed namaz after laying the foundation stone of the Harmander Sahib stands testimony to the composite culture of the city.

However, the structure has recently been given facelift without having any clue about its archeological significance.

The mosque is just 100 yards away from the sanctum sanctorum. The Union Government has identified 3,378 Sunni properties, including mosques, graveyards, takkias and khankahs in Amritsar and Tarn Taran districts. This was notified on January 9, 1971.

Of these, 1,259 Sunni Wakf properties exist in Amritsar city and its periphery. There are 416, 867 and 834 Muslim properties in Patti, Tarn Taran and Ajnala, respectively.

Most of them have either been encroached upon or are in dilapidated condition.

The mosque is perhaps the oldest in Amritsar city. The mosque was damaged during Partition.

Interestingly, a Nihang took the possession of the mosque and continued its caretaker for 47 years.

Sai Hazrat Makhdom Syed Chan Pir Qadri, who claims himself to be 19th direct descendant of the “Gaddi-Nashin” of Sai Mian Mir, says it was the Fifth Sikh Master, Guru Arjun Dev, who got this area (of the present mosque) earmarked for Muslim devotees who had accompanied the Sai (Mian Mir ji). He claims that handwritten manuscript of the “Roznamcha” (daily diary) written by Sai Mian Mir had mentioned the great gesture of Guruji for making arrangement for offering daily namaz by the Muslims.

Syed Qadri claims that the diary is a complete autobiography of Sai Hazrat Mian Mir Sahib, having minute descriptions of contemporary circumstances.

As per the personal diary maintained by Sai Mian Mir, he performed namaz for 14 days. This diary has been preserved by Syed Qadri in a bank locker in Lahore.

Sayyad Mohammad Ikram Rehmani Qadri of the Muslim Janta Welfare Action Committee says the Nihang handed over the possession of the mosque to them on July 12, 1994. With the collections, the committee started renovating the mosque which was in dilapidated condition. Now more than 500 Muslim brethren perform namaz on every Friday. The mosque remains opened on 365 days of the year for prayers.

Sayyad Ikram admits that the width of the walls of the demolished part of the mosque was from six to eight feet. The committee now plans to make it three-storey building with beautiful domes.

Sai Hazrat Mian Mir Qadri was one of great mystic in Islamic history. He was true lover of Allah and his Prophet and a real devotee of Hazrat Sheikh Syed Abdul Qadir Jillani. His family traces back to 2nd Great Islamic Caliph Hazrat Umar. He had pioneered the highway to interfaith harmony and uniformity among religions.

Syed Qadri claims that the “Roznamcha” had also mentioned description of the great event in Sikh history - the foundation laying of the Harmander Sahib.

Syed Qadri rues that the SGPC had not put up any signboard to establish the visit of Sai Mian Mir. Instead, some of the Sikh intellectuals have lately raked up a controversy.