Monday 25 May 2015
TRAGIC FROM THE LOST-GURUDWARA PEHLI PATSHAHI AT MANAK, DISTT LAHORE
Saturday 23 May 2015
Haveli of Sardar Jawala singh sandhu Padhana also named Haveli of Sardar Harcharan Singh
Unveiling
the Forgotten Haveli of Sardar Jawala Singh Padhania
Having lived in Lahore all my life, I confess that I had never heard of Padhana village until today. It is situated on the outskirts, at the very end of Barki Road. Venturing to this lesser-known destination, I discovered the intriguing Sardar Charan Singh Haveli, which had later been converted to Islam and renamed Sardar Sana Ullah.
This haveli holds great historical significance as it belonged to Sardar Jawala Singh Padhania, a prominent figure in Punjab. The Padhania family, belonging to the Sandhu Jatt community, held a prominent position as one of the oldest Sardars in Punjab. In fact, Rani Jind Kaur, the Empress of Punjab, had an elder sister who was married to Sardar Jawala Singh of Padhana. During the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, they wielded significant power and influence over the village of Padhana, spanning the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, until the partition of 1947.
Padhana boasted a large number of Sikh Sardars during the 18th to 20th centuries, and the haveli in the picture served as their ancestral home.
Jawala Singh Padhania, also known as Lakhdata, was a renowned military commander and a member of the Sandhu Jatt community from Padhana village in Lahore district. His father, Mit Singh, had served under Mahari Singh Sukkarchakkia and continued his service under Maharaja Ranjit Singh, participating in numerous military campaigns. According to Sohan Lal Suri, the official Lahore diarist, Javala Singh was listed among the principal Sardars of the Maharaja. Following in his father's footsteps, Jawala Singh actively took part in the Maharaja's Malva campaign in 1807, as well as expeditions to Multan (1818), Kashmir (1819), and Mankera (1821). He was entrusted with the responsibility of guarding the fortress of Attock, which he successfully defended against Afghan attacks with a small contingent of troops.
In 1829, Jawala Singh suffered a paralytic stroke and retired from active service. Known for his bravery, he was also a man of great generosity. Tales of his benevolence toward faqirs, Brahmans, and the impoverished are still recounted. One remarkable incident involved his rescue of Diwan Baisakha Singh, a kardar under Karivar Sher Singh, by paying his hefty fine of over one lakh of rupees. It was after this incident that he earned the moniker "Lakhdata" or "dispenser of lakhs/millions."
Jawala Singh, who was married to Maharani Jind Kaur's elder sister, established an expansive garden between Lahore and Badami Bagh, which became a favored retreat for the Maharaja. He frequently held court there and welcomed foreign dignitaries. Jawala Singh passed away in 1835, leaving behind a legacy of valor and compassion.
The
forgotten haveli of Sardar Jawala Singh Padhania stands as a testament to the
remarkable history and heritage of our land. It serves as a reminder of the
influential figures who played a significant role in shaping Punjab's past. It
is essential that we recognize and preserve such historical sites, as they
encapsulate the richness of our cultural legacy for future generations to
appreciate and admire.
Gurudwara Chhevin Patshahi, Padhana, Distt Lahore
NADIRA BEGUM
Nadira Begam was the wife of Prince Dara Shikoh, the eldest son of Shah Jahan—the same poet-prince, who had served as governor of Lahore during the 1640s. At the time of his wife's death, Dara was on the run and fighting a losing battle for the Mughal throne—and literally his life—with his brother Aurangzeb. After the battle of Deorai (near Ajmer), dogged by Aurangzeb's forces Dara had fled towards Multan and Uchch trying to escape to Iran via the Bolan Pass.
It was during this difficult journey that Nadira Begam, his beloved wife and daughter of his uncle Sultan Parvez (brother of Shah Jahan and second son of emperor Jahangir), succumbed to exhaustion and dysentery (1659). Although his forces were much depleted, Dara sent the remaining troops with his wife's body from Bolan Pass to Lahore to be buried near the shrine of his 'spiritual guide', the saint Mian Mir. Dara himself was a devout disciple of saints Mulla Shah and Hazrat Mian Mir. His attachment to Lahore is clear from his poetry: "The city of Lahore ever remains flourishing, and He keeps it free from plague and famine."
Unlike other Mughal tombs which have typically been constructed amid gardens, Nadira Begum’s tomb is built amidst a water tank without a dome, which bears the flat parapet on all its four sides. These distinguished architectural features have made it look rather like a pavilion than a tomb. The tomb stands on a raised platform in the center of a water tank, which was large enough to accommodate a lake. Encroachments have eaten away most of the tomb’s area during history.
The culverted bridge still stands on thirty arches. The 14 ft wide central chamber is surrounded by an ambulatory in the form of vestibules. It greatly resembles the tank and baradari at Hiran Minar in Sheikhupura. A plinth ten-feet high from the surface of the tank comprises the foundations of the tomb. Square on plan, the tomb on each side measures 44 ft. It is a two-storeyed structure and has a height of 32 ft 6 in from the grave platform. The height of the first story is 13 ft flanked by square-headed apertures. The pavilion is constructed of burnt bricks and contains deep cusped arched openings. The central openings are arched, while those on the sides are flat. There are four arched openings on the ground floor in the interior around the grave and above them, arches, exactly of the same type, are built in the upper story. All these arched openings in both the stories are cusped in design. Each of the openings in the lower story is 3 ft 4 in wide and 6 ft 6 in high and that in the upper story is 3 ft 3 in wide and 6 ft high. An interesting feature of the openings is that all the eight corners of the lower and upper stories were executed skilfully by forming a small pavilion in each of the corners. All four facades of the pavilion are decorated with blind cusped arches and panels. They contain projection over which rises the high parapet wall. The stairs for reaching the upper-story and roof arc are located at the southeast and northeast corners. The whole structure of the pavilion was lime plastered.
The façade at the top retains the parapet. On the parapet wall, just on the roof level are four small arched openings, two each in the north and the south, which, if seen from outside appear below the parapet, in the façade is a balcony in red sandstone. The roof built in vaulting is flat at the top except for a fascinating hexagonal platform of two feet in height in its center. The roof and the platform are covered with thick lime plaster and lack any ornamentation. The tank around the pavilion, which was enclosed by a high wall, has been filled with earth, and traces of its four walls are still visible. It was a very spacious tank square in shape, with each side being 580 feet long. There were fine gateways to the north and south. When there was water in the tank, the tomb seemed to be floating in the water, its reflections creating the illusion of movement. Though isolated in this manner, its connection with the rest of the world is maintained using causeway access in the east-west direction. The causeway bears 32 pointed arched openings and in addition to that, there is one more opening in the center of the causeway which was intentionally closed. That closed opening forms a beautiful square platform in the center of the causeway, each side being 11 ft 9 in long. The causeway, which is in a deteriorating condition, is 5 ft 9 in wide. The tank has now been developed in pretty lawns, bearing pathways. Numerous evergreen trees have also been planted in it and flowerbeds have also been prepared for seasonal flowers. This new arrangement has converted the area of the spacious tank into a beautiful park, an attractive spot for the inhabitants of the locality. But it has also made it into a sports ground where the causeways seem ideal for a cricket pitch!