Maharaja Ranjit Singh, also known as ‘Lion of Punjab’, is may be the most prominent Punjabi ruler who ruled over Punjab.
According to Britannica:
“Maharaja Ranjit Singh was the first Indian in a millennium to turn the tide of invasion back into the homelands of the traditional conquerors of India, the Pashtuns (Afghans), and he thus became known as the Lion of the Punjab. At their height, his domains extended from the Khyber Pass in the northwest to the Sutlej River in the east and from the Kashmir region at the northern limit of the Indian subcontinent southward to the Thar (Great Indian) Desert. Although he was uneducated, he was a shrewd judge of people and events. His reign started in 1799 when he captured Lahore and ended in 1839 when he died. In little more than six years after his death, the Sikh state he had created collapsed because of the internecine strife of rival chiefs.”
Like many, I too didn’t know that he was born in my home city, Gujranwala; I only came to know about it while talking to my father about the history of the city. After finding out, I was enthralled, but I will be honest, before reading about him I was not a big fan of Ranjit Singh. The reason being the religious difference and what he did to Mughal monuments in Lahore during his reign (which of course almost every ruler used to do with monuments and buildings, or even cities, of his predecessors) but after knowing about him a little bit, I now admire him, mainly because he was among the few Punjabis who ruled the Punjab dominantly.
So, one day my father and I went to his haveli situated in Machli Bazaar, the old part of Gujranwala. After reaching there and giving a first look to the place, I was absolutely disappointed because of its condition, which shows clear negligence of the authorities.
The haveli is located above shops and a local actually has to point towards the entrance as it is behind an old, small, rusty iron door. After climbing a few steps, we reached the entrance of the place where Ranjit was born and to my disappointment, some local boys were playing cricket in the courtyard, apparently oblivious to the historical importance of the place. There is no office of any authority related to the heritage site.
As we entered the haveli, it became more apparent that no one is interested in taking care of this historic site. The walls are torn and the bricks inside them can be seen at a number of places. The floor has modern chips but it is in bad shape and is uneven all along.
The attached rooms are without any doors, the walls and ceilings are whitewashed. There is no arrangement of light. It is like an old empty haunted house without any trace that this is the house of a man who once ruled Punjab and was the son of this very city.
Only one piece of evidence shows that this haveli belongs to Maharaja Ranjit Singh: a marble plate outside a room with writing – Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Born November 2nd, 1780 – and that is it. No items related to him, no monument, and no sign… It seems like someone just cemented that plate there, without any relevance.
The roof of the building is in the same bad condition as garbage from neighboring houses was thrown, bricks were splattered on it and except an old wall, there is no sign which shows how important this building is especially with regards to the history of Punjab.
I left the place rather dejected because with proper care, this very place can be turned into a great tourist spot, especially for Sikhs in Pakistan and others who come to the country every year in thousands and have a special connection with it. It will take a little bit of care, may be put a ticket on it and renovate it bit by bit, and it will surely turn into a tourist attraction, which can become another identity of Gujranwala.
Old buildings and heritage are memories, signs of our history and the haveli of Maharaja Ranjit Singh is our ethnic heritage, a pure Punjabi monument, needed to be taken care of.