During a visit to the ‘Gurdwara Gali’ in Abbottabad (Pakistan), at a toy shop, peering at the decrepit Gurmukhi panel above the gate, I could read ‘Gurdwara Shri Guru Singh Sabha’.
In that moment of intense gaze, I imagined my maternal grandparents visiting this site for their spiritual fulfilment. Since 1947, entire generations have remained deprived of free access to our ancestral lands! History has indeed been harsh, reducing a glorious legacy into a toy that today toggles between the whims and fancies of people, within and without, who have the least understanding of our collective plurality!
Photographed in Oct 2014, during the research for the book “LOST HERITAGE The Sikh Legacy in Pakistan”
Comments(2)
Arjit Singh Mahal says:
June 19, 2018 at 4:49 AMAmardeep Singh Ji: Thanks for sharing this story. I also want to thank you for your lecture in Edison, New Jersey – couple pf weeks ago. I learned so much and was also inspired to know that there are possibly one million Nanak Panthis in Pakistan. While my family was not from West Punjab and I was born after 1947, I have deep interest in the Sikh/Punjabi history of the Indus valley. After listening to your talk, I am convinced that that you have truly found your calling – to serve the cause of heritage. I wish you success. Arjit Mahal
Annotationskmk says:
December 23, 2020 at 3:43 AMOne of the most skilled calligraphers