In Pak, rain fury — and apathy — consume a piece of Sikh history: Historic gurdwara related to Nanak collapses in Lahore

Pakistan-based historian Imran William who visited the site Monday, said that it was “one of the saddest and the darkest days” for the Sikh history. “The gurdwara structure was already in ruins and despite the fact that we highlighted it several times, the restoration and preservation work was never started by Pakistan government. Last night (Sunday), the remaining structure also collapsed due to heavy rain. The overflowing water from a nearby pond was seeping into the gurdwara structure, which probably led to the final collapse,” said William, speaking to The Indian Express over phone.

The historic Gurdwara in Jahman of Lahore has been reduced to debris after heavy rains in Lahore.

William said that frescos and artworks inside the gurdwara, including those with Gurbani inscribed on them, have now been reduced to debris. “It is our utter failure that we failed to preserve a piece of history which was related to the founder of Sikhism,” he said.

Jahman village is located near to Dera Chahal, the maternal village of Guru Nanak. It is believed that Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardana often visited Jahman on the way to Dera Chahal.

According to “Allegory-A Tapestry of Guru Nanak’s Travels’, a documentary tracking the first Sikh Guru’s udaasis (journeys) across the subcontinent, documented by Singapore-based Sikh historian Amardeep Singh, the Gurdwara Rori Sahib was built by Bhai Wadhwa Singh.

“Noted writer Kahan Singh Nabha mentioned in Mahan Kosh that Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardana held spiritual interactions with Bhabhra Jain community at Jahman. Captivated by Nanak’s philosophy, some members of that community had become his disciples. Before 1947, this shrine was a frequently visited by Sikh sangat but now it stands deserted. The once huge sarovar (pond) near the gurdwara has dried up. Its past grandeur can be observed from remnants of fresco and artwork which narrate traditional folklore. Nanak would often visit nearby Dera Chahal where his maternal grandparents lived,” read an excerpt from the Allegory series.

The remnants of frescos and artworks now reduced to debris

Speaking to The Indian Express, Amardeep Singh said, “I don’t think any government will hold responsibility to upkeep every possible legacy site. The Jahman gurdwara, like many other sites in seven decades of Partition, had deteriorated to a point of collapsing. The reason is that the communities that had emotions attached to these sites had to leave in 1947 following Partition. This is what happened with thousands of Islamic sites in East Punjab (on Indian side) and Hindu and Jain sites in Pakistan. We should accept this as a natural outcome of migration of communities on both sides, which is undoubtedly painful till date”.

Shiromani Gurdwara parbandhak Committee president Harjinder Singh Dhami, however, said that he had raised the issue of several such gurdwaras lying in ruins in Pakistan several times. “Even during my last visit to Pakistan, I had brought to their notice that several gurdwaras need immediate attention else they will collapse. If the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and their government cannot handle our historic sites, they should handover this responsibility to us,” said Dhami.

Some frescos also had Gurbani written on them

Speaking to The Indian Express, Ameer Singh, president, PSGPC said that he was aware that the said gurdwara was in ruins. “We got to know that structure collapsed due to heavy rain last night. The issue is that hardly any Sikh sangat is now left in that area so there’s no one take care of it on daily basis. But the plan to restore the gurdwara is in pipeline. We have constituted a team which will visit the site soon. The land surrounding the gurdwara and water body also belongs to Sikh community,” he said.

William and Ameer Singh said that some misinformation was being spread that the gurdwara was demolished by miscreants but it was false.

There’s another Gurdwara Rori Sahib in Eminabad of Gujranwala in Pakistan.