Lost prayer

Today it sits desolate, a sprinkling of dry cannabis bushes in its courtyard, a well without water, and only a gnarled Nihang Balwant Singh, its keeper since 1984, for company. The Guru Granth Sahib, which had been shifted to an adjoining building raised specially for this purpose, is back in the mosque. Of devotees there is no sign.

Built by sixth Sikh Guru Hargobind for his Muslim subjects in the tiny town founded in the early 17th century, this symbol of India8217;s secular past has had a chequered history ever since Partition when the last of its devotees deserted it. They were succeeded by new settlers who began using it as a dump. Hope knocked when Nihang Baba Bishan Singh, a leader of the Taruna Dal, stumbled upon it around 35 years ago and decided to stay. 8216;8216;He knew how sacred it was,8217;8217; says Balwant.

Turned into a gurdwara by the Nihangs, the mosque had its second coming when it was discovered by the Delhi-based Cultural Resource Conservation Initiative led by Gurmeet Rai, which was mapping the heritage of Punjab. With her came UNESCO funding, and Operation Restoration on a pleasant October morning in 1999. Called the Cultural Heritage Volunteers Project, it started with eight National United Nations Volunteers NUNVs.

The mosque got another boost when Narinder S Kapany, chairman of the US-based Sikh Foundation visited it in 2000 and okayed funds for its restoration.

Luxuriating in this interest, it bloomed back to life. A patch of land was acquired to give it breathing space, the Guru Granth Sahib was shifted out to another building, the walls cleared of weeds, and murals shown new light. Then came the final push in October 20018212;an MoU between the then leader of the Nihangs, Baba Kirtan Singh, and Wakf Board chief, promising to maintain the 8216;shared sacred space8217;. Early 2002, it had its first namaaz. Today it8217;s back to square one.

Gurmeet Rai, the conservation architect, lays the blame on shortage of funds. 8216;8216;After 9/11, Narinder Kapany was forced to divert the funds he8217;d promised us. Now that I8217;ve got some fresh funding from the Canadian Sikhs, I8217;ll get back to work,8217;8217; she says.

Says Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner K.A.P. Sinha, who was there at the first namaaz: 8216;8216;It was to be maintained by the local people8230;If they need help they should tell me.8217;8217;

The townspeople don8217;t think they need any. 8216;8216;No, we do go there but it8217;s not a tradition,8217;8217; says Baldev Raj, a neighbour. The Nihang8217;s muse, the bhang, doesn8217;t bother many of them, and his horse, the gentle Baaz, is a big draw with children.

Nihang Balwant says: 8216;8216;There are no offerings here, for Hindus go to the temple, Sikhs to the gurdwara and there are no Muslims here. There would be no problem if they were to consider it a saanjhi shared shrine.8217;8217;

The few regulars like Partap and Kartar Singh are worried about the brittle Nanakshahi bricks. 8216;8216;I feel tempted to plaster them, but the UN workers had told us not to,8217;8217; Partap sighs. For the Nihang this is unimaginable: 8216;8216;How can we tamper with something that our guru built?8217;8217; It8217;s hope restored.