AI Generated Summary
- This gurdwara was constructed at the very place of his martyrdom, where generations of Sikhs from across the world used to come to pray, reflect, and draw inspiration from his sacrifice.
- Shops have engulfed the sacred ground, walls block the path of devotees, and the site has been absorbed into structures that have nothing to do with the Sikh community.
- When he refused to cut his hair, staying firm in his faith, the cruel Mughal regime ordered his scalp to be removed.
At the time of Partition, numerous Hindu and Sikh religious sites went to Pakistan. Except for a few, most of them are in a miserable condition, and many have even been completely erased. One such site is the Gurdwara Shaheed Ganj Bhai Taru Singh in Lahore, which was built around 250 years ago.
Bhai Taru Singh’s martyrdom is remembered as extraordinary. When he refused to cut his hair, staying firm in his faith, the cruel Mughal regime ordered his scalp to be removed. During the oppressive Mughal rule, he was brutally tortured for his steadfast devotion but chose death over compromising his beliefs, remaining resolute in his faith until his last breath.
This gurdwara was constructed at the very place of his martyrdom, where generations of Sikhs from across the world used to come to pray, reflect, and draw inspiration from his sacrifice. However, today this sacred shrine remains closed, hidden behind shops and walls in a busy market of Lahore. Most of its land has been encroached upon. Only a small corner is now accessible to Sikhs, while the majority of the site has been taken over illegally. Shops have engulfed the sacred ground, walls block the path of devotees, and the site has been absorbed into structures that have nothing to do with the Sikh community. This is not just an assault on Sikh heritage in Pakistan, but also on their collective memory, dignity, and spiritual identity worldwide.
Sadly, Khalistanis sitting on foreign soil fail to see this—or perhaps deliberately choose not to. Because if they were to raise their voices against this desecration, the financial aid they receive from Pakistan would stop, an aid that keeps their so-called “movement” alive.
