By Ali Imran Chattha
LAHORE: The monument of martyrdom place of Bhai Mani Singh at Shahi Qila, Lahore, under whose supervision the Sikh religious book “Guru Granth Sahib” was written, is on the verge of destruction.
The government and the Evacuee Trust Property Board have turned a blind eye to the destruction of the monument. According to Sikh historians, Bhai Mani Singh was an 18th-century scholar and Sikh hero. He was a childhood friend of the last Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. He promoted Sikhism in critical conditions. At the age of fifteen, Mani Singh married Setu Bai. He was also called Mani Ram. His family consisted of notable fighters. His grandfather was Rao Baloo, a famous warrior.
When Guru Gobind Singh ordered ‘Guru Granth Sahib’, Bhai Mani Singh started working as a writer. He collected Guru’s words i.e. Gurbani and compiled it in Guru Granth Sahib. According to Sikh historians, Bhai Mani Singh was executed in Lahore in 1737. He was cut off in pieces as a punishment.
The imagery of his death has become a part of Sikh Ardas, meaning prayers. To reach it, you have to come to the tire rim market in front of Akbari Gate of the Shahi Qila. Here the orange-colored iron stairs are going up. After climbing up, you have to climb the wall and here in the back you will see the memorial of the martyrdom place of Bhai Mani Singh. If we talk about his current condition then this is very bad. There is a lot of construction around.
There is no sanitation facility. To the left of the Samadhi is the Akbari Gate, and to the right is the ancient Maryam Zamani Mosque. Behind the mosque you can see another dilapidated historical temple. The reason for the ruin of Samadhi is that the land around it was very valuable. This samadhi can be reached from the shop. Sikh organizations have demanded the Archaeological Department, Walled City Authority, and the Evacuee Trust Property Board to save this important religious heritage. Because if this trend continues, this historical heritage will soon lose its structure.
International Sikh organizations have offered to build a gurdwara at the place of martyrdom of Bhai Mani Singh. After the news publication of the destruction of the place of martyrdom of Guru Granth Sahib’s author Bhai Mani Singh in newspaper Emra, the leaders of global Sikh organizations Global Sikh Council, World Sikh Council, USA Sikh Council, said that the place of martyrdom of Bhai Mani Singh was a very sacred place for the Sikh nation.
International Sikh Organizations have appealed to the Government of Pakistan to offer their financial support for the restoration and renovation of Bhai Mani Singh’s martyrs’ shrine.
