Sikh Museums

Sikh Heritage items in U.K.

In some of the old Qilas and Palaces, Museums have been setup to showcase the heritage value things like old paintings, weapons, coins and things which were used by the royal households. The museums are among the most important keepers of our heritage. So far Sikh heritage is concerned, there are a number of museums in Punjab which shed considerable light on the heritage aspect. These include Central Sikh Museum at Amritsar, Company Bagh Museum at Amritsar, Shaheed-e-Azam Museum at Jalandhar, Maharaja Ranjit Singh War Museum at Ludhiana and Virasat-e-Khalsa at Anandpur Sahib. The last Museum has been specially designed to show case the Sikh history of 500 years. It was started on the occasion of the 300th birth anniversary of the Khalsa. Similarly, there are Sikh Museums outside Punjab, which include Bhai Mati Das Museum in Delhi, which was established in 2001. In all the Museums, mainly setup by Sikh organisations, we have portraits of Sikh personalities and Sikh events, focussing upon scenes of battles and martyrdoms. There are some paintings narrating episodes from Sikh history. Earlier, there used to be main emphasis on battles fought during the period of Sikh Gurus and Sikh rulers including that of the Generals of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. However, during the last 2-3 decade, the other important battles depicting the Sikh bravery have also been highlighted. These battles include the battle of Saragarhi and such battles like that of Gallipoli and Ypres fought during first and second World War. The events relating to Sikh contribution for the independence of the country have also started appearing in various museums and galleries in the paintings and photographs. In this direction, apart from the Sikh religious organisations as well as the Punjab Government, the efforts made by the Punjab and Sind Bank are highly appreciable. This bank commissioned paintings for its annual calendars on Sikh history for a period of three decades, from the 1970s. These calendars enjoy tremendous popularity among the Sikh community and became templates for visual narration of the Sikh past – a template which continues to be reproduced even now. These threads of patronage have helped to establish the authority of the paintings as evidence of the Sikh past, and also ensured their popularity outside the Museum. They are available as popular prints in bazaars, official calendars, academic works, children’s books animation and even government advertisements. They are present in both visual and non-visual (e.g. ballad) forms of Sikh popular culture. In the recent past, some Multimedia Museum have been setup in India and Canada.

Multi-Media Museums

There are three Multimedia Museums relating to Sikh religion in India. The first one was created at Khadoor Sahib. A Gursikh of Canada, named S. Raghbir Singh Bains had a desire to open Multimedia Museums in different parts of the world with a view to enlighten the people about Sikh religion by using the latest technology. Baba Sewa Singh of Khadoor Sahib invited him to setup the world’s first multimedia Sikh museum at Khadoor Sahib. Thus, this museum came into being just adjutant to Gurdwara Angitha Sahib. Dr. Bains, the creator of the museum described it “A significant resource treasure for students, teachers, preachers, scholars and common people and a storehouse of educational and historical information about how people and societies behaved through ages”.

Multi-Media museums at Khadoor Sahib and Jalandhar

The Multimedia Museum at Khadoor Sahib was opened in April 2005 during the 500th Birth Anniversary of Guru Angad Dev ji. In this museum, a robot wearing a Siropa wishes you with the greeting Wahe Guru ji da Khalsa, Wahe Guru ji di Fateh. If you ask this robot for help, it guides you around the 22 paintings pertaining to Sikh history, stopping before each and narrating the story behind it in English or Punjabi, according to your choice. This robot, commander is a very big attraction for youngsters and children. They enjoy learning about Sikhism by using this technology. Baba Sewa Singh ji, the chief organizer of the museum, rightly says that “The new generation is attracted to television and computers. They will learn more about the gurus and our history if we use modern technology,” Apart from commander, there are also four touch-screen computers that allow you to learn about Sikh music, art and culture, and history in an interactive way. Want to listen to a particular Gurbani Kirtan (rendering of scriptures) or see a particular scene of history replayed. The Bhai Gurdas Mini Auditorium virtually takes you to a Sangat or battlefield, complete with audio and video. A similar multimedia museum was created after some years at Model Town Gurdwara Jalandhar about which we have already discussed in Chapter 3.

Multi-Media Museum at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib Delhi

Another multimedia museum was inaugurated at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib on 26th July 2014. This Museum has been conceptualized and started by Vikramjit Singh Sahney, International President, World Punjabi Organisation (WPO), in the memory of his father late Gurucharan Singh Sahney. In the words of Mr. Sahney “The younger generation is not aware of our glorious past. Even the older generation does not know much about our rich tradition of secularism, gender equality, socialism and the comfort of universal co-existence in Sikh religion. The museum has been made to highlight this.” The journey into the museum begins with a portrait of Baba Baghel Singh, followed by a painting depicting the scene of Sikh forces, armed with their swords, capturing the Red Fort under the leadership of Singh in 1783. Opposite this is an installation depicting the Khanda, the religious symbol of Sikhs whose literal meaning is a double-edged sword, with text describing its significance. There is a replica of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s throne, a simple circular chair with velvet cushions. It shows how he led his life like a common man and did not believe in extravagance. Each wall with its paintings tells stories and gives a peep into Sikh history. The museum is open between 9 am to 7.30 pm at Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, Hanuman Road Area, Connaught Place (Monday closed). Contact: 42717171. Entry is free.

Multi-Media Museum in Toronto

After establishing two multimedia museum in India, Dr Bains was able to open a multimedia museum at Ontario Khalsa Darbar in Mississauga on October 8th 2010. About this museum he said “it is your onestop window into the past, present and future of the Sikhs,” Loaded with 60,000 pages of text and tons of audio, video, animation and graphics, the touch-screen museum is a journey of more than 400 hours. There are four LCD screens and everything comes on them just by push off buttons. The new-age museum takes a digital swing through the lives, teachings and sacrifices of Sikh Gurus, the code of conduct, and historic Sikh shrines. It also offers interactive games and quizzes and commentaries on the universal message of Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. “But more than anything else, this museum is our tribute to Canada and its multiculturalism. This is a country rooted in diversity and respect for every belief. A visit here will help people understand how Sikh philosophy fits in with Canadian multiculturalism. This understanding will help Sikhs integrate better into the Canadian mainstream,” Mr. Bain says.

Sikh Coins

Sikh coins are those coins which were minted at the time of Sikh rulers in their respective states ruled by them. Starting with the first coin issued by Baba Bandha Singh Bahadar, a good number of coins were issued till the end of Sikh empire with its annexation by the Britishers. Further, during the last 50 years, SGPC has also issued some commemorative coins on special occasions. The last coin issued recently has been to commemorate 550th birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The Government of India has also issued a coin on this occasion. Nepal Government had also issued a coin of Rs. 250 with an image of Sri Guru Guru Granth Sahib engraved on it. There are some coin collectors in India as well as abroad who claim to possess Sikh coins, but whether they are original or not, must be determined by evidence. As per a Tribune report, the Punjab Government, with a view to preserve the Sikh coins in Gobindgarh Qila Museum had entered into a contract with a private firm just for minting duplicate coins. The paper disclosed that Experts says that barring a few rare coins, even if government purchases the entire collection of Sikh coins from the open market it won’t cost more than Rs. 10 lakh. The Gobindgarh Fort Museum will display coins from 1765 onwards, when Sikh ‘Misls’ started issuing their own coins. Besides, a large collection of original Sikh coins is gathering dust in various state museums (some Sikh coins are available in Pondicherry Meseum also). The number is so high that the department is finding it difficult to find place to display these. One of the largest collections of Sikh coins is at Patiala’s Sheesh Mahal. The government decision not only indicates towards inappropriate expenditure, but is also against the spirit of museology.

Sikh Heritage in Pakistan

As Guru Nanak Dev Ji was born in present day Pakistan and most of the territories of Pakistan were ruled by Maharaja Ranjeet Singh, the Sikh heritage in various forms and colours is spread all over Pakistan. Apart from Sikh shrines associated with the Gurus and Sikh history as well as the places of birth and cremation associated with Maharaja Ranjeet Singh and his Generals, there are a large number of other things which can be found at different places in this country. However, to deal with them briefly, there are two museums which have the maximum Sikh collection. These museums are government controlled Lahore Museum and private museum Fakirkhana Museum. We also have Dayal Singh College Trust library in Lahore, where we feel the touch of publications associated with Sikhs. It is interesting to note that when in Lahore, an effort was made to change the name of Dayal Singh College, some wise people with progressive thinking fought back and the name stayed with a minor addition of Government Dayal Singh College. There is a portrait also of S. Dayal Singh Majithia about which the teachers proudly tell the students that this was the man who spent his fortune on building a college for you. A similar attempt was made to change the name of this very college in Delhi. It is sad that our own people forgot the contribution made by the great patriotic Sikh of Lahore.

The Lahore Museum

It is heartening to note that despite the hatred between two countries, the Lahore Museum had setup a Sikh gallery showcasing the various Sikh items. Lahore useum, founded in 1865, is one of the Pakistan’s most visited and highly regarded museums. As, at one point of time Rudyard Kipling’s father was one of the Museum’s earlier curators, Rudyard Kipling made famous the Zamzama gun located directly in front of the building in his famous novel ‘Kim’. The Sikh gallery in this museum has so many things to enlighten us about Sikh heritage. It has Maharaja Ranjeet Singh’s clothes, furniture, and other things related with Sikh culture. Last year, this museum had organised an exhibition of Sikh Artefacts. The exhibition included a rich collection of paintings, weapons, coins, woodwork and other artefacts from Sikh period which highlight the glory of Sikh rule (1799-1849) spanning over half a century in the history of Punjab. Lahore Museum Director Humayun Mazhar said that the exhibition not only gave a message of love and peace to Sikh community but also raised awareness about the Sikh culture and belongings of important Sikh personalities among general public. The exhibition was attended by people from all walks of life including archaeologists, historians, scholars, universities and colleges students in museum related disciplines and socialites.

Fakir Khana Museum

Fakir Khana Museum is a private museum and house located in Lahore, owned by the Fakir family. The collection in this museum consists of approximately 20,000 pieces of art and artefacts. The collection also contains numerous gifts bestowed to the Fakir family by Ranjeet Singh, as well as 10,000 manuscripts, 180 displayed miniature paintings, Sikh era textiles, statuary, pottery, and carved ivory pieces. This museum can be visited by appointment on any day.

Fakir Khana arms collections

Sikh Heritage Tour in Pakistan

It may be useful to mention here that all the people except Indian Passport holders can avail of a Sikh heritage tour organised by Indus-heritage club. This is a six-days tour which covers most of the Sikh shrines and prominent Sikh heritage places like Samadhi Ranjeet Singh and Kharak Singh, Princess Bamba’s grave and collection, Samadhi Bhai Vasti Ram, Haveli Naunihal Singh, Bawa Dinga Singh mansion, residence of Hari Singh Nalwa at Katasraj , Samadhi of Akali Phoola Singh etc. A Gatka performance is also shown in the course of this tour.