Sunday, March 2, 2014

1857

A piece of shared history between Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims.


The relics are of Indian soldiers from the 26th Native Infantry Regiment deployed at Mian Mir, near Lahore, in 1857 which had mutinied after the Revolt of 1857 began. On July 30, 1857 soldiers of the regiment under the leadership of Parkash Pandy killed a British major and a sergeant major and headed towards Ajnala town where they were overpowered and arrested by a large British contingent.

Around 200 soldiers were put in a cage-like room in Ajnala where they died of asphyxiation while the remaining 282 were shot and their bodies were dragged and thrown in the well which later came to be known as Kalian Wala Khu (well of blacks). Later the local gurdwara management changed its name to Shaheedan Wala Khu.

Sarkaria said if government didn't provide them sufficient land for raising memorial, they would keep the relics in the gurdwara precincts till they gathered enough money to buy the land and erect a memorial. After that they would cremate the relics and immerse the ashes in Goindwal Sahib and Haridwar.

Apart from the remains 70 coins from 1830 — 1835, two British medals, three gold balls and an amulet were recovered during the excavation by the Gurdwara management, local volunteers and historians without government support. 
                                                                        
regards

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