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Historical Bunga demolished
WSN Network
NANDED (MAHARASHTRA): The 174-year-old
historical Wassan Singh Bunga of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s time at
Takht Sri Hazoor Sahib in Nanded, Maharashtra, has been razed to
ground, much to the chagrin of heritage lovers.
Mr Balvinder Singh, a reader in the Department of Guru Ram Das
Planning, Guru Nanak Dev University, who was an eyewitness to the
demolition of the “bunga”, has told media in Punjab that he tried
his best to save the “bunga” by convincing the representative of the
Maharashtra Government posted at Hazoor Sahib, but there was nobody
to listen to him.
He said old buildings were being demolished as part of the
prestigious expansion plan of Hazoor Sahib to mark the “Gurgaddi
Divas”, scheduled to be held there in 2008. The Maharashtra
Government has earmarked several crores for the expansion of Hazur
Sahib City.
The word “bunga” is derived from Persian, meaning a hospice, or a
dwelling place. Akharas and “bungas” served as centres of elementary
Sikh education for a long time.
The name of the old building is “Wassan Singh Da Bunga”, which was
reportedly built along with other buildings in 1832 on the
directions of great Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who had
specially sent masons and architects from Punjab to construct the
buildings. However, they had come back after the death of the
Maharaja in 1839.
Mr Amar Singh Bunga, great grandson of Sardar Waryam Singh Bunga,
who was in Huzoor sahib, described the demolition of the heritage
building as most unfortunate. He alleged that the Bir of Guru Granth
Sahib was hurriedly taken away without caring for Sikh Maryada and
the building was reduced to rubble by bulldozers.
22 November 2006
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