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Jallianwala mosque gets a facelift
 The
mosque which shares a wall with Jallianwala Bagh where Sai Hazrat
Mian Mir performed namaz after laying the foundation stone of the
Harmander Sahib stands testimony to the composite culture of the
city. However, the structure has recently been given facelift
without having any clue about its archeological significance.
The mosque is just 100 yards away from the sanctum sanctorum. The
Union Government has identified 3,378 Sunni properties, including
mosques, graveyards, takkias and khankahs in Amritsar and Tarn Taran
districts. This was notified on January 9, 1971.
Of these, 1,259 Sunni Wakf properties exist in Amritsar city and its
periphery. There are 416, 867 and 834 Muslim properties in Patti,
Tarn Taran and Ajnala, respectively. Most of them have either been
encroached upon or are in dilapidated condition.
The mosque is perhaps the oldest in Amritsar city. The mosque was
damaged during Partition.
Interestingly, a Nihang took the possession of the mosque and
continued as its caretaker for 47 years.
Sai Hazrat Makhdom Syed Chan Pir Qadri, who claims himself to be
19th direct descendant of the “Gaddi-Nashin” of Sai Mian Mir, says
it was the Fifth Sikh Master, Guru Arjun Dev, who got this area (of
the present mosque) earmarked for Muslim devotees who had
accompanied the Sai (Mian Mir ji). He claims that handwritten
manuscript of the “Roznamcha” (daily diary) written by Sai Mian Mir
had mentioned the great gesture of Guruji for making arrangement for
offering daily namaz by the Muslims.
Syed Qadri claims that the diary is a complete autobiography of Sai
Hazrat Mian Mir Sahib, having minute descriptions of contemporary
circumstances.
As per the personal diary maintained by Sai Mian Mir, he performed
namaz for 14 days. This diary has been preserved by Syed Qadri in a
bank locker in Lahore.
Sayyad Mohammad Ikram Rehmani Qadri of the Muslim Janta Welfare
Action Committee says the Nihang handed over the possession of the
mosque to them on July 12, 1994. With the collections, the committee
started renovating the mosque which was in dilapidated condition.
Now more than 500 Muslim brethren perform namaz on every Friday. The
mosque remains opened on 365 days of the year for prayers.
Sayyad Ikram admits that the width of the walls of the demolished
part of the mosque was from six to eight feet. The committee now
plans to make it three-storey building with beautiful domes.
Sai Hazrat Mian Mir Qadri was one of great mystic in Islamic
history. He was true lover of Allah and his Prophet and a real
devotee of Hazrat Sheikh Syed Abdul Qadir Jillani. His family traces
back to 2nd Great Islamic Caliph Hazrat Umar. He had pioneered the
highway to interfaith harmony and uniformity among religions. Syed
Qadri claims that the “Roznamcha” had also mentioned description of
the great event in Sikh history - the foundation laying of the
Harmander Sahib. Syed Qadri rues that the SGPC had not put up any
signboard to establish the visit of Sai Mian Mir.
22 November 2006
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