Written by: Moiz Abdul Majid
Posted on: August 17, 2020 | 
| 中文
Bedi Mahal Central Courtyard
Unbeknownst to many, Rawalpindi’s Kallar Syedan town is home to a considerable amount of ancient sites which hark back to the Potohar Plateau’s rich, multi-religious history. Perhaps the most famous of these sites is the Bedi Mahal or “Babay da Mahal (The Old Man’s Palace)”, a breathtaking Sikh mansion built by the noted Sikh businessman and community leader, Baba Khem Singh Bedi. The mansion is in relatively stable condition, with mysteries of its past glory still hidden in its walls.
Baba Khem Singh Bedi was born in 1832, to a merchant family that traced its lineage to Baba Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. In his life, Baba Khem Singh Bedi became an incredibly important personality in the Potohar Plateau, both in terms of his contribution to Sikhism and his patronage to the city of Rawalpindi. He was the founder of the Singh Saba, a Sikh reformist movement that came about as a response to the anxieties of colonization and its threat to Sikhism. Along with reviving the Sikh religion in the region, he particularly emphasized the need for education among the people, especially women. Some historians have even mentioned how Maharaja Ranjit Singh was an admirer of Baba Khem Singh Bedi, often visiting him and attributing his wealth to the blessings of the Bedi clan.
At the age of 16, following the death of his father in a family feud, Baba Khem Singh Bedi and his family moved to the small yet historic town of Kallar Syedan, named after its saline water and salty earth. He went on to earn the trust of the British East India Company by fighting for them in the 1857 rebellion, and helping quell several of the local uprisings which happened afterward.
Baba Khem Singh Bedi
Due to his services to the East India Company, he became one of the first non-official members to be nominated in the Punjab legislature of 1893, and was also knighted in 1898. He used the wealth given to him by the British Empire to open over 50 schools in the Rawalpindi area. He used the remainder of the money to fashion himself a comfortable and luxurious mansion, harking back to the glory days of his ancestral clan.
Though there is no exact date for its construction, it is estimated that the Bedi Mahal was constructed around the 1850’s. It was primarily constructed from sandstone, and plastered with lime surkhi (burnt clay). Artisans and masons from the nearby town of Attock were called to make intricate paintings and carvings this four-story building with 84 rooms. Besides the spectacular architecture inside, there was an orchard, a stable and a small zoo of exotic animals. From the top of the building, one could see a panoramic view of Kallar Syedan.
A balcony in typical Sikh architecture
This otherwise dilapidating structure has two distinct features, which have thus far remained in tact: the exemplary Sikh architectural style and the vivid wall frescos. Outside the building, balconies and ornate domes in typical Sikh architecture greet visitors who enter through the grand, wooden doors with elaborate carvings. Most of the well-preserved frescos are on the walls and pillars of the central courtyard. They feature rich depictions of Sikh gurus, Hindu deities, and Muslim rulers, particularly mentioning Baba Guru Nanak and the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India. However, many historians believe that the collective presence of the three major religions of India on the walls is evidence of the Sikh Saba’s philosophy of peaceful coexistence.
A Wall Mural of Baba Guru Nanak
According to the locals, the Mahal was a major refuge point for around 400-5000 Sikhs in Punjab during the riots of 1947. After a majority of the Sikh community left the mansion for India, the government refurbished the grounds as a boy’s high school. Recently, due to concerns that the mansion structure would collapse and endanger students, the school shifted into a newly constructed building and the Mahal was emptied. However, many people of the school and surrounding neighborhood agree that the mansion and the legacy of its owner are intrinsically tied to the history of Rawalpindi, and both should be treated with respect as historical and cultural monuments.
A Muslim Soldier with a Sikh Warrior on a Wall Fresco
As the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has begun to take up the responsibility of heritage conservation, people have been taken to social media to rally behind the cause of conserving the Bedi Mahal and its magnificent architecture from complete dilapidation. No doubt the legacy of Baba Khem Singh Bedi is a long and complicated one, but the mansion’s architecture and wall frescos may prove important in future investigations of how cultures and religions have peacefully coexisted in the Potohar Plateau for centuries.
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