Kaller Syedan, Haveli Of Baba Khem Singh Bedi
Kaller Syedan, Haveli of Baba Khem Singh Bedi
The Haveli of Baba Khem Singh Bedi, a significant architectural site in Pothohar region, is located in Kaller Syedan sub-division, 41 Km east of Rawalpindi on Grand Trunk Road.
Kaller Syedan is marked as a historical and cultural town in Rawalpindi district and the Haveli of Khem Singh Bedi is the most outstanding monument in this town. The haveli was built by Sir Baba Khem Singh Bedi in late nineteenth century.
Khem Singh Bedi, a founder of the Singh Sabha movement, was born on 21 February 1832 at Kallar Syedan (1). He was a thirteenth direct descendant of Guru Nanak Dev (1). According to the "The encyclopedia of Sikhism”, Baba Attar Singh, the father of Khem Singh was killed in a family dispute …show more content…
The building is rectangular in plan. The first portion of the haveli has an enormous assembly hall on the northern side, which suggests that it may have been used for social and religious activities (2). The second portion appears to be used for residential purpose and also for the social and religious activities in which women also participated either from the upper galleries or from the balconies and windows (2). Across the courtyard is a big rectangular Hall which has been used as an assembly or meeting hall at the time of Baba Khem Bedi Singh. According to the locals, this hall used to be a piece of artistic decoration (2). While looking at the hall from the courtyard we can see there a big wooden Jharokha with a half dome ornamented with lotus petals (2). Adjacent to the rooms was the well of the haveli and opposite to the courtyard at the extreme western side was a big stable, which is not existed now …show more content…
The paintings include secular and religious subjects from the Sikh and Hindu religious books. The most attractive of these paintings are those which cover the façade, pillars of verandas and interior of the rooms (3). The paintings include the images of various Sikh Gurus such as Guru Nanak Dev, Guru Gobind, Guru Ramdas, Guru Arjun Dev and Hindu deities such as Hanuman and Lord Ganesha (3). The central courtyard is still in pretty good condition, apparently, there was an exquisite painting of the Golden Temple in Amritsar on one of the internal walls but sadly it was painted over several years ago (3).
Dr. Samina Saleem states that during the riots of 1947 this Khem Singh Haveli played a great role in the protection of the non-Muslim population of Kaller Sayedan (2).
After 1947 when the haveli was vacated by the descendants of Bedi family, some of the rooms were occupied by revenue department and other by the education department to make a government high school for boys. For many years the building has been serving as a school, but the ornate rooms of the haveli are now on the verge of destruction due to continued negligence. The latitude and longitude of this place is 33.416775,
The Haveli of Baba Khem Singh Bedi, a significant architectural site in Pothohar region, is located in Kaller Syedan sub-division, 41 Km east of Rawalpindi on Grand Trunk Road.
Kaller Syedan is marked as a historical and cultural town in Rawalpindi district and the Haveli of Khem Singh Bedi is the most outstanding monument in this town. The haveli was built by Sir Baba Khem Singh Bedi in late nineteenth century.
Khem Singh Bedi, a founder of the Singh Sabha movement, was born on 21 February 1832 at Kallar Syedan (1). He was a thirteenth direct descendant of Guru Nanak Dev (1). According to the "The encyclopedia of Sikhism”, Baba Attar Singh, the father of Khem Singh was killed in a family dispute …show more content…
The building is rectangular in plan. The first portion of the haveli has an enormous assembly hall on the northern side, which suggests that it may have been used for social and religious activities (2). The second portion appears to be used for residential purpose and also for the social and religious activities in which women also participated either from the upper galleries or from the balconies and windows (2). Across the courtyard is a big rectangular Hall which has been used as an assembly or meeting hall at the time of Baba Khem Bedi Singh. According to the locals, this hall used to be a piece of artistic decoration (2). While looking at the hall from the courtyard we can see there a big wooden Jharokha with a half dome ornamented with lotus petals (2). Adjacent to the rooms was the well of the haveli and opposite to the courtyard at the extreme western side was a big stable, which is not existed now …show more content…
The paintings include secular and religious subjects from the Sikh and Hindu religious books. The most attractive of these paintings are those which cover the façade, pillars of verandas and interior of the rooms (3). The paintings include the images of various Sikh Gurus such as Guru Nanak Dev, Guru Gobind, Guru Ramdas, Guru Arjun Dev and Hindu deities such as Hanuman and Lord Ganesha (3). The central courtyard is still in pretty good condition, apparently, there was an exquisite painting of the Golden Temple in Amritsar on one of the internal walls but sadly it was painted over several years ago (3).
Dr. Samina Saleem states that during the riots of 1947 this Khem Singh Haveli played a great role in the protection of the non-Muslim population of Kaller Sayedan (2).
After 1947 when the haveli was vacated by the descendants of Bedi family, some of the rooms were occupied by revenue department and other by the education department to make a government high school for boys. For many years the building has been serving as a school, but the ornate rooms of the haveli are now on the verge of destruction due to continued negligence. The latitude and longitude of this place is 33.416775,