INTACH bats for preserving Chhota Ghallughara memorial site

Memorials connect communities, help them remember and honour the contributions of the past in shaping the present or future. In Punjab, several such memorials exist and connect the prestigious generation to our shared history, culture and religion. One such memorial site is the Chotta Ghallugghara (great massacre), close to Tibri Cantonment in Gurdaspur. The memorial is built in honour of the Sikhs killed during religious persecution by the Mughals in 1746. An event marked by suffering, ethnic and religious executions, strength and resilience of Sikhs, the memorial stands as a solemn reminder of this traumatic event, commemorating thousands of Sikh men, women and children who lost their lives for their faith and identity.

A time when the Sikh community and Indians across the world join in remembering the sacrifices of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the Chaar Sahibzadas and many brave Sikh warriors, who stood as wall against religious bigotry, violence and oppression, the Chotta Ghallughara Memorial is a site that must be treated as not just a physical or structural symbol of memory but also as our shared consciousness.

Taking up the cause of its maintenance and upkeep, state convener of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Maj Gen Balwinder Singh called for its active inclusion as a site for education and culture. "Our team visited the Chotta Ghallughara site close to Tibri Cantonment near Gurdaspur and was displeased to see the deteriorating condition of the memorial, which is a place of martyrdom and collective consciousness of Punjab's history," said Maj Gen Singh.

The Chhota Ghallughara (Lesser Holocaust) of 1746 stands as one of the most traumatic episodes in Sikh history, marking a moment of systematic violence, displacement and attempted erasure of a community. It is deeply marked by episodes of persecution, resistance, sacrifice and resilience. While historical narratives have largely emphasised the scale of human loss and political persecution, the physical landscapes associated with Chhota Ghallughara demand equal attention as sites of memory, resistance and cultural endurance," said Maj Gen Balwinder Singh.

Noting that one of the most important roles of the Chhota Ghallughara memorial is its educational function, he said that the government push must be to encourage schools and educational institutions to visit it as an experiential learning. "Many visitors, especially students, learn about Sikh history not through textbooks alone, but through direct engagement with the memorial space. This experiential learning fosters deeper emotional and intellectual understanding. However, the important question is that, whether our government takes any action on this," he said.

The maintenance and upkeep at the memorial site is temporary and done whenever there is an event or ceremony.

While it must not become another place of neglect, as is the case with most historic or memorial sites in the state, the staff deputed there or structural upkeep is minimal and not seen as adequate.

"There are signs of deterioration, tiles are falling because of poor initial construction and if immediate repair is not addressed, it may cost a lot. The absence of surviving architectural artifacts from the period underscores the vulnerability of intangible heritage-oral histories, spiritual traditions and collective memory-when physical markers are erased. Conservation efforts today must therefore, address not only what remains visible, but also what has been systematically erased," said Maj Gen Balwinder Singh.

A chapter in history

The Chhota Ghallughara happened during a period of intense repression of Sikhs under Mughal authority in Punjab. At this time, Sikhs were seen as a political and religious threat due to their growing influence, military organisation, and refusal to submit to Mughal dominance. The Mughal governor of Lahore, Yahya Khan, along with his deputy Lakhpat Rai, orchestrated a systematic campaign to address this issue. The immediate cause of the massacre was the death of Lakhpat Rai's brother, Jaspat Rai, in a conflict with Sikh forces. Seeking revenge, Lakhpat Rai ordered the extermination of Sikhs across Punjab. Villages were searched, Sikh homes destroyed, and individuals hunted down. A large group of Sikhs, estimated at 7,000 to 10,000, including women, children and the elderly, were encircled near the memorial site and brutally killed. Villages were searched, Sikh homes destroyed, and individuals hunted down.