MC to reconstruct Ahluwalia Gate

Strap: Stone was laid 17 years ago| Britishers demolished the structure 1849

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 14

The Amritsar Municipal Corporation would soon execute a plan to reconstruct the Ahluwalia Gate at Gheo Mandi in the walled city. The foundation stone for the same was laid around 17 years ago.

Mayor Karmajit Singh Rintu said the project was in the pipe line and would be commenced at the earliest. “We have conducted meetings in this regard. We will try to start the project soon,” said the Mayor.

It’s petinent to mention that on November 19, 2003, the then Congress MLAs Jugal Kishore and Harjinder Singh Thekedar had laid foundation stone to reconstruct the Ahluwalia Gate. The MC had also passed a unanimous resolution for construction of the gate on January 17, 2003. Residents and office-bearers of the Sultan-ul-Quam Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia Memorial Society had urged the authorities to reconstruct the gate.

The Ahluwalia Gate was demolished by Britishers after their annexation of Punjab in 1849. The heritage of the city was vandalised by Britishers and they reconstructed some gates with colonial architecture in 1860s.

Jassa Singh Ahluwalia was born (1718-1783) at Ahluwal village near Lahore. Under the leadership of Jassa Singh, the Dal Khalsa took over Lahore, capital of Punjab, for the first time in 1761. When Afghan invader Abdali demolished Darbar Sahib, Ahluwalia repaired the building and constructed a fort to protect the holy shrine. The entry toward quilla was named after Ramgarhia.

A number of historical documents, including maps of the Amritsar Municipal Committee, depict 12 historical gates, including Darwaza Ramgarhia and Darwaza Ahluwalia. On the basis of these old maps (1849 and 1947) the Sultan-ul-Quam Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia Memorial Society initiated the activism to reconstruct the gates around 20 years ago.