Sikh history research centre at KCA

Tribune News Service
Amritsar, February 7

Khalsa College Governing Council (KCGC) president Satyajit Singh Majithia on Thursday inaugurated the state-of-the-art Sikh History Research Centre building at the historic Khalsa College.

The ultra-modern building having consonance with the old heritage structure of the 1892 built college will house a library, a research centre and a Sikh museum.

Originally set up in 1930, the Sikh research centre was running in the old building but the rare books, manuscripts, documents, paintings and other historical material which is being preserved digitally now has been shifted to this new building, said Majithia. The library and the centre is a treasure trove of the history dating back to the 16th and 17th century.

KCGC honorary secretary Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina said the research centre would house more than 6,274 books, which include rare books in English and Punjabi and there are hundreds of manuscripts and documents in Urdu, Sanskrit and Persian also, apart from newspaper and magazine as old as 1904 and some of the books are available only here.

The rare books, manuscripts and hand-written documents belonging to the times of Sikh gurus, Anglo-Sikh Wars and Indo-Pak Partition at this 88-year-old Sikh Research Library and Museum, Majithia said.

KCA Principal Dr Mehal Singh said the museum within the research centre would also display the weapons belonging to the times of Khalsa Army and other Sikh Wars and the coins and records relating Maharja Ranjit Singh era.