Museum to highlight history of Panipat

BS Malik   

The Swaranprastha Museum being set up by the Society for the Development and Beautification of the Sonepat Town at about 200-year-old British era tehsil complex in the Kot Mohalla locality will highlight the glorious past of Haryana, particularly of Sonepat.

According to the Mahabharata narration, the Pandavas had demanded five villages from the Kauravas and Sonepat, which was known as Swaranprastha at that time, was one of them. Archaeologically and historically, the land and culture of Sonepat had been of immense importance.

For the project, a 21-member society was constituted and registered in August 2000. It comprised of the serving Deputy Commissioner as chairman, Additional Deputy Commissioner as senior vice-chairman, Sonepat SDM as vice-chairman, journalist Rajesh Khatri as member secretary,  and journalist Jasbir Singh Khatri as joint secretary, besides 16 members. 

The Sonepat Municipal Corporation is renovating and remodelling the dilapidated old tehsil building, and about Rs 3 crore has already been spent. Importantly, the bricks used in the repair of the building have been taken from the deep boundary walls of the tehsil complex. Around 3,000 articles dating back 100 to 4,000 years have already been collected, housed and kept ready for display. People have donated most of these articles.

As many as 13 rooms in the complex have been renovated and earmarked for keeping articles, photos of martyrs, and freedom fighters, paintings highlighting the history of Sonepat, Mahabharata period, the kings of Sonepat, and prominent ‘Saangis’ (folk artists), coins of different rulers, a model of the Sonepat railway station with a photocopy of 1891 train timings, agricultural implements, and domestic household articles. Besides two rooms for the stay of interested tourists, there will be a ‘rasoi’ (kitchen) for cooking Haryanvi food for tourists.

The society has also planned to grow ancient flora and vegetation, including trees and cripplers, mentioned in the Vedic text that are indigenous in nature. All plants will carry medicinal values as described in the Ayurvedic text. 

Dr Dharambir Sharma, former Director of the Archaeological Survey of India, who is providing technical guidance to the society, says that historically it is a fact that Sonepat is situated on the ancient trade route originating from Dakshin Path, connecting the Uttra Path and further going up to Iran. The ancient silk route originating from China also met this trade route at Marv in Central Asia.

Vinay Singh, Deputy Commissioner and ex-officio chairman of the society, says that the development of the museum is in the last stage. The exercise to display collected and donated articles has started and it is likely to be completed by December this year.

He says that as the involvement of the society is necessary to meet finances required to maintain the historical monuments, there is a plan to convene a meeting of the representatives of industries, business community and private educational institutions to seek their participation in the programme.