Amritsar: Where time stands still in lanes, by-lanes

Charanjit Singh Teja in Amritsar

In December 1838 Karmon Deodi, named after Mai Karmon, a revenue officer of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s mother-in-law Sada Kaur, was demolished on orders of the maharaja himself. Then governor general of British India (1836-1842) Lord Auckland had to visit Golden Temple on December 11 but the low height of the Deodi was a hindrance for the elephant on which Auckland was sitting. 

Years later, the well at the place was also covered. Today an ugly looking electricity transformer with loose hanging wires stands at the place. However, 180 years after the deodi was demolished, it is still known as Karmon Deodi. 

Much of the city, founded by fourth guru, Guru Ram Das Ji 440 years ago, has changed. The new building styles have replaced the old ones. But the street nomenclature and the pattern have not. Many streets were named after trades and communities: Suniaria (goldsmiths)-Wali-Gali, Telia (oil pressers)-Wali-Gali, Mochian (cobbler)-Wali-gali, Gali Pandita Wali, Rababbian Wali Gali (who play musical instruments), Gali Sarafan Wali (who deals in gold ornaments), Kucha Ptang Frosh (kite-sellers), Gali Achargan (who collected clothes put on the bodies before cremation). These are still prevalent and many streets named after prominent personalities, too, are still popular. 

Raja Market  

Shiv Rattan Dev Singh, Raja of Poonch state, owned several properties around the Golden Temple, which were later purchased by immigrants from Sialkot. One of the properties, Raja Market still proudly holds the name. Surinder Bhatia (77), whose father Lala Wasti Ram, who had been instrumental in the deal with Raja’s Munshi in 1950, is president of the market. Surinder says though they are the owners of the property, they feel proud that it once belonged to Raja Shiv Rattan.  

Legacy of Shado Nai 

Shado Nai, a prominent ‘hikmatkar’ (practicing medicine) of old times settled in the area along with his four brothers and five sons. Ashwani Kumar Pooni, an ayurved expert who sits at the family shop named House of Surgery, said: “We feel proud that the street is named after our community.” Though the Nai community is often barbers, most are into the business of cooking and also ‘jarah’ (surgery). 

Mai Mangla’s mystery 

Nobody in the streets inside Lohgarh Gate knows who Mai Mangla was. But people, mostly migrants from west Punjab after the Partition, show a marbled platform. Says Jeevan Lal, a resident: “The well had a slab which had Mai Mangla written on it. The well was covered long ago.” He said that she might have been a rich and kind woman of the area who constructed a well for the people. The other popular streets named after individuals include Dewan Singh Wali Gali, Manumal Gali, Gali Partap Singh, Sukhnain Gali and Bagh Ramanand (banker of Ranjit Singh).

The test of time

Much of the original structure of the city was changed in the period between 1628 and 1765, and then again at the time of the partition when many properties were burnt down. 

But each time the city was rebuilt, the locals preferred to stick to the old names. The names of katras’ (neighbourhoods) named after leaders of the Sikh misals, forts, bungas (resting places for devotees), gardens, and havellis mostly built in period from 1765 to 1802 still hold the old names.