I-Day special: These Ludhiana monuments have witnessed tough times of freedom struggle
Manav Mander
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, August 13
The country will be celebrating 78th Independence Day and there are many monuments and structures in the city which have been standing tall against all odds and seen the tough times of the freedom movement and the Partition. Let’s take a look at a few such structures.
Christ Church
Christ Church, located at Fountain Chowk, is said to be the oldest Anglican church in the state. Built in the city by the British, it is affiliated to the Church of England and none other than Daniel Wilson DD, the Bishop of Calcutta, laid down its foundation stone in 1836. In its early days, elite British army and civil officers worshipped in the church and has witnessed lavish weddings, baptisms as well as funerals. Original stained glass paintings of Jesus Christ, Mother Mary and St John at the altar were brought from England in 1830’s. It’s ceiling and benches point towards the wooden marvel and the old bell is still there atop the roof of the church.
Jama Masjid
Standing tall amid the busy streets of Field Ganj, Jama Masjid has seen the struggle of the independence. Built in 1891, the Jama Masjid of Ludhiana was founded by Maulana Shah Mohammad Ludhianvi, a freedom fighter who participated in the First War of Independence in 1857. A woman, Shamim Akhtar, daughter of Haji Hamid, an influential member of ‘Choon Gharan’ contributed over 50 per cent of the money for the construction of the mosque. The first fatwa for the independence of the country was released from here in 1857 by the first Shahi Imam, Maulana Shah Abdul Kadir Ludhianvi, as a result, the Britishers had to fled Lodhi Qila. The elegant minarets and net-styled walls, a glimpse of the Islamic architecture, has been preserved by the family of Maulana Habib-Ur-Rehman Ludhianvi, the custodians of this shrine since the pre-Independence era.
Clock Tower
Victoria Memorial Clock Tower, now known as ‘Ghanta Ghar’, is a landmark of the city. It was constructed to commemorate the Diamond Jubliee celebrationsof Queen Victoria in 1987 and was used as a clock to keep time for the city. Its construction started in 1862 and it took 44 years to build the clock tower and once, it was the tallest building in the city. It has 10 floors and is 30 m long. It was inaugurated on October 18, 1906, by the then Lt Governor of Punjab, Sir Charles Montgomery, along with Deewan Tek Chand, the then deputy commissioner of Ludhiana. It used to tick after every hour and a person was employed to do so. Still standing tall in the busiest Chaura Bazaar, Clock Tower has seen changing phases of the city.
Arya Senior Secondary School
Built during the British Rule, Arya Senior Secondary School is still burning the flame of education among children. Mahatma Munshi Ram, an exponent of Arya Samaj and a disciple of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati, laid the foundation stone of the school on March 29,1913, marking it as an epoch in the history of the city. Started as a Hindu school in a small building close to the old Head Post Office, the institution was taken over by Arya Samaj in 1889. The red brick building with beautiful arched wooden doors having glass panels are still intact and speak of the architectural grandeur. The double-storey building has 50 rooms and the height of the ceiling is above 20 feet. The garder used in the ceilings were brought from Germany through ship. Since it’s inception, the school is painted red in colour.
