Reclaiming memory: Dera Tahli Sahib of Lahore

The bloody Partition of 1947 resulted in the loss of tangible and intangible heritage for millions of Punjabis on both sides of the border. A significant part of this tragedy was the separation of Sikhs from their historical and religious places in Pakistan.

While these sites had been well-documented before 1947 in maps and books of history, over 75 years of separation of the community from its heritage resulted in the loss of the memory of these sites from the collective memory of the community, as if they did not exist. They faded slowly from the memory of the Sikh community.

One such heritage site is Dera Talhi Sahib of Lahore. It was the Dera (central headquarters) and Samadh (death memorial) of Baba Sri Chand -- the eldest son of Guru Nanak Sahib, the founder of the Sikh faith. It was called Dera Tahli Sahib, and it was named after an old Tahli (Indian rosewood) tree at the site.

Baba Guru Nanak Sahib was born in Nankana Sahib and lived most of his life in Kartarpur, Pakistan. He preached oneness of humanity and frowned upon asceticism, meaning that one needs to be fully present in all the struggles of life as a householder, yet remain detached from vices.

Sri Chand, the eldest son of Baba Guru Nanak Sahib, was born in 1494. He chose a spiritual path different from his esteemed father’s and became an ascetic. He established the Udasi sect of Sadhus, which remained on the fringe of the Sikh faith. The Udasis gave up the world and disengaged from it, deviating from the teaching of Guru Nanak Sahib.

Baba Sri Chand established his Udasi centre in Lahore (near the railway station), preached from there, and initiated other Sadhus into the Udasi sect. He died in 1612 (some records claim 1629), and his Samadh was built here.

The relationship between Baba Sri Chand and the early Sikh Gurus was tense due to Sri Chand’s claim to the guruship, which fizzled out by the time of Siri Guru Ramdas Sahib, the fourth Sikh Guru. From then on until the sixth Sikh Guru, Siri Guru Hargobind Sahib, the Sikh Gurus respected Baba Sri Chand for his ancestry, piety, and advanced age.

Udasi priests, known as “Mahants,” maintained considerable influence over Sikh shrines during Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s rule. Towards the end of Sikh rule, nearly 75 per cent of Udasi institutions (ranging from Akharas and Deras to Samadhis) enjoyed royal patronage.

However, differences between the Udasis and mainstream Sikh congregations came into sharp focus during the Gurdwara Reform Movement in the early 1920s, a significant event that reshaped the control and management of Sikh religious sites across Punjab.

Muhammad Latif, in his book, Tareekh-e-Lahore, describes the Dera of Baba Sri Chand from the early 1880s. He places the site south of the colonial Lunatic Asylum, formerly the haveli of Lehna Singh Majithia.

Sikh Gurmukhi records until 1947 make little to no mention of this site’s location, except that it was near the Lahore Railway Station (established 1860). The site was demolished before 1947.

While studying maps of old Lahore, these authors found a ‘Tahlee Sahib’ marked on an 1867 colonial map. This map showed its location south of the Lunatic Asylum but north of the railroad tracks. The railway station was nearby to its northwest.

With this 1867 map in hand, we geo-located the site on Google Maps (https://maps.app.goo.gl/E22D3XkJatGDAbPR6). Earlier this year, we visited the site from the area north of the railroad tracks - but no access was possible. So, we crossed over to the other side of the railroad tracks using an overbridge and then walked back north over the railroad tracks.

As we approached the pin location on Google Maps, we were astonished to see an old decaying tree fallen at the exact pin location at Tahli Sahib. At the site, we also found small Sikh-era bricks. Finally, we had reclaimed the lost memory of one historical shrine—Dera Tahli Sahib of Lahore.

While the loss of memory is gradual but comprehensive, as nearly all Sikh historical sites in rural areas of Pakistan have been forgotten by the Sikh community, it is our responsibility to reclaim this lost memory, one site at a time.

The evidence already exists in the public domain, waiting for our passion and creativity to discover it. We must continue to reclaim this memory of our community, one site at a time, with a sense of urgency and commitment, for the sake of our children and grandchildren, so we may never forget again.

Pakistan has made significant progress in opening up to the world as a cultural, religious, and historical tourism destination in recent years. This includes initiatives Pakistan Railways took to connect railway heritage with tourist trails -- as is evident by the development of a museum at Golra Sharif Railway Station and tourist safari trains now between Rawalpindi and Attock Khurd Railway Station.

The well-preserved Lahore Railway Station already holds immense sentimental value for thousands of Hindus and Sikhs as their ancestors’ last destination in West Punjab when they embarked on trains headed towards the east in 1947, never to return home.

The development of Dera Tahli Sahib would be well-received by thousands of Sikh pilgrims who visit Pakistan each year to connect with their spiritual, cultural, and historical roots.

Author bio:

Dr Tarunjit Singh Butalia is a US-based history enthusiast and scholar with deep roots in South Asia and the United States of America. He is a faculty member at The Ohio State University and  Director of Jeevay Sanjha Punjab

Jahandad Khan is the founder of Indus Heritage Club and works to promote diaspora Sikh tourism in Pakistan.

(Courtesy: Dawn newspaper)