Ramgarhia Bunga

Twin towers of Ramgarhia Bunga, located behind theGolden Templeon opposite side ofAkal Takht.Designed like aminaret,they are an 18th-century Sikh watchtowers to detect and defend against Afghan Islamic army attacks.

Ramgarhia BungaorBurjis the three-storeyed red stonewatchtowerscomplex located near southeastern edge of theGolden Temple,Amritsar.^[1]The two minaret-style Ramgarhia Bunga high towers are visible from theparikrama(circumambulation) walkway around the Harmandir Sahib Sarovar (water tank).^[2]It is a pre-Ranjit Singhstructure built bySikhwarrior andRamgarhia mislchiefJassa Singh Ramgarhiain late 18th-century,^[3]^[4]after the 1762 destruction and desecration of the Sikh holy temple and site by the Afghan Muslim forces led by Ahmed Shah Abdali.^[1]The Bunga watchtowers-related infrastructure was constructed to station sentinels to watch for any surprise attack, house soldiers to help fortify the area, and to protect the holy complex from desecration.^[1]^[5]

The Ramgarhia Bunga houses the granite slab ofTakht-e-Taus^[6]from theRed Forton which, according to theoral tradition,all theMughal emperorswere crowned inDelhi.This slab was seized by Sikhs from Delhi, during an attack against the Mughal armies, and brought back toAmritsaras a symbol that the Mughal Empire will end with the removal of their coronation stone.^[1]

History

During the reign of the MuslimMughalEmperors, The Golden Temple was damaged many times, but each time it was rebuilt by theSikhs.Sardars of the 12Sikh Mislsdecided that some of theKhalsaleaders must be housed inside it for its protection against their enemies. According to Fenech and McLeod, during the 18th century, Sikh misl chiefs and rich communities built over 70 suchBungasof different shapes and forms around the Golden Temple to watch the area, house soldiers and defend the temple.^[5]SuchBungaswere also built near major Sikh shrines elsewhere on theIndian subcontinentin the 18th-century.^[5]In the 19th century, these served defensive purposes, provided accommodation for Sikh pilgrims and some served as centers of learning.^[5]Most of the Bungas were demolished during and after the British colonial era, often to improve the facilities for growing number of pilgrims in the 20th-century. The Ramgarhia Bunga is single surviving example of the Bunga-related historic infrastructure inAmritsar,^[1]along withAkal Takhtwhich originally was built as the Akal Bunga on the other side of holy tank.^[5]

Ramgarhia mislchiefJassa Singh Ramgarhiahad conquered territory as far afield asDelhi,where he removed the slab from theTakht-e-Tauson which the Mughal coronation ceremonies were held. He brought the slab toAmritsarand placed it in the Ramgarhia Bunga where it still lies.

Architecture

Ramgarhia Bunga consists of three flat-roofed ranges, each of two principal storeys, arranged round three sides of a courtyard and is constructed almost of small burnt bricks (Nanakshahi) set in lime and mud mortar.^[7]The colonnade and the triple arches are of red sandstone. The undersides of the vaults and all the walls were finished internally and externally with lime plaster and lime wash, much of it decorative with arches. Lower levels are approached by two flights of steps, one from outside and the other from within the courtyard.

Ramgarhia misl

Ramgarhia misl chiefJassa Singh Ramgarhiawas a brave Sikh leader. He had redesigned^[8]a mud fortressRam Rauniin 1748 about a mile fromGolden Templewhich was used to house and keep soldiers.^[9]The place was named so in honour of fourthSikh Guru Shri Guru Ram Das Ji,who have founded theAmritsarcity. The place was later known asQuila Ramgarhdue to its fortification byJassa Singh Ramgarhia.TheRamgarhia Mislderives its name from this place which literally meansCustodians of the Castle of God.^[10]The Quila Ramgarh has already lost its very existence and its location is adjacent to Gurudwara Sri Ramsar Sahib and Guru Ramdas Khalsa Senior Secondary School on Ramsar Road,Amritsar.

Ramgarhia bunga remains a symbol of theRamgarhiaSikh community's identity, their historic sacrifices and contribution to defending the Golden Temple over the centuries.^[11]

Renovation

The original domes on theminaretswere damaged and then removed in 1903 because of an earthquake. The minarets were again heavily damaged by Indian artillery fire duringOperation Blue Starin 1984,^[12]^[13]but later renovated by theShiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee^[14]and theRamgarhiaSociety Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia Federation.^[7]^[15]Later, some Babas of Kar Sewawale had done colossal damage to the heritage site by converting a portion into their abode.^[16]There are also plans to convert basement of bunga to Sikh museum.^[17]