Manimajra Fort

Last updated

Manimajra Fort
Chandigarh, India
Mani Majra Fort, North side view Chandigarh, India 03.JPG
Manimajra Fort, East side view
India Punjab location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Manimajra Fort
Coordinates 30°42′52″N76°50′14″E / 30.71444°N 76.83722°E / 30.71444; 76.83722
Type fort
Site information
Controlled by Meharwal Khewaji Trust
Open to
the public
No
ConditionDeteriorating
Site history
Built byGhareeb Das Dhillon
Materials Nanak Shahi bricks

Manimajra Fort, is a fort situated in Mani Majra, Chandigarh (city of Indian Union). [1] It is over 360 years old and has become more popular with the shooting of the Oscar-winning movie Zero Dark Thirty. [2] It was built by Gharib Dass Dhillon of Dhillon clan as the capital of his newly created state of 84 villages. [3]

Contents

History

The fort was built by Gharib Dass Dhillon (also spelled Gareeb Das) of Dhillon clan as the capital of his newly created state of 84 villages. Gharib Dass submitted to Patiala State. Dhillons of Manimajra later also occupied Sailba, 28 km northwest of Manimajra and now in SAS Nagar district, and Gurbakhsh Singh Dhillon was appointed kiladar (governor) of the Sailba fort. [3]

As per Mahan Kosh, popularly known as Encyclopedia of Sikhism, Mani Majra was a town of (then) Ambala district of Punjab Province, which was conquered in 1821 by a local zamindar Ghareeb Dass along with 84 other villages and turned into the capital of his newly created State. The State was last ruled by Bhagwan Singh Dhillon of the clan of Ghareeb Dass Dhillon. As Bhagwan Singh Dhillon was childless, the Government took control of the property of this fort. [4] [5]

Ownership

Presently the property is owned by Meharwal Khewaji Trust along with other related properties. The ownership of this property is controversial, and the case is under trial in the court. [6] [7]

Present condition

The present condition of the fort is not good and it is deteriorating day by day. The premises is being used as a playground or for parking vehicles by people living in the adjoining area. The walls are decaying and weed growth is visible on the walls (see pics in Gallery). [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale</span> Figure in the Sikh Khalistan movement (1947–1984)

Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was an Indian militant. He was the leading figure of the Khalistan movement, although he did not personally advocate for a separate Sikh nation.

Dhillon is one of the largest Jat clans found in the Punjab region of India and Pakistan. Dhillon sardars (chiefs) ruled the Bhangi Misl in the Sikh confederacy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Majha</span> Region in the central parts of the historical Punjab region

Majha is a region located in the central parts of the historical Punjab region, currently split between the republics of India and Pakistan. It extends north from the right banks of the river Beas, and reaches as far north as the river Jhelum. People of the Majha region are given the demonym "Mājhī" or "Majhail". Most inhabitants of the region speak the Majhi dialect, which is the basis of the standard register of the Punjabi language. The most populous city in the area is Lahore on the Pakistani side, and Amritsar on the Indian side of the border.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mata Sahib Devan</span> Wife of Guru Gobind Singh

Mata Sahib Devan, also known as Mata Sahib Kaur and Mata Sahib Devi, was a wife of Guru Gobind Singh.

Guru Nanak founded the Sikh religion in the Punjab region of the northern part of the Indian subcontinent in the 15th century and opposed many traditional practices like fasting, Upanayana, idolatry, caste system, ascetism, azan, economic materialism, and gender discrimination.

Malwa is a geographical region in the south of Punjab state in India. It is located between south of the Sutlej river, north of the Ghaggar river, east of Pakistan, and west of the Sivalik Hills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Saragarhi</span> 1897 last stand battle in the British Raj

The Battle of Saragarhi was a last-stand battle fought before the Tirah Campaign between the British Indian Empire and Afghan tribesmen. On 12 September 1897, an estimated 12,000 – 24,000 Orakzai and Afridi tribesmen were seen near Gogra, at Samana Suk, and around Saragarhi, cutting off Fort Gulistan from Fort Lockhart. The Afghans attacked the outpost of Saragarhi where thousands of them swarmed and surrounded the fort, preparing to assault it. Led by Havildar Ishar Singh, the 21 soldiers in the fort—all of whom were Sikhs—refused to surrender and were wiped out in a last stand. The post was recaptured two days later by another British Indian contingent.

Jat Sikh or Jatt Sikh is an ethnoreligious group, a subgroup of the Jat people whose traditional religion is Sikhism, originating from the Indian subcontinent. They are one of the dominant communities in the Punjab, India, owing to their large land holdings. They form an estimated 20–25% of the population of the Indian state of Punjab. They form at least half of the Sikh population in Punjab, with some sources estimating them to be about 60–66% appx. two-third of the Sikh population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sikhism in the United States</span> Religious community

American Sikhs form the country's sixth-largest religious group. While the U.S. Census does not ask about religion, 70,697 Americans declared Sikh as their ethnicity in the 2020 census. The U.S. Census Bureau cites the 2008 American Religious Identification Survey's estimate of the adult Sikh American population at 78,000. The Pew Research Center estimated the Sikh American adult population to be 140,000 and the total population at 200,000 in 2012 while the World Religion Database at Boston University estimated the American Sikh population to be at 280,000 in 2012. Sikh organizations like the Sikh Coalition and American Sikh Congressional Caucus estimate the Sikh American population to be as high as 1,000,000, but do not provide any sources for these figures; 500,000 nevertheless remains the most cited Sikh American population size. With 1% of Asian Americans being Sikh, and 90.7% of Sikh Americans being Asian American, the American Sikh population can be estimated at around 200,000–300,000 in 2021. The largest Sikh populations in the U.S. are found in California (52%), New York (11%), and Washington (6%).

Mai Sukhan, was an Majhail ruler of Misl. Mai Sukhan gained recognition in Punjab for her military leadership. Mai Sukhan was a powerful Sikh ruler of the Majha region, which gained her recognition throughout Punjab.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nanakshahi bricks</span> Bricks used in traditional Sikh architecture

Nanakshahi bricks, also known as Lakhuri bricks, were decorative bricks used for structural walls during the Mughal era. They were employed for constructing historical Sikh architecture, such as at the Golden Temple complex. The British colonists also made use of the bricks in Punjab.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Datar Kaur</span> Maharani Sri Datar Kaur Mai Nakain Sahiba of Sarkar-i-Khalsa

Maharani Datar Kaur (born Bibi Raj Kaur Nakai; was the queen consort of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the founder of the Sikh Empire and the mother of his successor, Maharaja Kharak Singh. She was the daughter of Sardar Ran Singh Nakai, third ruler of the Nakai Misl and Sardarni Karmo Kaur.

Sector 13 is a commercial and residential hub of Chandigarh, consisting of posh housing areas, residential colonies, IT parks, Malls, Schools, Hotels and cultural complexes. Manimajra and adjoining urban areas developed by Chandigarh administration were reconstituted as Sector 13.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mata Mansa Devi Mandir</span> Hindu temple in Haryana, India

Mata Mansa Devi is a Hindu temple dedicated to goddess Mansa Devi, a form of Shakti, in the Panchkula district of the Indian state of Haryana. The temple complex is spread of 100 acres (0.40 km2) of the Shivalik foothills in the village of Bilaspur, near Sector 13 of Chandigarh, and Panchkula, 10 km from Chandi Mandir, another noted Devi shrine in the region, both just outside Chandigarh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nakai Misl</span> State of the Sikh confederacy

The Nakai Misl, founded by Sandhu Jats, was one of the twelve Sikh Misls that later became part of the Sikh Empire. It held territory between the Ravi and Sutlej rivers southwest of Lahore in what became Pakistan. The misl fought against the Sials, the Pathans and the Kharals before it was incorporated into the Sikh Empire of the Sukerchakia Misl by Ranjit Singh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charat Singh</span> Sardar

Sardar Charat Singh, also romanised as Charhat Singh, was the founder of Sukerchakia Misl, father of Mahan Singh, and the grandfather of Ranjit Singh, the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire. He distinguished himself at an early age in campaigns against Ahmad Shah Abdali and along with 150 horsemen split from the Singhpuria Misl to establish the Sukerchakia Misl, a separate grouping with its distinct guerilla militia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banda Singh Bahadur</span> Sikh warrior and general

Banda Singh Bahadur, was a Sikh warrior and a general of the Khalsa Army. At age 15, he left home to become an ascetic, and was given the name Madho Das Bairagi. He established a monastery at Nānded, on the bank of the river Godāvarī. In 1707, Guru Gobind Singh accepted an invitation to meet Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah I in southern India, he visited Banda Singh Bahadur in 1708. Banda became disciple of Guru Gobind Singh and was given a new name, Gurbaksh Singh(as written in Mahan Kosh), after the baptism ceremony. He is popularly known as Banda Singh Bahadur. He was given five arrows by the Guru as a blessing for the battles ahead. He came to Khanda, Sonipat and assembled a fighting force and led the struggle against the Mughal Empire.

Punjabi nationalism is an ideology which emphasizes that the Punjabis are one nation and promotes the cultural unity of Punjabis around the world. The demands of the Punjabi nationalist movement are linguistic, cultural, economic and political rights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manimajra State</span> Former Sikh kingdom

Manimajra State was a Sikh kingdom and later jagir (estate) based in the Manimajra area from 1764 to 1875. The area is in the present-day region of Chandigarh. The state had poor relations with Patiala and Nahan states, often warring with them.

References

  1. Dhillon, Harish (May 2013). First Raj of the Sikhs: The Life and Times of Banda Singh Bahadur. ISBN   9789381398395.
  2. "Battling neglect, Manimajra Fort faces conflict over ownership - Indian Express".
  3. 1 2 Bhagat Singh,1993, A History of the Sikh Misals.
  4. ਭਾਈ ਕਾਨ੍ਹ ਸਿੰਘ ਨਾਭਾ (1999). ਮਹਾਨ ਕੋਸ਼. ਪਟਿਆਲਾ: ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਵਿਭਾਗ , ਪੰਜਾਬ. p. 951.
  5. "ਅਮਰ%20ਸਿੰਘ, ਰਾਜਾ" [Amar Singh, Raja] (in Punjabi). 11 March 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  6. "Battling neglect, Manimajra Fort faces conflict over ownership - Indian Express".
  7. "ਫ਼ਰੀਦਕੋਟ ਦੇ ਮਹਾਰਾਜੇ ਦੀ ਜਨਮ ਸ਼ਤਾਬਦੀ ਦੇਵੇਗੀ ਲੋਕਪੱਖੀ ਪ੍ਰਾਜੈਕਟ ਨੂੰ ਜਨਮ" [The birth centenary of the Maharaja of Faridkot will give birth to a popular project]. The Tribune India (in Punjabi). 27 January 2015. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
  8. "Battling neglect, Manimajra Fort faces conflict over ownership - Indian Express".