According to Hindustan Times “ On the eve of the 300th birth anniversary of Jassa Singh Ramgarhia, a prominent Sikh leader during the period of the Sikh Confederacy and the founder of the Ramgarhia Misl, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has reopened the historic Ramgarhia Bunga in the Golden Temple complex for devotees after completion of over 95 per cent of the restoration work. Nearly 250-year-old building can be accessed from the parkarma (circumambulation marble path around the holy water tank called ‘sarovar’) of the Golden Temple. The structure was erected in the 18th century by Jassa Singh Ramgarhia to protect the Golden Temple from the invasion of foreign rulers.
The building of the Bunga adjoins Guru Ram Das Langar Hall (community kitchen). Earlier, it was accessible only from the langar hall, which is situated outside the parkarma. This entrance is unknown to most devotees.
The Ramgarhia Bunga houses a granite slab of Takht-e-Taus from the Red Fort on which all the Mughal emperors were crowned in Delhi. This slab was seized by Sikhs from Delhi, during an attack against the Mughal armies, and brought back to Amritsar as a symbol that the Mughal Empire will end with the removal of their coronation stone.
The Bunga is known for its four towers, which were damaged during Operation Bluestar carried out by the Indian Army. Two towers were renovated later. However, restoration work of the rest of the structure, foundation stone of which was laid by Ramgarhia in 1755, was started in 2021.
Till 1970, the building was under the control of the successor of Ramgarhia, after which it was taken over by the SGPC. The SGPC got the heritage building restored by a Delhi-based conservation firm ‘Heritage Conservation Management Services’.
Guru Nanak Dev University department of architecture professor Raval Singh Aulakh is a consultant for the redesigning of the building on the behalf of the SGPC. The remaining work will also be completed soon after commemoration of the third birth centenary of Sardar Ramgarhia.
The SGPC allocated a budget of ₹ 2 crore for the work, said SGPC member Bhai Ram Singh.
Senior structure conservator Rakesh Kumar said, “As per the conservation norms, we have restored the building with the type of material used originally in the 18th century.”
“A museum depicting the glorious Sikh history of the 18th century will be established in the Bunga in the next phase of the conservation,” said the SGPC member.
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