Islamabad, Sep 19 (IANS) Pakistan’s neglect of the crumbling Dera Tahli Sahib, a Sikh shrine in Lahore, is not an isolated case but part of a broader tragedy with countless Sikh heritage sites across the country’s rural and urban landscapes fading from memory, a report cited on Friday.
It said that each forgotten sacred shrine deepens the divide between communities and their historical roots.
“The story of Partition is not just one of human displacement but also of the erosion of centuries-old heritage. Among the most painful losses for Sikhs was separation from their sacred sites across what became Pakistan. Over 75 years later, many of these once-vibrant shrines have slipped so far from communal memory that they are almost as if they never existed,” a report in ‘Khalsa Vox’ detailed.
“One such forgotten gem is Dera Tahli Sahib in Lahore, once the spiritual seat and final resting place of Baba Sri Chand, the eldest son of Guru Nanak, founder of the Sikh faith. The site, which drew its name from a centuries-old Tahli (Indian rosewood) tree, today lies in ruins — its memory barely clinging on through fragments in old maps and bricks scattered in the dust,” it added.
According to the report, the Pakistani governments, historians, and civil society bear the responsibility to reclaim the memory before it fades. Preserving Dera Tahli Sahib, it said, would not only honour Baba Sri Chand’s legacy but also heal a wound that still lingers in the collective memory of Punjabis across borders.
The report stated that researchers revisited the site earlier this year using both historical maps and modern satellite tools.
“At the marked spot, they found a decaying tree lying across the ground — eerily corresponding to the Tahli tree after which the shrine was named. Scattered Sikh-era bricks provided further clues. For those present, it felt like rediscovering a lost heartbeat of history,” the report noted
“Dera Tahli Sahib stands as a stark reminder of what has been lost. The Lahore Railway Station nearby—once the last departure point for countless Hindus and Sikhs fleeing Partition—already evokes powerful emotions for pilgrims. Restoring Dera Tahli Sahib could add yet another meaningful stop for the thousands of Sikhs who travel to Pakistan annually in search of their roots,” it stressed.
–IANS
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