Temple of Jhingar Shah Suthra

About time somebody protected our heritage

Small structures usually go unobserved, though they, too, hold some historic magnitude. Same is the case with one of the Hindu sites located adjacent to the northern wall of the Lahore Fort “the Samadhi/Temple of Jhingar Shah Suthra”. It is the only original site belonging to the sect of the Hindus known as Suthra (pure and true) here in Lahore. Here I will also mention that it is a “Protected Monument” under the Archaeological sites and Monuments in Punjab Province by the Government of Pakistan.

Jhingar Shah belonged to Lahore and died in the same city. The temple/Samadhi was built on the same place where Suthra was cremated. Today, while going to Lahore Fort, we cross it unsuspectingly, unaware of its significance and importance. The site is a so called “Protected Monument” but the conditions of it do not portray the same. The monument is built of brick with white marble, embellished with pietra dura work and some carvings. The Samadhi is placed on a raised platform, which is now crumbling due to negligence and lack of preservation. The original fabric, façade, doors and the entire edifice is fast decaying. I wonder why, despite being a “Protected Monument”, it is in this condition. Here arises a question that what would be the conditions of other monuments which are so called “Protected Monuments”? The Samadhi is a place for drug addicts now, although waist high wild growth of plants has been removed for some good reason. The entire place is more of a redundant piece rather than a monument, waiting for some authority to preserve it to its original condition. Inside the Samadhi, we see leftovers of cement and bricks which were once used to build up the collapsed sides.

Jhingar Shah belonged to Lahore and died in the same city. The temple/Samadhi was built on the same place where Suthra was cremated. Today, while going to Lahore Fort, we cross it unsuspectingly, unaware of its significance and importance

People here are hardly aware of who this Samadhi belongs to. The founder of the sect “Suthra” (pure and true), Jhingar Shah, was a well respected Faqir (mendicant/vagrant) in the times of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir. Sikh history tells us that when he was born, he was abandoned by his family which considered him unlucky because of a black mark on his forehead, which probably was a birth mark. Later, he was found by the disciples of Guru Hargobind, who gave him the title of Suthra to bring him out of the guilt of having a black mark. He was also a devotee of Guru Har Rai.

Jhingar Shah turned out to be a very kind and pious man. The stories of his truthfulness and helping mankind were narrated in all cities at that time. He was so revered that under the orders of the Emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir he was allowed to collect one paisa per shop from the shop owners of various cities. Till now, the Suthras are known as the royal beggars and are still seen in different parts of India. Stories of Jhingar Shah Suthra’s truthfulness and true spirit of helping mankind could still be heard. A large number of short stories and dramas are written on him, depicting him as the main character.

This place is sacred to a large number of the followers of this sect but the present conditions are shameful for us. We could not protect a small piece of history. I see many processions these days for saving natural heritage like Shalimar Gardens, Choburji and Buddhu da Awa, but all those holding processions should also look at these small structures that mean a lot for some religions. This also shows the interest of our authorities and government towards heritage.

I fail to understand why our government has more interest in building roads than generating tourism? This small site can be turned into a tourist site. All over the world we see temples, shrines, mosques, tombs, etc, as ticketed tourist spots, so why not in Pakistan?

I fail to understand why our government has more interest in building roads than generating tourism? This small site can be turned into a tourist site. All over the world we see temples, shrines, mosques, tombs, etc, as ticketed tourist spots, so why not in Pakistan? This place can generate income through developing religious tourism strategies as well. A small history board can be placed on this monument for tourists. There is hardly anything available on it with the concerned authorities and then it is a “Protected Monument” as well.

Trust me if this place is opened up for tourists instead of housing drug addicts, we can have a good income source for a sustainable model for preserving the monument. We can also initiate religious tourism and Hindu Yatris would be the first ones to visit the sight. These minute things matter a lot, but our government is not paying any attention to our heritage. Building roads is not enough. I request all heritage lovers to also protest for these things as well instead of wasting hours on big monuments. The scale of the monument does not matter, a monument is a symbol of history and whatever its scale or splendour is, it needs to be saved.