Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj on Saturday attended a commemorative event organised by the local Sikh community in England’s Thetford town to mark the 133rd death anniversary of Maharaja Duleep Singh, the last ruler of the Sikh kingdom, who was exiled to England in 1849 after the British annexed his empire.
they should never sever their roots with Punjab While people were free to travel anywhere in the world for work and livelihood. At the Ancient House Museum, Gargaj explored artefacts associated with Maharaja Duleep Singh, his five sons and three daughters. These memorabilia have been collected from various families connected with the Maharaja by UK-born Sikh researcher Bhupinder Singh Bance (Peter Bance) and carefully preserved at the museum. Thereafter, he visited the site at Elveden, near Thetford, where the Maharaja, his wife, Maharani Bamba Duleep Singh, and their youngest son, Prince Edward Albert Duleep Singh, are buried. On the occasion, a group of young Sikh kavishars (balladeers), comprising Tarandeep Singh, Simardeep Singh and Amarinder Singh, paid tribute to Maharaja Duleep Singh by reciting poetry based on his life and history. A large number of members of the Sikh community attended the event. Luton Council’s mayor Javed Hussain also addressed the gathering, welcoming the dignitaries and paying tribute to the Maharaja.
Addressing the gathering, the jathedar said Maharaja Duleep Singh, son of Sher-e-Punjab Maharaja Ranjit Singh, passed away in exile in Paris, France, in 1893, while yearning for the welfare, progress and prosperity of the Khalsa Panth and Punjab. The jathedar paid a visit to the Maharaja’s memorial, where his statue has been erected, along with the nearby Ancient House Museum of Thetford Life, which was handed over by Maharaja’s son Prince Frederick Duleep Singh to Thetford town in 1921 to be used as a museum. Notably, the historic house dates back to 1490 and was acquired by Prince Frederick Duleep Singh in 1921.
He said the Maharaja’s love for Sikhi and Punjab, and his eventual return to the Sikhi, inspired Sikhs to remain connected with their religious traditions and ancestral land, and work for its progress and prosperity. Referring to Maharaja Duleep Singh’s return to Sikhi, the jathedar said it was his inherent Sikh spirit that ultimately brought him back to his true faith. This, he said, should serve as an inspiration, expressing confidence that Sikh youth would also return to their religious roots. Emphasising the importance of maintaining ties with Punjab, the jathedar said Sikhs should never permanently leave their ancestral land, as it is our heritage and homeland. He said the growing trend of selling ancestral land in Punjab and permanently settling abroad was not desirable, warning that its long-term consequences could be serious. “The building has retained its original historic structure to this day, which is appreciable,” said the jathedar.
