Bobby Singh’s book on historical Sikh Monuments located in India, Pakistan & Afghanistan was released in Leicester….reports Asian Lite News
Remnants of the Sikh Empire attempts to trace the shared heritage of three countries in the context of the Sikh Empire. This unique guide to the many important Sikh monuments located both in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Lord Mayor of Leicester, Charnwood and Rugby, High Sheriff of Leicestershire Mr Surinder Sharma and Consul General of India Mr JK Sharma and Councillor Manjula Sood were present at the ceremony. Sara Levitt, head of Museums, hosted the event with Councillor Pyara Singh Clair presiding over the event. Former High Sheriff of Leicestershire Mr Resham Singh Sandhu delivered vote of thanks.
The book launch was organised by S.K Foundation (UK), Sikh Welfare and Cultural Society and Leicester City Council. The book has been published by Hay House Publishers (Hong Kong) and has been selling very well since its initial launch in India last February by the Government of Punjab. This book catalogues numerous structures historically associated with the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh during the early nineteenth century. From Mughal to Sikh edifices, Remnants of the Sikh Empire shines a spotlight on undiscovered residences including forts, haveli’s, memorials, mansions and palaces across these countries that have never been published before.
In order to complete this volume, the author travelled extensively across remote regions along the Afghan-Pakistan border with the assistance of the Pakistan Army in order to compile rare footage that document these habitats. Some of the structures include strategic forts built in the tribal areas of Pakistan by the legendary Sikh hero Hari Singh Nalwa, the existence of which are completely unknown to the general public.
Not only does this volume narrate the aesthetic and strategic history behind these residences but it also sheds light on the rich cultural traditions associated with the powerful nobles and courtiers of the Lahore Durbar who reshaped the architectural landscape of Punjab and Kashmir in the nineteenth century. Remnants of the Sikh Empire catapults the reader into an unforgettable journey, retracing the rich heritage of the Punjab in these countries where numerous iconic monuments still stand testament to the power and influence of the Sikh empire.
Author Bobby Singh Bansal is an award winning writer, historian and documentary filmmaker. He is the author of ‘The Lion’s Firanghis – Europeans at the Court of Lahore, which charts the careers and lives of European mercenaries who served at the mighty Lahore Durbar in the early nineteenth century. His documentary films include The Sikhs of Kabul– A Forgotten Community, which won an award at the Guanajuato Film Festival, Mexico, 2013. This was followed by The Road to Mandalay–The Burmese Sikhs in 2014. His next film The Legacy of the Sikh Empire, will release in early 2016.
