Ludhiana: Martyr Sukhdev’s ancestral home soon to be a museum
In recent months, the ancestral home has undergone a major renovation and beautification; after the martyrdom, the Sukhdev’s family continued to live in this house for over five years before moving to Lahore
The ancestral home of martyr Sukhdev, which had suffered neglect for years, has got a new facelift and is getting ready to attract tourists, and history enthusiasts to the 200-year-old house.
In recent months, the house has undergone a major renovation and beautification. A several-foot-wide porch, a heritage wall depicting the biography of Sukhdev from his mother’s lap to the gallows is currently under construction.
The family of Sukhdev and members of Shaheed Sukhdev Thapar memorial trust organised a Havan Yagya ceremony at the ancestral house of the freedom fighter in Ludhiana on Thursday to mark ‘Shaheed Diwas’. The ceremony saw the participation of political personalities from different parties.
It took over a decade of political jigsaw and a series of announcements before the ancestral home of late Sukhdev came to somewhat identify with the martyr’s stature in the country’s history.
The birthplace of Sukhdev in Naughara Mohalla near the city’s Chaura Bazaar had remained without any repair and renovation for years, suffering ignorance at the hands of successive administrations despite demands by family members, and residents to develop it as a place of national heritage.
After the martyrdom, the Sukhdev’s family continued to live in this house for over five years before moving to Lahore.
Nearing completion, the house will be turned into a museum, and a pen, three letters and a cap of the young revolutionary will be brought here from the National Museum. The ground floor of the three-level heritage building is under the joint control of Shaheed Sukhdev Thapar memorial trust, the archeological department and district administration. It was only thrown open to the public in 2007.
Sharing the arduous journey to get the beautification project started, family members said subsequent grants for the rehabilitation of the memorial had been announced by the Central government and state government in 2013 and 2018, respectively. But the project picked up pace only last year.
They added that former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh had announced a grant of ₹1 crore in 2018, out of which ₹50 lakh is being spent on the memorial by the municipal corporation.
Tribhuvan Thapar, the third generation of Sukhdev’s family, said the current route makes the heritage building unapproachable. He added that they want the heritage wall to be inaugurated by chief minister Bhagwant Mann as it will create awareness about the place among people
