E-Paper
Vanishing Legacy: Ranbir College principal’s heritage residence in a shambles
Spread over one acre, the ramshackle building is one of the remaining monuments of the Jind dynasty, in Sangrur, the old royal capital of the Jind state
The heritage building College House, once a symbol of honour and residence of the principal of Ranbir College, is slowly slipping into oblivion.
Built during the regime of the erstwhile princely state of Jind and a legacy of its last ruler, the official residence of the principal of the college is in need of urgent restoration.
Spread over one acre, the ramshackle building is one of the remaining monuments of the Jind dynasty, in Sangrur, the old royal capital of the Jind state.
The College house was nothing short of a mansion. It was specially built for the residence of the principal of Ranbir College by Maharaja Ranbir Singh, the last ruler of the Jind dynasty, in 1938, a year before the college was established.
The single-story house, situated outside the Patiala Gate and opposite the Kali Mata Mandir, has two bedrooms, a guest room, a sitting room, a store, an office, a great hall and a large courtyard, beside a quarter for domestic help. But now, the building was falling apart and no efforts have been made to restore this heritage site.
According to the college administration, the building was in use till 2004 before being abandoned as it needed massive restoration.
Advocate Sumit Kumar Fatta, who wrote a coffee table book named ‘Sangrur- Then and now, Tale of City’, said, “The college house has a great historical significance and it needs to be restored. The building is in complete ruins due to the failure of the administration to preserve it. Sangrur had great tourism potential but it was destroyed. However, the government and administration still have time for preservation and restoration of the remaining buildings.”
Krishan Betab, who penned the complete history of the erstwhile princely state of Jind, in his book ‘Riast Jind Da Itihas- Sangar ton Satbir’, said, “Maharaja Ranbir Singh established the Ranbir College in 1939. But a year before the establishment of the college, he built the ‘College House’. The building was a symbol that how much a principal was respected at that time.”
Karanvir Singh Sibia, president of the Sangrur Heritage society, “Over the period, the building has been lying neglected. The authorities have left it to decay and nobody cares about the history and heritage of Sangrur. I have written multiple times to the state government for restoration and preservation of heritage buildings.”
Additional deputy commissioner (general) Anmol Singh Dhaliwal said, “We also want to preserve the heritage and historical buildings in Sangrur. But we can take up the case of College House only if the principal or administration of Ranbir College raises the issue with us as the building was the property of the college.”
Sukhvir Singh, principal of Ranbir College, said he had already approached the higher education department in this regard. “I will not be taking up this issue with the administration as I have already informed the higher education department about this in the past. I think my department needs to take up the issue with the administration now.”
