A Kashmiri Samavar in Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s house!

Kashmir Rechords Exclusive

A renovated old house at village Banga Khatkar Kalan some 40 kilometers from Jallandhar, Punjab  has assumed the status of no less than that of a shrine. This building which  has now been   renovated and  converted into a museum, has a unique  feature, as it  houses the items of daily use  belonging to   Shaheed Bhagat Singh. Apart from  iron buckets, utensils, brass glasses, thalis, manjas (Cots),  a charkha (spinning wheel) and a typewriter, there is a unique thing on the display….. That is a Kashmiri Samavar!

Served as home to one of the greatest revolutionary and freedom fighter that India has produced, this ancient house on Nawanshahar Banga road has given identity to the rechristened District now known as Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar District. The unique feature of this house are the items of daily use which are displayed in cupboards in a manner they existed and were used in the then Punjab.

For Kashmiris especially Pandits and also Muslims, the visit instils a greater degree of pride and love for the Shaheed- e- Azam when they notice an exquisite Samavar made of pure brass adoring the cupboard meant for displaying the items. Interestingly, on its right side is kept a Black and White photograph of adolescent Bhagat Singh with a turban and coat as worn by North Indians during those days. Every Kashmiri can identify with this as our forefathers also put on the same outfit borne by old photographs if at all they happen to be in anyone’s possession.

Brass Samavar makes Kashmiris nostalgic

The  Brass Samavar makes the Kashmiri culture come alive in this great house. Nostalgia also grips Kashmiri Pandits when they see this big kettle/tea pot rarely used outside Kashmir to be among the most important part of the heritage called Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh’s House.

It also throws light on Shaheed- e-Azam’s thought process and the unique aspect of his personality which on one hand was tremendously aware of all the geo-political developments that were prevalent in the region, his love for freedom of India for which he executed the historical strategies and on the other hand Shaheed- e- Azam also possessed a tender heart that accorded a great appreciation to aesthetics, Punjab’s own culture and a great respect for cultures of other parts of India combined with a farsightedness unseen to this day.

There is, however, no known record about this Samavar on display in the museum. Infact, few years back, Punjab’s Tourism department had failed to provide full description of things preserved in the ancestral house of martyr Bhagat Singh at Khatkar Kalan. Former Tourism Minister, Navjot Singh Sidhu, during his visit on October 2, 2017 had directed the department to give full description of things preserved in the ancestral house. A detailed story was carried by Hindustan Times that month along with the photographs of some of the  rare items.

In March 2016, when the renovation of the house was being done, the department had appealed to the public to hand over any belongings of the martyr or his family so that they could be preserved. The house, which was in dire need of renovation, was repaired by the department for the first time since 1984 when it was handed to the government by the village panchayat. Before that, the local panchayat used to take care of it. After the renovation, it was opened to the public and many things were kept in the house, but the department had failed to give any descriptions, including that of this  unique  Kashmiri Samavar on display.

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