Pul Kanjri
On
way to Wagah Border, 35 km from Amritsar on Amritsar-Lahore highway, near
the Daoka and Dhanoa Kalan village lies the historical Pul Kanjri. It is a
World heritage site and is one among the many buildings built by Maharaja
Ranjit Singh.
Pul Kanjri monument
He
would stay here with his royal troops, on his way to Lahore from Amritsar. The
story goes that a dancer, from nearby village Makhanpura called Moran would often
perform for the king. Once while crossing the water stream, built by Shah Jehan
to carry water to Shalimar Bagh in Lahore, she lost her Silver jooti (slipper) and
complained to the king.
Ceiling of the Shiva temple
Shivling inside the temple
He
then built a pul (bridge) across the stream with a fortress containing a
bathing pool, with a separate enclosure for women. He also constructed a temple, a Gurudwara and a mosque at this site.
People later named that pul as Kanjri Pul.
It
later became an important trading centre. People would come from far-flung
areas, including Amritsar and Lahore, for shopping. The main inhabitants were Arora
Sikhs, Muslims and Hindus who lived here happily till the partition of Punjab.
The historical town has now been reduced to a tiny village.
During
the Indo Pak war in 1971, this area was captured by Pakistani troops to be
later reclaimed by India. There is a war memorial where on 22 August each year,
people come to pay their tributes to their ancestors and perform Akhand path in
the memory of those who had died.
It
is a beautiful place to spend an evening. You can combine it with your visit to
Wagah on your return journey.
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