Maharajah Ranjit Singh Panorama, Amritsar, Punjab India

Maharaja Ranjit Singh who was called the lion of Punjab played a decisive role in Indian history and established very vast kingdom with the help of sword. One side he extended his territory to the Khyber Pass and china and other side to the Sind and Sutlej. He was only sikh ruler in Punjab who raised the flag of freedom because the whole India was occupied by the East India Company except Punjab.
He acquired Lahore in 1799 and made his Capital. He also took over Amritsar in 1802 and had given the title of spiritual capital. A garden was laid out in 1818 in the north of the city at the behalf of Shalimar Bagh of Lahore, known as Ram Bagh at the name of Guru Ram Dass. The garden was enclosed by a masonry wall about fourteen feet high ramparts and a gate capable of carrying gun, outside the wall a moat filled with water from Hasli canal. At each of the corners of the garden was built a small ornamental burj or Kiosk (Tower).

In the centre of the garden a double storyed palace was made with a basement (tahkhana) as a cool underground chamber. Maharaja devoted his time in this palace in summer days during the visit of Amritsar . The whole work of the garden had been done under the supervision of Faqir Azizuddin, Sardar Desa Singh Majithia and his son sardar Lahna Singh. Faqir Azizuddin brought the workmen from Delhi and they constructed the whole building as well as the garden in red sandstone. The approximately cost to make the garden was 214000/- Nanak Shahi Rupees and 125000/- Rupees for the summer palace of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

The summer palace is now protected under the Punjab Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological sites and remains Act,1964. It has been converted into the shape of Museum during the 400th years celebrations of Amritsar City. The Museum was formally established by Sh. Jagjiwan Ram, the then Union Defence Minister of India on the 29th November 1977.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh, more popularly known as ‘the Lion of Punjab’ was not only a great son of Punjab but was also among the few leading figures of the history of that period. The deeds of Maharaja Ranjit Singh will remain as permanent marks in the annals of sikh history.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh Panorama is a permanent visual documentation of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and it has been conceptualized and set up by National Council of Science Museums, an autonomous organization of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. The sprawling 4.5 acres of land in the historic Rambagh Heritage Garden at the heart of the holy city of Amritsar has been made available for developing the panorama by the Government of Punjab, whereas the entire cost of setting up of the panorama has been borne by the Government of India. An aesthetically designed tall cylindrical building surrounded with green garden near Summer Palace of Maharaja in the Rambagh Heritage Garden is now a landmark in the city of Amritsar.

In Punjab, where valour is virtue, icons like Bhagat Singh and Maharaja Ranjit Singh are inspirational protagonists in the mixed fabric of folktales, poetry, ballads and cinema. A tale my granny relishes narrating is the one we’ve titled ‘Attock tun attak ja’. During the Battle of Naushera (1823), the invading Afghans destroyed the boat bridge built across the river Attock by Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s army, leaving it with no option but to wade through. It’s believed the Maharaja requested the turbulent Attock to ‘attak’ or stall its flow, allowing his soldiers easier passage. Displaying his celebrated leadership quality, the Maharaja astride his favourite white stallion charged into the river followed by his men. The swarming Sikhs triumphed; the Afghans not having expected the Attock in full fury could be conquered. As they lay vanquished, legend says the Afghan leader exclaimed, “Toba! Khuda khud Khalsa shud.” (God himself has turned a Khalsa.)

My granny’s graphic description came flashing to my mind as I stood before a diorama depicting the episode. The creative prowess on display let me experience the pulse of that moment of history. At the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Panorama in Amritsar you can feast the eyes on this and more.

Set in the Rambagh Garden, once the Maharaja’s summer palace, the glorious years of Sikh history under his regime are presented in three segments. On the ground floor are eight vivid dioramic representations, showing landmarks events like his birth at Gujaranwala; capture of the Zamzama canon; acquisition of the Kohinoor from Shah Shuja; and the gold-plating of the Harmandar Sahib.
Move to the first floor and here unfolds the pièce de résistance: a 360o panorama portraying his six major battles as well as the Grand Durbar at Lahore.