Executive Summary


(i) Introduction

 

This is a project proposal for revitalizing Sultānpur Lodhi as a major spiritual and cultural center. This note contains our preliminary recommendations on the following:

 

• Conservation of the existing historical ruins in Sultānpur Lodhi. Estimated duration of the project is 30 months.

 

• Restoration of existing buildings and addition of new structures using similar construction techniques as  the existing historical buildings in Sultānpur Lodhi.

Estimated duration of the project is 30 months.

 

• Maintenance of all restored assets.

 

• Setting up of the ANĀD Conservatory aka ANĀD Khand, dedicated to the conservation, preservation and promotion of aesthetics and cultural heritage.

 

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(ii) Sultānpur Lodhi: A Unique Religious and Cultural Place

 

Located on the south bank of a seasonal river called Kali Bein, which runs 6 miles (9.7 km) north of the confluence the Beas and the Sutlej, two of the rivers that make up the ‘panj’ of Punjab, Sultānpur Lodhi, one of India’s ancient cities, has a more than 20 centuries of religious and cultural history enmeshed with the history of Vedic-Upanishadic thought, Buddhism, Islam and especially Sikhism.
Around the 5th century BC, this region was densely forested and was called Tamasvana, as mentioned by Huein Tsang, the Chinese Buddhist monk who travelled through India in the 7th Century AD. By the 4th century AD the present day Sultānpur Lodhi had become one of the most important centers of learning as a small but affluent town called Sarwamānpur.
Sultan Khan Lodhi built the present town in the 12th century on the remains of the major Buddhist centre of Sarwamānpur destroyed during Mahmud of Ghazni’s invasions in 1103 AD (mentioned in Ain-e-Akbari). Sultānpur Lodhi, was ravaged, yet again, during Nadir Shah’s invasions in the 18th century.
Sultānpur Lodhi has had a very special significance in Sikhism as the tradition of Gurbāni Kīrtan began from here. Guru Nānak Dev lived in Sultānpur for fourteen years, from 1483 AD This is where he attained enlightenment and from where he began his udāsis, the epic journeys that took him as far west as Iraq, north into Tibet, East to the present day Assam and south to what is today Andhra Pradesh.  According to the janamsākhi of Bhai Bala (circa 16th century), here the first chord on the rabāb was struck by Bhai Mardana in this historic town under the benevolent gaze of Guru Nānak.. 
The fortress of Sultānpur Lodhi is a 'live' relic, and thematically an obvious place to house the centre for the cultural renaissance of the historical and geographical Punjab.
In spite of many invasions and the train of destruction, several important Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh shrines still exist here. They make Sultānpur Lodhi and its surroundings one of the most spiritually inspiring places not only in India but in South Asia. The spiritual tradition and the history of the town, therefore, need to be preserved for posterity. 

 

"Neither Hindu or Mussalman,
Let us sit and spin, abandoning the pride of religion
Neither Sunni nor Shia, I have taken the path of peace and unity
Bullhe! In all hearts I feel the Lord
So I have abandoned both Hindu and Muslim."
Bullhe Shah (1680 - 175

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(iii) Reasons for a Revitalisation Programme

 

The programme of revitalising Sultānpur Lodhi through the conservation and enhancement of its tangible and intangible heritage is important from many points of view.

In a world characterised by striking inequalities and torn apart by intolerance and violence there has never been a greater need for reinforcing the importance of moral values, mutual understanding and the quest for social, cultural, religious and economic equality. Given its history, Sultānpur Lodhi can be an ideal centre for activities dealing with these issues such as seminars, international meetings and forums, music, poetry and dance and a retreat for thinkers and artists who need to meditate and work in inspiring and secluded conditions.
There is also need for laboratories for sustainable development, where traditional and innovative forms of agriculture are studied, traditional crafts are revived and new crafts promoted, where practices related to water use and conservation are explored, alternative forms of energy production and use, and innovative solutions for transportation and services are tried. This also applies to new experiences in the fields of education and of many aspects of community life.

The religious and cultural traditions of Sultānpur Lodhi and the quality of its monuments and landscape are an excellent setting for such programmes. Sultānpur Lodhi could again emerge as a cultural centre of world repute and an important centre for development of inter-religious, cultural and philosophical thought for  South Asia and the rest of the world.

 

 

There were several centers in Punjab which supported and contributed in the evolution of the composite culture associated with the region. These include places associated with crafts, various art forms, musicians connected with various forms of religious practice, famous Gurus who preached religion and patrons.

It would be pertinent to also trigger a cultural revival of all such towns and villages and connect them to Sultanpur Lodhi, as this was considered to be the main center which provided a base for the Sikh religion due to its particular connection to Guru Nanak Dev ji.


 

 

 

(iv) The Programme: Its Aims and Structur

 

The proposed programme is structured in four stages:
In the first stage, a Strategic Plan will be drafted outlining the key objectives and guidelines for action. The elaboration of the strategic plan will rely on active participation of stakeholders and of the larger community. Commitment from different stakeholders will need to be obtained to successfully implement the  programme.
In the second stage, an Action Plan will be worked out. This will deal with the conservation, restoration and rehabilitation projects, their design and implementation, timing and costs. On this basis a time-bound action plan will be drawn up. The establishment of the “Conservatory for Sikh Heritage” at Qilā Sarāi – including the conservation and rehabilitation of the Sultānpur Lodhi Fortress - and its development as an important centre for cultural and educational activities and performing arts will become the flagship project of the whole programme. These will catalyse actions toward the revitalisation of Sultānpur Lodhi.
The third stage will be the detailed definition of the projects for restoration and the master plan for the historic town including individual buildings, monument complexes, historical open spaces and landscape. During this stage it will be possible to develop on the job training programmes for young people both from India and abroad. 
Projects for the establishment, organization and management of specific cultural institutions, needed to bring new life to Sultānpur Lodhi, will be elaborated in the fourth stage. They are:
1.Institutions for promoting the arts, so relevant in the Sikh and Punjabi tradition, such as music, poetry, dance and applied arts. They will support education in the fields of music, literature, heritage conservation, traditional arts and crafts. Residential accommodation for artists and facilities for educational institutions and for performing arts will be provided. Cultural events such as seminars, workshops, forums and festivals will be organised.
2.Laboratories and training facilities for studying issues related to environmental, technological and socio-economic aspects of sustainable development.

3.Teaching programmes and facilities for training in the field of conservation and restoration: architecture and landscape conservation, restoration of musical instruments, ancient crafts, and other antiquities.

 

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