Jallianwala Bagh
Jallianwala Bagh | |
---|---|
Type | Memorial site |
Location | Amritsar, Punjab, India |
Coordinates | 31°37′14″N 74°52′50″E / 31.620521°N 74.880565°E |
Area | 7-acre (28,000 m2) |
Original use | Garden |
Governing body | Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Trust |
Owner | Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Trust |
Jallianwala Bagh is a historic
History
Early history
The 7-acre (28,000 m2) site is located in the vicinity of the
Jallianwala Bagh or the garden of the Jallah-man, with its well, implies that it was once green and flowering.[1] Over the years it had become popular as a recreation ground and an area of rest for those visiting the nearby Golden temple.[1] In 1919, it was a dried-out plot, surrounded by tightly packed multi-occupancy buildings dividend by some narrow streets, and having only one entrance and exit route.[2] It was unoccupied and surrounded by a wall.[2] The place derives its name from the Jallianwalia family.[3]
Massacre
In 1919, in response to excluding
Memorial site
During the troubles of 1947 several surrounding buildings had been destroyed.[6] In 1951, the government of India established the site as a 'memorial of national importance'.[7]
The site was renovated between 2019 and 2021.[8] The central government had earmarked ₹20 crore (US$2.5 million) in 2019 for the commemoration of the centenary of the massacre.[8] In 1920 a Trust was formed with the aim of creating a memorial at the massacre site.[9] The memorial was closed to the public in February 2019 for the renovation work, and reopened in August 2021.[8] The renovation was criticized by various historians, political leaders and some of the kin of the martyrs; many said that the renovations were improper and had erased the tragedy of the massacre.[10][11][12]
Site
Entrance
The entrance to Jallianwala Bagh is via a narrow passage, the same passage that was the only entry and exit point at the time of the massacre and the same route that General Dyer and his troops took to reach the grounds.[13] At the entrance is a statue of Udham Singh. Once entered, some old trees can be seen in the garden with some buildings at the back. With the words 'Vande Mataram', a flame titled Amar Jyoti (Eternal Flame) is seen burning to the right under a domed meditation area.[14]
Memorials
The 'Martyrs Well' is surrounded by the Martyr's memorial, a large structure with a sign giving a figure of "120" as the number of bodies that were recovered from the well.[13][14] It was designed by American architect Benjamin Polk and inaugurated in 1961.[9][15]
A number of the bullet holes in the walls are preserved.[16][17] One of the walls with bullet holes has a plaque reading:
The wall has its own historic significance as it has thirty-six bullet marks which can be easily seen at present and these were fired into the crowd by the order of General Dyer. Moreover, no warning was given to disperse before Dyer opened fire which was gathered here against the Rowlatt Act. One Thousand Six Hundred and Fifty Rounds were fired[14]
Other plaques are seen inside the garden, one of which reads:
This site is saturated with the blood of thousands of Indian patriots who were martyred in a nonviolent struggle to free India from British domination. General Dyer of the British army opened fire here on unarmed people. Jallianwala Bagh is thus an everlasting symbol of non-violent & peaceful struggle for the freedom of India[13]
The Flame of Liberty is represented by a central pylon.[13] It is white and shaped like a flame. Engraved are faces of 'martyrs' and below are given their names.[14]
The Martyr's gallery and museum
The Martyr's gallery contains a number of paintings including some of political leaders[14] and a painting of the inside of Jallianwala Bagh, showing a number of people dead on the ground. The addition to the painting of the Gurkha's was painted in at a later date.[13] The names of those killed are not included.[13] A portrait of Udham Singh is on display in the gallery.[14] One of the seven urns containing his ashes are kept in the museum.[14][18]
Using newspaper clippings and letters from Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore and others, 45 panels depicting the Amritsar massacre are displayed.[19]
Management
The site is managed by the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Trust formed under the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Act, 1951 passed by the
In November 2019, the act was amended thus removing the President of the Indian National Congress as a trustee and replacing that position with the
Site visits
Since the massacre, Jallianwala Bagh has been the site of a number of official and publicized visits.[23] One of the earliest was during the public enquiry by the Indian Congress, when Jawaharlal Nehru visited the site in the immediate aftermath of the massacre. His investigation revealed 64 bullets in one part of the wall.[23]
The site was visited by the Queen
India's Prime Minister
See also
- Patharighat massacre- Jallianwala of Assam
- List of massacres in India
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Anand, Anita The Patient Assassin (2019). London. Chapter 9. No warning, no way out. pp.97-109
- ^ a b Wagner, Kim. Amritsar 1919. Chapter 8. Baisakhi. pp.150-153
- ISBN 978-1-4422-3601-1.
- ISBN 9781408835463.
- ISBN 978-1852855758.
- ^ Nehru, Jawaharlal (1991). Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru: without special title. Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund.
- ^ Hazra, Indrajit (13 April 2019). "Memorialising, and Remembering, Jallianwala Bagh". The Economic Times. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
- ^ a b c Divya A (5 September 2021). "Explained: What to watch out for at the renovated Jallianwala Bagh memorial". The Indian Express. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ a b "Mayor calls for formal apology for Jallianwala Bagh Massacre". London City Hall. 16 December 2017. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
- ^ Prabhash K Dutta (31 August 2021). "Decoded: Why renovated Jallianwala Bagh Smarak has landed in controversy". India Today. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ GS Paul (6 September 2021). "Jallianwala Bagh: Kin of 1919 martyrs hold candle march, want original character restored". The Tribune. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ Staff (31 August 2021). "Jallianwala Bagh renovation: Memorial looks very nice, says Punjab CM, contradicts Congress". Scroll.in. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f Wagner, Kim. Amritsar 1919. Epilogue. Jallianwala Bagh. pp.260-265
- ^ a b c d e f g Datta, Nonica (13 April 2019). "Why Popular Local Memory of Jallianwala Bagh Doesn't Fit the National Narrative". The Wire. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
- ISBN 9788170172819.
- ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
- ^ a b "PM Modi pays tributes to martyrs at Jallianwala Bagh". The Economic Times. 23 March 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
- ^ Anand, Anita The Patient Assassin (2019). London. Chapter 25. The return pp.314
- ^ a b Vice President Venkaiah Naidu remembers martyrs at Jallianwala Bagh memorial on 100th anniversary. India Today (April 2019).
- ^ a b Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Act. ACT NO. 25 OF 1951. 1 May 1951.
- ^ Saha, Poulomi (18 November 2019). "Parliament Winter Session begins today: From Citizenship Bill to slowdown, what's in store". India Today. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
- ^ "Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill, 2019 passed by the Parliament". Jagranjosh.com. 20 November 2019. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- ^ ISBN 9781559706971
- ^ a b c "Jallianwala Bagh Massacre - Hansard". hansard.parliament.uk. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
- ^ "Jallianwala Bagh massacre centenary: Deep regret for what happened, says British envoy". The Economic Times. 13 April 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
- ^ "I am sorry: Archbishop of Canterbury apologizes for Jallianwala Bagh massacre". India Today. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
- ^ "Kiren Rijiju visits India-Pakistan border, Jallianwala Bagh". The Economic Times. 31 January 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
- ^ Hariharan, Revathi (13 April 2019). "100 Years of Jallianwala Bagh Massacre: Rahul Gandhi Pays Tribute At Jallianwala Bagh Memorial: Highlights". NDTV.com. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
Bibliography
- Anand, Anita, The Patient Assassin: a true tale of massacre, revenge, and India's quest for independence, Simon & Schuster (2019), ISBN 978-1-5011-9570-9
- Wagner, Kim. Amritsar 1919: An Empire of Fear and the Making of a Massacre. ISBN 9780300200355
Further reading
- Punjab disturbances. Compiled from the Civil and military gazette (April 1919)
- Building for South Asia: An Architectural Autobiography. ISBN 978-8170173007