Lead story: Bhai Vir Singh Niwas Sthaan strives to preserve his legacy

Bhai Vir Singh’s former residence in Amritsar, known as Bhai Vir Singh Niwas Sthaan, is now a museum-cum-library dedicated to preserving his legacy. It is located on Lawrence Road and encompasses a four-acre property, showcasing his memorabilia and literary works. The site is managed by a local committee on behalf of the New Delhi-based Bhai Vir Singh Sahitya Sadan.

Enter the gates of Bhai Vir Singh Niwas Sthaan, a quaint abode, right in the middle of the bustling commercial Lawrence Road, and the noise of traffic and shrieking of horns gradually disappears. One can find happiness in leisure, listen to divine Kirtan or Paath at Gurudwara Sahib in the backyard and enjoy the chirping of sparrows, a rare sight in the growing urban jungle. For the scholars and seekers, there is a humble white-coloured Kothi (house) right in the middle of the sprawling four-acre property, housing some of the rare gems of Punjabi literature, written by Bhai Saheb (Bhai Vir Singh as he was called by his admirers), profound and unpretentious, as the man himself.

Bhai Vir Singh, the Sikh scholar-poet, theologist and environmentalist, breathed his last on June 10, 1957. But his former abode has become a place of heritage, with the Kothi serving as a museum space, with Bhai Vir Singh’s memorabilia on display. The site, managed by a local committee on behalf of the New Delhi-based Bhai Vir Singh Sahitya Sadan, is undergoing restoration work currently with efforts focused on preserving and displaying his literary heritage. The museum is open to the public, providing a glimpse into the life and works of this renowned Sikh scholar and writer.

What stands out though about Bhai Vir Singh, once you dive deep into his life and works, is that as a writer, he remained universal and relevant through time. As a poet, he celebrated the harmony between nature and divinity, as seen in his poem “Nargas” (a daffodil or narcissus flower). Here, he compared the beauty and fragility of a flower to spirituality. As an author of fiction, he was a reformer, taking up the case of Sikh identity and Panthic values at a time when various historical, religious and political streams were shaping Punjab’s landscape.

Called the Sixth River of Punjab, Bhai Vir Singh, sometime in 1921, also began a tradition. He used to prepare two bouquets of flowers from the gardens at Bhai Vir Singh Niwas Asthaan and take them to Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) to be placed inside the sanctum sanctorum. The tradition continues a century later.

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Amritsar