Travel, 13 July

Another turban for me today but this one worked out better and we made it to breakfast too. Yesterday’s turban was hampered by a bit of starch remaining in the fabric. A turban holds its shape as each layer of cloth is wound around the layer before it. Starch, however, prevents this bond from being maintained and a sprinkle of water must be applied to the cloth as it is wound. Thus, when the fabric dries it has the tendency to slip.

We began the day’s travels with a visit to a Jaina mandir (temple).



Next, we traveled to Sirhind, a medieval Punjabi town with a large Muslim population. Our specific destination was Rouza Sharif. Ahmed Sirhindi, a Chisti saint, founded this mosque. It is a very popular pilgrimage site for Muslims with strong ties to Afghanistan and its rulers. In fact, all but the last Afghan king have been entombed at Rouza Sharif.


Our travels continued and we arrived at Fatehgarh Sahib. It was in the now basement of this gurdwara that the Mughal governor brought the two young sons of the tenth Sikh guru, bricked them up alive and then beheaded them for not converting to Islam. Upon hearing of this punishment, their grandmother collapsed and died.

We next traveled to an archaeological museum in Ropar where Harappan and Buddhist remains from the surrounding area have been put on display. Similarly, we visited the foundation of a Buddhist stupa (monument, for relics) in Sanghol.


Although the foundations for several stupas and other buildings were placed, the Buddhist community in the area dispersed before the buildings could be completed. Mounds of other remains remain visible in the landscape but little archaeological work has been done to identify them. The Archaeological Society of India has an odd practice, at least in the West, of excavating sites, bagging the artifacts, but not writing up a report before moving on to the next site. Thus, bags of artifacts remain in museum collections that may never again see the light of day let alone receive a detailed analysis.