In love with Indian art and culture
By Kuldeep Dhiman

HER love for the Orient brought her to India, her love for India led her to Punjab, and her love for Punjab took her to Patiala. As the French girl, Anne Colombe Launois, made her way through the narrow lanes of the historic city she was overwhelmed by the sounds, the colours, and the vibrancy of life. She finally stopped at the gates of a huge walled fort. The exterior did not make much of an impression on her, but when the gates were opened, she was dumbstruck by the sheer magnificence of the structure. She could feel the pull of some unknown force that seemed to urge her to stay back. It was then that she decided to do her post-doctoral thesis on Quila Mubarak. Her research would bring her back again and again to Patiala. The only difference is that instead of wearing skirts and trousers, Anne now wears a traditional Sikh dress, and her name is Sat Kaur Sukanda.

Sat Kaur’s love for India goes back to her school days because she was always interested in Indian art and culture. "My fascination with this country", she says, "is due to of my interest in yoga, a subject that I have been teaching for about eight years in France. Yoga led me to reflect upon other philosophical and religious aspects of life."

She began learning yoga quite early in life. With the passing years, her desire to visit India became stronger and stronger. To her good fortune, during an international training programme of yoga in Assise, Italy, in May, 1996, she heard Sardar Tarlochan Singh speak on the project of a museum in Shri Anandpur Sahib. He welcomed European experts to render their help to the project. "I realised a golden opportunity had come my way that would help in the continuation of my studies. I was in my third year at Ecole du Louvre then. My trip to Punjab was to a large extent organised by the Punjab Government throught the efforts of Mr Tarlochan Singh. During the two months of my first visit, I had the opportunity to visit Quila Mubarak, and I was immediately bowled over by this fort which suddenly appears in the middle of an old bazaar. Looking at the Sheesh Mahal of Quila Androon, I thought here was enough material for my Ph D thesis."

What was it that she found so interesting in the Quila that is not even open to the general public? "It is unique. In both the Punjabs you find forts built by Mughals and other rulers, but you don’t find many forts built by Sikh rulers. Since I was more interested in Sikh history, Idecided to do research on Quila Mubarak. Another thing that impressed me about the Quila is that you have 16 beautifully painted rooms, and they are quite huge. Sheesh Mahal is something that I just can’t get over, it is marvellous. Then you have these beautiful wall paintings, sculptures, and other floral decorations. I noticed that the Quila was unable to withstand the ravages of time, so I thought it was time someone did something about it."

Sat Kaur then tried to find some reference on Quila Mubarak in India and France. "I was astonished that nothing was available on the Quila. It is surprising because Patiala is otherwise so rich in culture, it has great colleges, museums and palaces. In 1995 there was a project by INTACH to preserve the Quila but somehow it got shelved. I think people here are not so much interested in their heritage because a lot of time goes towards survival. So that’s how it happened, I just landed here. It seems the Quila was waiting for me."

Although Sat Kaur has learnt to speak and write Punjabi, she needs professional translators to help her with the research because most of the manuscripts are in the Persian script. The Quila’s rooms are full of wonderful wall paintings that are a mix of Pahari and Rajasthani styles. "They depict various themes. We see a beautiful representation of the Sikh gurus, Shri Krishna’s ras leela, the various avtars of Vishnu, floral decoration fauna. Then there are a number of portraits of the Sikh rajas. Unfortunately, the names are not mentioned. But one of them is clearly recognisable; it is the darbar of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The artists came from Sirhind, the Punjab hills, Kangra and Rajasthan. When Maharaja Ranjit Singh died, many artists were invited by the Maharaja of Patiala to come here."

History apart, it was the beautiful halls and the magnificent interiors of Quila Mubarak that really deserve attention. "Raniwas was the palace for the queens", explains Sat Kaur as she takes us around the Quila, "and it was probably used as a guest house and marriage hall later in the nineteenth and in the beginning of the twentieth century. The entire Quila was built by Rajasthani craftsmen. The structures are made of Nanaksha bricks covered with lime and plaster. Marble was used to make the gate of the Raniwas. Opposite Raniwas you have the Darbar Hall built by Maharaja Narinder Singh in the mid-nineteenth century. It reminds us of Rajasthani Havelis. The Quila has a number of Sheesh Mahals. A Sheesh Mahal, as the name implies, is a room decorated with little pieces of glass, which is called Tukri work set in the wall with gach. And gach is nothing but gypsum in powder form, which is then made into a paste. This paste is applied on to the walls. And while the walls are still wet, the craftsmen make geometric and floral designs. Opposite Raniwas is the Mansad Hall where the Raja used to hold his darbar. It is the culmination of the Sheesh Mahal. Here again Tukri and Gach work can be seen but with stress on gold and coloured glass. There is a huge portrait that is believed to be of Maharaja Karam Singh."

"Apart from such splendid halls", Sat Kaur continues, "the Quila has a number of beautiful wall paintings. There is one in Raniwas that shows one of the Maharajas holding court. It is fine example of Sikh painting, although it has Mughal and Pahari touch. The use of perspective shows clear indication of European influence. Another important wall painting is the one that shows Guru Gobind Singh along with the Panj Piaras and other Khalsas. Ragini in the Sheesh Mahal of Quila Androon has strong Pahari influence. You will notice the transparency of clothes, the delicate profile. The wall paintings remind us of miniature paintings of the time and are quite often enlarged copies of the miniatures."

Love for Indian art and culture is understandable, as India has always had its admirers, but not many change their religion for it. What drew this demure Catholic girl from far off France to Sikhism?

"It is the music", she says. "Seven-eight years ago, I went to a yoga centre in Bordeux, and heard the melodious hymns of the Gurbani on a record player. I was transfixed by the ethereal quality of the music. It was so divine that it made me cry. As I listened to the music more and more, I was inspired to read these eternal poetic texts of Shri Guru Granth Sahib. In them my spirit found the answers to its questions and also quenched my thirst for the Absolute." Not satisfied by merely listening to the music, Sat Kaur took up lessons in Indian classical music so that she could appreciate the music of Gurbani better. "And without even realising it, I was gradually getting drawn towards Sikhism. It was a slow process that make me a seeker and then a Sikh. It is just recently that I decided to take Amrit, and I was given the name, Sat Kaur Sukanda."

But was the transformation that easy? How did she manage to cope up with the difficulties that followed? How did she convince her parents and friends?

"Yes, being the only Sikh in the family is not easy. Imagine your child is suddenly changing her religion, her name, and her dress. But now they understand me, and they realise that I have become closer to them, and respect them a lot more after becoming a Sikh. And if I am a good Sikh now, it is because of what I got from my parents, although they are Catholics. Because they have given me certain seeds, that will grow better now that I am a Sikh. Ihave great regard for my parents for that. I am a better human being and a better daughter now. My parents are actually proud of me."