Hargobindpur, October 5
Even as a study of the art and architecture of this historical town remained neglected by art historians and critics, a well-knit family of “Julkas” has endeavoured to preserve one of the ancient houses of the town in its original form.

The interior walls of the house, which has been converted into ‘Gurdwara Satkartaria’, are adorned with fine murals belonging to the Sikh school of art. The ancestors of ‘Julkas’ were the contemporaries of the Sikh Gurus who jointly fought battles against the Mughals. To ‘Julkas’ there is no place holier than this shrine. All rituals of ‘Julkas’, who have now settled in different countries of the world, are performed at this holy place.

Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of the family, many frescos have been obliterated with the passage of time. While, during the kar seva carried out at the behest of the SGPC, bathroom tiles have replaced many frescos at Gurdwara Baba Atal (Amritsar) and Gurdwara Baba Bir Singh Naurangabad (Tarn Taran), major portions ‘Gurdwara Satkartaria’ have been preserved. The preservation been preserved. The preservation of this Sikh school of art has been done without the help of the SGPC or any government agency. The frescos, which are intact, include all 10 Gurus, Baba Sangat Dass, Baba Behari Dass (a contemporary of Guru Arjan Dev), Baba Darbari Lal, Baba Chanchal Dass, Dhanna Bhagat, Bhagat Tirlochan, Baba Harlalji and Bhai Paro (a contemporary of Guru Nanak Dev) and the founder of the Satkartaria mission. Mr Brij Bhushan Julka, Mr K.K. Julka, Mr R.K. Julka, all brothers, while talking to TNS said that apart from ‘Julkas’, this shrine was most sacrd for the descendants of the Khindriyas, Kumars, Sethis and Trehans.

Interestingly, all ‘Julkas’ are Sehajdhari Sikh who believe in the Sikh scriptures.

The ‘Julkas’ have also preserved a more than 400-year-old sanjoe (a coat of iron wires used by warriors) which was gifted by Guru Hargobind to Bhai Sangat Dass, one of the founders of the Satkartaria mission. An old citation engraved in Persian on a copper plate, presented to Guru Hargobind by a Muslim faqir, is also a treasured possession of the family.

Mr Onkar Singh Sandhu and Mr Joginder Singh Kalsi, both art lovers, said the state government and SGPC should come forward for studying the murals to recast history.