If you intend to take a look at the personal possessions of martyr, Bhagat Singh, the Shaheed-e-azam Sardar Bhagat Singh Museum provides it all under one roof. The museum was inaugurated on March 23, 1981 on the fiftieth death anniversary of Bhagat Singh. The museum is situated at Khatkar Kalan ancestral village of Singh near the town of Banga in Nawanshahr district (now renamed Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar) of Punjab.
The family originally belonged to a village by the name of Narli in erstwhile Lahore district and which is now part of Tarn Taran district in India. There is an interesting account of how one of the ancestors moved to Khatkar Kalan given in the autobiography of Singh’s uncle and famous freedom fighter, Ajit Singh in his autobiography Buried Alive. Singh’s given name of ‘Bhagat’ means ‘devotee’. Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar were sentenced to death in the Lahore conspiracy case on March 23, 1931.
Paying tribute to these freedom fighters, the Shaheed-e-azam Sardar Bhagat Singh Museum houses photographs and relevant materials such as his remains, blood stained newspapers and a judgement copy of the first Lahore conspiracy case in which Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha was sentenced to death. Another interesting memoir in the museum is Singh’s scribed notes in his own handwriting on this judgement copy. On display is also a Bhagwat Geeta with Singh’s autograph. The same copy was given to him by an employee of Lahore jail during his imprisonment. Other hand writings in Urdu are also on display. Personal belongings of Ajit Singh are also displayed in the museum.
The pen used by the executioner for signing the death sentence of Singh, Rajguru and Thapar are also displayed in the museum. Two original pages of the jail diary in which Singh took notes of the books he studied in the jail is also exhibited in the museum. Photographs of other revolutionaries and Ghadarites who raised was against English have been displayed in the museum. These exhibits are silent reminders of supreme sacrifices these martyrs mode for the mother land.
Nearby attractions include Gurudwara Ber Sahib, situated in Sultanpur Lodhi 36 km from Jalandhar, is the place where the first prophet Guru Nanak got enlightenment and created ‘Sukhmani Sahib’ while taking bath in the River Kali Bein. Also in Jalandhar is the Devi Talab Mandir, an ancient temple which is believed to be more than 200 years old. Another attraction is the Moorish Mosque, built in 1930 and designed by the famous French architect, Manteaux.
How to reach there
By Air: The closest airport is Amritsar from where you can take a taxi to the museum via Jalandhar.
By Rail: Jalandhar has a railway station that is well connected to places such as Delhi, Amritsar, Jammu and others.
By Road: The city of Jalandhar is is approximately 55 kms and is connected extensively from many places in northern India.
Where to stay
The Radisson Hotel, Country Inn and Suites, Hotel Residency in Jalandhar are some hotels in the city.
