An important initiative by Punjab Digital Library with the support of the Punjab State Archives Department
Patiala News: At the ongoing Punjab Sakhi Shakti Craft Mela at Sheesh Mahal, the exhibition titled “The Sikh Empire (1710–1849): Perspectives of International Artists and Authors”, set up by the Punjab Digital Library in collaboration with the Punjab State Archives Department, has garnered significant attention from visitors.
This is the 14th exhibition organized by the Punjab Digital Library, set up at Banasar Ghar in Sheesh Mahal. Meanwhile, the Punjab State Archives Department has put up such an exhibition after nearly two decades, displaying important documents of the Khalsa Durbar including Maharaja Duleep Singh’s letter expressing his desire to reconvert to Sikhism, the Punjab Gazette of 1857, and other precious archival materials.
While inaugurating the exhibition, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab government has taken this important initiative to acquaint the younger generation with the state’s rich heritage and history. He expressed hope that the exhibition would prove extremely beneficial for scholars, students, historians, artists, and the general public.
Finance Minister Cheema also expressed regret that previous governments had made no efforts to preserve or disseminate this heritage among the people. Praising Patiala Deputy Commissioner Varjeet Walia and ADC Damanjeet Singh Mann, he wished for the success of the fair.
Officials from the Punjab State Archives Department, Chandigarh and Patiala stated that such an exhibition has been organized after almost 20 years, showcasing the department’s valuable documents. They shared that the archives have displayed materials such as Khalsa Durbar records from 1839–1840 and 1841–1846, Toshakhana (treasury) records, the Punjab Gazette of 1857, the royal court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Tawarikh-e-Raj Khalsa, a map of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s kingdom, the royal genealogy, military records of the Khalsa Darbar, and the first book written about Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1840.
On this occasion, Punjab Digital Library’s Outreach Director Dalbir Singh and Outreach Coordinator Geetanjali said that this exhibition presents the perspectives of foreign artists and authors who visited Punjab during the Sikh Empire and documented or portrayed what they saw. They added that the exhibition highlights rare original archival material and showcases the global artistic and literary connections of Punjab and the Sikh Empire.
They shared that this exhibition, prepared by interns of the Punjab Digital Library from the United States and Punjab, offers visitors a unique opportunity to experience original documents, historical artifacts, and rarely-seen perspectives in the royal heritage atmosphere of Punjab, creating a meaningful link between the past and the present.
Dalbir Singh further added that the Punjab Digital Library is dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of Punjab’s rich cultural and historical heritage. With the digitization of 100 million pages, PDL is the world’s largest repository of Punjabi heritage. He said that this allows Punjab’s history, memory, and cultural richness to be shared globally.
At the venue, the Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Career Hub of Punjabi University has also set up an exhibition of traditional items crafted by students under the sub-group of Rural Tourism & Traditional Arts.
