SikhSpectrum.com Quarterly
Issue No. 15, February 2004
Ram Singh: Inventor of Sikh architecture
by Balwant Singh Bhatti
Khalsa College, Amritsar
sikhs.org
The author retired in 1960 from Government Services as Artist-cum-Modeller from the Department of Anatomy, Medical College, Amritsar, where he designed/established the museums for the Department of Anatomy, Pharmacology, etc.
As a matter of fact, no definite Sikh architecture could not have been invented because of the short period of Sikh Raj in Punjab but for the great service to the Sikh community rendered by Sardar Bahadur Ram Singh, MVO, who later became Principal of Mayo School of Arts, Lahore. He rose to the highest position of his time in the Punjab on the strength of his own potentialities and hard work in almost all branches of art. None of his successors has been able to surpass his specimens of outstanding work so far.
His teacher who was the Principal of Mayo School of Arts, on his retirement managed to invite Ram Singh to London at an International Exhibition. That opportunity was a major stepping-stone in his future career as an architect.
Sardar Bahadur Ram Singh was picked up as an intelligent student of arts and craft from a wood-carver's shop where he worked on daily wages as a young boy. An excellent piece of carving done by him is perhaps still available in Bazar Nauhrian in Amritsar from where he was taken to Lahore for training by a European gentleman who was at that time the Principal of Mayo School of Arts, Lahore. In a short period of time Ram Singh was able to secure a job as a teacher in the same school.
Specimens of Ram Singh's art, particularly his design of monument in the Indian traditional style of architecture attracted the attention of the top ranking European architects of the day. The jury adjudged Ram Singh's design as the best entry, and recommended him for decoration with the highest award of the British Empire, MVO (Member of Victorian Order). He was given a warm personal send-off by Her Exalted Majesty the Queen Victoria as she was highly pleased with him being her outstanding Indian subject. Thus, Ram Singh was promoted as the Principal of Mayo School of Arts, Lahore, on his return from Britain.
Ram Singh then started to work as an architect in addition to his duties as the Principal. Almost all the important buildings such as the Senate Hall, Punjab University, Foreman Christian College; Aichison Chiefs College and the museum attached to the Mayo School of Arts, Lahore, were designed by him.
He invented Indo-sarsenic style of architecture which is a mixture of Indian traditional and Mughal style of architecture. Perhaps the best of his designs in this new style is the historic building of Khalsa College, Amritsar.
Thereafter, all the important buildings including Sikh shrines were designed and built in the Indo-sarsenic style of architecture. To be sure, buildings designed by Ram Singh are worth seeing as they have a beauty of their own. He has thus rendered a great service to the Sikh community by evolving a distinctive style in Sikh Architecture which is as significant as any accomplished by great builder-kings in Indian history.
I may mention my own services to the Khalsa Panth in the field of Sikh Architecture. I was assigned to design such important buildings as the Sikh National College, Mughalpura, Lahore, and the historic Gurdwara, Takhat Sri Keshgarh Sahib, at Anandpur.
Source: The Sikh Art and Architecture, Ed. Darshan Singh, Punjab University.
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