Commonwealth Heritage Forum Zoom Lecture, Wednesday 16 July, 18:00 (UK)
Rosie Llewellyn-Jones, the Editor of Chowkidar, has supplied the following details of a lecture being given by Saba Samee on Wednesday 16 July, as part of the Commonwealth Heritage Forum’s series on ‘Lost/Abandoned Places across the Commonwealth’:
Unfolding the Story of the Sheikhupura Fort: From a Haveli and a Royal Hunting Palace of the Mughals, to a British prison for the Sikh Maharani
Sheikhupura Fort
‘The protagonist of this story is a young Mughal Prince known as ‘Salim’. When Prince Salim became the Emperor of Hindustan, he constructed a hunting palace in the city, naming it the ‘Sheikhupura Fort’. Salim also created a large artificial pond with a central pavilion and a Minaret dedicated to his favourite Antelope, now known as the Hiran Minar Complex. The fort and the Minar were much cherished by the royal couple, Emperor Jahangir and his famous wife, the Empress Nur Jahan.
The fort declined into oblivion after the downfall of the Mughal dynasty, only to get noticed again when the British finally succeeded in annexing Punjab. This time, however, the fort was the centre stage not for pleasurable or recreational activities, but for political imprisonment. It became the prison of Maharani Jind Kaur, the wife of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh, the last Sikh ruler of the Punjab, and mother of Prince Delip Singh, the last heir of the Sikh dynasty.
Since the Independence of 1947, the Sheikhupura Fort remains empty of any residents, abandoned by its royal patrons and neglected by the newly formed government of Pakistan.
The fort is home to many unique and original fresco wall paintings, carved wooden architectural elements and has a unique architectural layout. It has buildings belonging to Jahangiri style of architecture to decorative elements created during British rule, covering four centuries of architectural development of this region’.
Saba Samee
‘Saba Samee trained as an architect and has a Masters in Building Archaeology from the University of York. Her initial professional training was under the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan where she worked as an earthquake rehabilitation architect, conservation & heritage consultant for the WHS of Lahore Fort and the Necropolis of Makli. She has worked extensively in consultancy projects for culture and development, funded by various international donors, such as UNESCO Islamabad and Bangkok, UKAID, MEDA-USAID, Norway and Dutch funding agencies. As a Conservation and Heritage Consultant, she has participated in several projects commissioned by the World Bank, UNESCO and PTEGP.’
Join us on Wednesday 16 July at 18:00 (UK)
The Commonwealth Heritage Forum talks are hosted online via Zoom, are free and are recorded. Click here for further information and zoom joining instructions.
Commonwealth Heritage Forum
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Diary Dates
BACSA Newsletter readers, family and friends may be interested in the following events:
| Date / Time | Event | Place |
| On now (until Sunday 19 October 2025) | ‘Ancient India – Living Traditions’ This new exhibition ‘explores the origin of Hindu, Jain and Buddhist sacred art in the ancient and powerful nature spirits of India, and the spread of this art beyond the subcontinent’. | British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG Click here for further details, and to make a booking. |
| On now (until Sunday 2 November 2025) | ‘Tigers & Dragons: India and Wales in Britain’ This exhibition, featuring over 100 artworks – paintings, photographs, performances, textiles, sculptural installations and new media, by around 70 artists from Wales, England, India and Pakistan ‘delves into the deep-rooted connections between the Indian Subcontinent and Wales’. | Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Alexandra Road, Swansea SA1 5DZ. Click here for further details. |
| Wednesday 16 Jul 2025, 6:00pm (UK) | ‘Unfolding the Story of the abandoned Sheikhupura Fort: From a Haveli and a Royal Hunting Palace of the Mughals, to a British prison for the Sikh Maharani’ Commonwealth Heritage Forum Lecture in the series ‘Lost/Abandoned Places across the Commonwealth‘ by Saba Samee | Zoom lecture, free. Click here for further details, and zoom joining instructions. |
| Thursday 31 Jul 2025, 6:00pm for 6:30pm | ‘The Narinda Cemetery of Old Dacca’ Lecture by BACSA Executive Committee Members Charles Greig and Rosie Llewellyn-Jones | The East India Club, 16 St James’s Square, London SW1Y 4LH. Click Events to register and book tickets. |
| Sunday 5 Oct 2025 – Friday 17 Oct 2025 | British India: The East India Company & Mutiny Tour A 13-day tour in India led by Dr Rosie Llewellyn-Jones | Delhi, Meerut, Lucknow, Cawnpore, Serampore, Calcutta. Click here (or ring 020-8901-7320) for further details. |
| Thursday 16 Oct 2025, 11:30am | BACSA General Meeting (Members only) | Union Jack Club, Sandell Street, London SE1 8UJ. Further details (including registration instructions) will be published nearer the date. |
| Sunday 26 Oct 2025 | 150th anniversary of CSI Christ Church, Salem to include ‘Holy Communion Service, a Congregation feast and a concluding ceremony’. All are welcome to attend the church’s sesquicentennial celebrations – including descendants of former congregation members. | CSI Christ Church, Fort Road, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India. For further details, please contact: ‘csichurchsalem@gmail.com‘. |
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