A portrait of Baba Bikrama Singh at the Asthan where they are shown alongside Maharaja Ranjit Singh, labelled here as 'Sarkar'.

Alongside other Sikh spiritual leaders of the time,  Baba Bikrama Singh did not wish to see a civil war between different factions of the Sikhs and they did their utmost to promote unity and peace. They helped prevent open warfare as they were respected by all factions and had no desire to seize power over the Lahore Darbar. Other leaders who worked alongside Baba Bikrama Singh were Baba Bir Singh of Naurangabad and Bhai Maharaj Singh. Baba Bir Singh was a student of Baba Sahib Singh Bedi and Baba Bikrama Singh had spent much time in their company as well. One of the most important wall paintings at the Samadh asthan includes all of these figures shown in a single scene. 

Baba Bikrama Singh played a major role in both the first and second Anglo-Sikh Wars. During the first war they fought alongside Javahar Singh Nalwa and other brave warriors until the Battle of Aliwal in January 1846 when they sustained major injuries in battle and returned to their home at Una Sahib to regain strength. A few months later, following the defeat of the Sikh forces, the British annexed the Jalandhar Doab area and Baba Bikrama Singh's arms were seized as well as much of this ancestral lands. After further resistance, their home was burned down and their property was sold. 

After receiving such severe treatment from the British, Baba Bikrama Singh joined forces with Sher Singh Attarivala, Bhai Maharaj Singh and other important resistance leaders. They fought in both the Battle of Chillianvala and Gujerat in 1849. After the defeat in 1849, Baba Bikrama Singh was arrested and imprisoned. They were eventually held captive in Amritsar at the site of their Asthan until 1863 when they passed away after 14 years of imprisonment.

Baba Bikrama Singh were imprisoned in the city at the site of the present asthan. After they passed away, their place of captivity was turned into a memorial which centres around a Samadhi asthan. The Samadhi was fully completed in 1879, 16 years after Baba Bikrama Singh’s departure. Their son and successor Baba Sujan Singh, arranged for the construction of the asthan with the assistance of Bhai Amir Singh. Bhai Amir Singh was recorded as being responsible for the lime plaster finish which provided the surface required for the adornment of the walls with paintings. 

Visitors to the asthan would describe it as a peaceful oasis in the busy city of Amritsar. Situated in the Kanak Mandi area, it is located within the boundaries of the old walled city. This makes it a difficult asthan to locate and access but this has also served to protect it from being destroyed. The asthan is comprised of a small group of buildings. This focal paint is the small Samadhi building itself which has an octagonal plan, in common with a number of South Asian funerary monuments. Within the Sikh context, this includes other important asthans such as the Samadhi of Baba Atal. The structure has a number of important paintings on the outside which includes portraits of important figures from 19th century Sikh history such as Baba Bir Singh of Naurangabad and also Maharaja Ranjit Singh. 

The entire inside of the asthan is covered with paintings on the inside. These vary in condition but include some which are in a particularly unstable state. Paintings lower down have been entirely painted over. The ceiling has an internal dome (part of an overall double dome) which is painted with floral designs whilst the wall panels include scenes from Sikh history as well as wider Indic mythological scenes. 

The importance of the asthan is manifold. Firstly, it is a memorial for an important Sikh leader whose role in history has unfortunately not been fully acknowledged. The mere existence of the asthan represents a feeling of defiance against the colonial authorities who sought to eradicate Baba Ji. Secondly, it represents a rare surviving example of a category of Sikh architecture which has mostly been destroyed and demolished over the course of the last century. The survival of this beautiful brick-built structure with traditional lime plastered walls adorned with beautiful wall paintings is indeed important to recognise.

In addition to the Samadhi structure, the asthan has a number of other rooms which vary greatly in condition. The rooms in worst condition are structurally unstable and include wall paintings in a highly damaged state. Amongst the various notable features of the asthan, there is also historic late 19th century Nishan Sahib flagpole which appear to be made entirely made of bronze (?). A small plaque on the base of the Nishan Sahib states that it was built with the aid of Bhai Ram Singh and Bhai Jassa Singh, both sons of Bhai Man Singh Ragi in 1877. A panel inside the asthan shows a group of three Sikh Ragis which may represent these specific individuals.

A painting which is likely to depict the family jatha of Bhai Ram Singh Ragi. The detailed depiction of the instruments is a rich resource for historians of Sikh sangeet.

The wall-paintings in the additional rooms are in a highly unstable state and in danger of disappearing entirely,

The overall condition of the asthan is highly unstable. Parts of the asthan have a highly damaged roof structure and are unsafe to enter. Some portions collapsed at some point and are now entirely missing. Further research would be required to understand the original plan of the asthan. The asthan is unknown to most visitors to Amritsar and difficult to locate, which means it receives very little donations from sangat.

The main forms of damage seen at the asthan are:

• The main buildings comprising the asthan have a roof which is leaking and collapsing in some places. 

• Rainwater during floods has leaked through the structure resulting in major damage to wooden beams and the loss of large areas of wall painting.

• There are major cracks running diagonally across the walls.

The floor above the entrance is in a highly unstable state.

The damage to the roof has caused major deterioration of the interior.

Virasati Asthan Seva are fundraising for the restoration of this asthan so that it can receive a new lease of life and serve as a spiritual and cultural hub in Amritsar. The restoration plan consists of three separate phases. We are currently focusing on phase I. 

This will include:

• Basic architectural  documentation comprising  floor plans, typical sections  and elevations. 

• Provision of shoring and supporting systems for the  areas vulnerable to collapse. 

• Plugging areas where water is  seeping into the building with  reversible intervention. 

• Setting up of the workyard and procurement of materials and equipment 

Estimated Phase I Cost: 24, 00, 000 Rs (Approx. 24, 000 pounds)

Estimated Total Project Cost: 20,000, 000Rs to 25, 000, 000 Rs (Approx. 200, 000 pounds to 250, 000 pounds)

The family of Baba Sarabjot Singh Bedi based at Una Sahib are the custodians of this asthan. Baba Ji has authorised Virasati Asthan Seva to act as the primary fundraiser for this project. The overall guidance for the project will be provided by Gurmeet Kaur Rai whose company, CRCI, has decades of experience in planning and delivering complex building conservation projects. The restoration work will be informed by a variety of technical analytical tools including photogrammetry and a number of key material tests which will help determine how the strength and stability of the existing historic materials. 

A variety of traditional construction techniques will be necessarily deployed in order to ensure that all new materials being added are structurally and aesthetically compatible with the historic structure. The use of lime-based mortar, traditional bricklaying and plastering methods are essential as inappropriately applied modern materials (particularly cement and concrete) can cause fragile historic structures to fail completely.