Lost Heritage - The Sikh Legacy In Pakistan

[StarStriker]

SSA to Amardeep Singh Ranghar, im looking forward to seeing this book, it looks more than decent. To say a book like this was needed is an understatement. Books and research like this will be invaluable in the future, as pakistan and pakistani sikhs r hardly doin a stellar job of preserving our historic sites. I remember reading somewhere once, that 40% of the sikh dharams monuments/history/heritage is left behind in pakistan, which is sad!

I hope this books is as good as a book that i once bought (at 13yrs of age) afta begging my dad to buy it for me, at the 'victoria albert museum' in london, back in 1999, wen they had a superb sikh exhibition on. I remember how our gurdwara organised a coach trip to this exquisite exhibition, and we were all in awe of maharaja ranjit singhs golden throne and other stolen sikh military hardware. Btw, the name of the book is "the arts of the sikh kingdom", by susan stronge. Has anybody else seen or got this book by any chance? I find myself reading through the entire book again n again atleast 1 period of the year, every year. Its cost me £20 back then in 99', now its available on amazon for £35 or so, well worth it! I feel these visually clean books r imperative for the future generations, to show n teach r kids. I mean who knows wats gona happen to our lost treasures, monuments n artefacts, as we r a homeless nation/kaum, relying on others (india/pakistan/uk) to preserve em.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1886618.The_Arts_Of_The_Sikh_Kingdoms

http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/journals/conservation-journal/issue-31/the-art-of-the-sikh-kingdoms/

[DSGkeepingitreal]

I remember reading somewhere once, that 40% of the sikh dharams monuments/history/heritage is left behind in pakistan, which is sad!

Some places/people say it's much more than 40% (some estimates go up to 80 or 90%), which is really sad!

[AmardeepSinghRanghar]

Amardeep Singh Ranghar

i want to thank you for writing and photographing our heritage this book is a great documentation of our culture. Also are you making any documentary videos of your journey to these places.

i hope in the future you plan on writing more books and pamphlets

Thanks much for your wishes. The plan is to delve further into the remaining vestigaes of the Sikh legacy across Pakitsan. Also in some time the entire content of this high quality book is to be bought to the mass market by using black and white images as then the paper quality and printing costs will srop down significantly. I don;t plan to do any videos as that is not my skill set. I am a writer and a photographer.

SSA to Amardeep Singh Ranghar, im looking forward to seeing this book, it looks more than decent. To say a book like this was needed is an understatement. Books and research like this will be invaluable in the future, as pakistan and pakistani sikhs r hardly doin a stellar job of preserving our historic sites. I remember reading somewhere once, that 40% of the sikh dharams monuments/history/heritage is left behind in pakistan, which is sad!

I hope this books is as good as a book that i once bought (at 13yrs of age) afta begging my dad to buy it for me, at the 'victoria albert museum' in london, back in 1999, wen they had a superb sikh exhibition on. I remember how our gurdwara organised a coach trip to this exquisite exhibition, and we were all in awe of maharaja ranjit singhs golden throne and other stolen sikh military hardware. Btw, the name of the book is "the arts of the sikh kingdom", by susan stronge. Has anybody else seen or got this book by any chance? I find myself reading through the entire book again n again atleast 1 period of the year, every year. Its cost me £20 back then in 99', now its available on amazon for £35 or so, well worth it! I feel these visually clean books r imperative for the future generations, to show n teach r kids. I mean who knows wats gona happen to our lost treasures, monuments n artefacts, as we r a homeless nation/kaum, relying on others (india/pakistan/uk) to preserve em.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1886618.The_Arts_Of_The_Sikh_Kingdoms

http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/journals/conservation-journal/issue-31/the-art-of-the-sikh-kingdoms/

In my estimate, 80% of the land that belonged to Ranjit Singh;s territory is now in the geography of Pakistan.

[proactive]

Jagsaw Singh, If you do not know aything about publishing of illustrated books, then I request ask the questions to increase your awareness, versus coming up with such a graphic descriptive language.

Art paper is the normal paper for coffee table / illustrated book printing. This is not a text print alone but is a photographic work. When a 4 color print of pictures is to be adopted then the paper has to be this quality at minimum. This is a book with 523 pictures interspersed with 50,000 words of text and 14 maps. Hence the 130 gsm art paper is the lowest weight dimension of the color print paper that has been used to present the 4 color print quality of the photos. As I have said, this book has 500 pages. Normally coffee table books come only in 200 - 300 pages, so essentially 2 books are being packed into one. The weight of the book is over 2.6 Kg, which is very heavy. The pricing includes wroldwide shipment, which is at USD 25-USD 30 for a 3 kg packet to UK or USA (including packaging), that mean the book actual sale price is USD 80. Now got to amazon.com and search for illustrated similar quality illustrated coffee table books, which are all less than 300 pages and compare their prices with the price of LOST HERITAGE and you will hopefully appreciate that this book is being retailed at a very reasonable price. Links of the books at amazon can be seen below. Surely in sometime to come this book is planned to be printed in a cheaper quality paper, but that will change its dimension and the photo quality will drop substantially, probably being only in black and white, only then can the the price come down by 50% but that will happen only in the future.

When the book is launched in India, it will be retailed through amazon.com India website at around USD 80, as the worldwide shipping will not apply. At this point the pre-orders are being accepted through www.lostheritagebook.com for worldwide shipments only, outside of India.

Go to following liks as sample to increase your understanding of what one means by illustrated books in which 4 color photo printing is used and their pricing. Compare the priicng of these books that half less than 300 pages with that of LOST HERITAGE that has 500 pages.

http://www.amazon.in/Gurdwaras-India-Around-World-Patwant/dp/B0095HGGMK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443140979&sr=8-1&keywords=patwant+singh+Gurdwara

http://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Saints-Centuries-Military-History/dp/0956016855/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443140416&sr=8-1&keywords=amandeep+madra

http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Temple-Amritsar-Reflections-1808-1959/dp/0956016812/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1443140416&sr=8-3&keywords=amandeep+madra

http://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Saints-Centuries-Military-Tradition/dp/1860644902/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1443140416&sr=8-2&keywords=amandeep+madra

You don't have the justify yourself. You are entitled to have the last say on what kind of paper the book is to have and should not have to put up with ignorant comments by people like Jigsaw Singh. Unfortunately in our community people will spend hundreds of pounds on useless items and yet complain about the fact that a book like yours costs $80.

[JagsawSingh]

Unfortunately in our community people will spend hundreds of pounds on useless items and yet complain about the fact that a book like yours costs $80.

Unfortunately, at $80, that coffee table book would be more expensive than my coffee table. It would have been good if the book was just a little big bigger, then I could have used it as an actual coffee table.

You don't have the justify yourself. You are entitled to have the last say on what kind of paper the book is to have and should not have to put up with ignorant comments by people like Jigsaw Singh

.

I already said, in my very first message, that this book looks very interesting and I'm really looking forward to reading it. Nobody, however, is beyond criticism. The author is not doing it for free as seva. He's hoping to earn a pretty penny from it and I don't begrudge him for that because I would do the same. I'm sure then, he expects criticism as well as praise. A little bit of criticism never killed anybody, Well, apart from that one bloke who had a heart attack because he was critcised. But apart from him a bit of criticism never killed anybody. And also, I suppose very sensitive people who get depressed when criticised, So apart from that one bloke and very sensitive people a bit of criticism never killed anybody.

[AmardeepSinghRanghar]

.

The author is not doing it for free as seva. He's hoping to earn a pretty penny from it and I don't begrudge him for that because I would do the same. I'm sure then, he expects criticism as well as praise.

Jagsaw, try undertaking a project of this magnitude, where you have to travel across a country, undertaking personal risk to conduct research and then sacrifice your Corporate job for 2 years to document the research, and then after publishers, distributors and payment companies have all taken their share, see how much return an author gets!!!! You can only criticize, without appreciating the passionate effort that someone has put in towards documenting the vestiges of the community as they stand 7 decades after partition. If ever you will write in your life, only then you will appreciate that for the author, this is not just Seva at break-even but an out of pocket expense. I don't wish to comment anymore on this thread for people who can only see the value of such a work to be worthy to be used as their coffee table. Surely a little bit of humbleness in your words would help you go much far in life. Thanks and no more from me on this forum where members like yourself are so arrogant. Good bye.

[JagsawSingh]

Jagsaw, try undertaking a project of this magnitude, where you have to travel across a country, undertaking personal risk to conduct research and then sacrifice your Corporate job for 2 years to document the research, and then after publishers, distributors and payment companies have all taken their share, see how much return an author gets!!!! You can only criticize, without appreciating the passionate effort that someone has put in towards documenting the vestiges of the community as they stand 7 decades after partition. If ever you will write in your life, only then you will appreciate that for the author, this is not just Seva at break-even but an out of pocket expense. I don't wish to comment anymore on this thread for people who can only see the value of such a work to be worthy to be used as their coffee table. Surely a little bit of humbleness in your words would help you go much far in life. Thanks and no more from me on this forum where members like yourself are so arrogant. Good bye.

I do salute your effort my friend and indeed am grateful for it because you've given us all the chance to learn something, see new pictures, read new stuff. Thats all good. Reading your profile, however, I see that you've had a rather privelged upbringing, going to the finest private schools in India etc and have, no doubt, gotten used to the way things work in India , i.e people licking the backside of the elite. That is, however, not the way it works in the western world. Here, the higher a man's status, the more he is is criticised. And thats exactly how it should be. So, like I said, as an 'Indian' I think you've done a great job. Well Done. But, your efforts out there must be put into perspective. Each day in your country (India) little children work 16 hour days doing hard labour on building sites just to put food on their families table. Each day, desperately poor mothers dig roads for the elite and their cars whilst carrying their new born babies on their backs. In contrast, you got the chance to go on a jolly in foreign lands where you took photographs.

Don't be so sensitive brother. If you wanna do business with the west you'll have to get used to our western ways of not brown-nosing anyone, including book writing intellectuals.

[AmardeepSinghRanghar]

But, your efforts out there must be put into perspective. Each day in your country (India) little children work 16 hour days doing hard labour on building sites just to put food on their families table. Each day, desperately poor mothers dig roads for the elite and their cars whilst carrying their new born babies on their backs. In contrast, you got the chance to go on a jolly in foreign lands where you took photographs.

Don't be so sensitive brother. If you wanna do business with the west you'll have to get used to our western ways of not brown-nosing anyone, including book writing intellectuals.

Jagsaw, What does India's economic and social problems have to do with a book that is aimed to document the abandoned Sikh legacy across Pakistan?

What makes you assume I am an Indian?

What makes you think this work is just about a jolly trip to foreign lands to take photographs? Tracing the vestiges of the community and documenting it for posterity requires more than just sitiing on the computer, like you are doing and typing comments without having even opened the book, which to you is only worthy to be made into a table on which you want to drink your coffee. What kind of criticism is that, without even knowing what the work is about? You are amusing indeed.

It's unfortunate that such arrogance radiates from your words. I had no desire to revert after my last note but your assumptions above made me think that you should be informed not to assume things. Good human traits have nothing to do with Western or Eastern worlds. Please understand that.

[Balkaar]

That system became the norm for all urban khatri Hindus of Punjab during maharaja Ranjit Singh's reign.but we should not forget the main reason for it : Money and Wealth. You see, after the Sikhs became the regional power, and a major central Asia power, the urban khatri group of Hindus saw the opportnities that existed in terms of government jobs and business in the far reaching Sikh empire. Thats was the main reason they sometimes made one of their sons a Sikh ; Wealth.

The infamous Dogras, the architects of the ruination of the Sikh Empire, are the most well known examples of this .trend. All of them adopted the name 'Singh' and began to keep their Kes in order to enhance their credibility amongst the Sikh nobility.

[Jonny101]

I for one would like to encourage Amardeep Singh Rangher for his work. We should appreciate Sikhs who are trying to preserve our ancient heritage. I can very well imagine the buildings he has taken pictures of not even existing in the next 10 years but alteast future generations will get to see them through his book of our lost heritage. I remember reading an article here about how Maharaja Sher Singh's baara dari in Lahore has literally become a garbage dump. The historic monuments are almost finished. How about the Gurdwara of Baba Karam Singh Hoti Mardan which was destroyed recently.

Far from discouragement, we need to encourage people like Amardeep Singh Jee because what they are doing is an invaluable service to the Sikh Qaum that future generations will greatly appreciate. I hope to see more such books about our heritage before it is lost.