After two nights in Amritsar, we hired a car to drive us to Ferozepur. There, the brother of our La Honda friend Ruby Sodhi, Yuvraj Singh Sodhi met us and then drove us to their family home in Guruharsahai, a town in Punjab not far from the Pakistan border. Yuvraj had kindly invited us to stay at their compound, Fort Pothimala, with his mother Harjit, and their staff.

Yuvraj is the 17th descendent of the 4th Sikh Guru Ram Das Ji, and his family has lived at Fort Pothimala since the 1700’s when Guru Jiwan Mal moved to the area and named the town after his son Guru Har Sahai. Inside the compound is a building that was started in 1705 and is covered on the inside with a vast number of 300 year old murals depicting various aspects of Sikhism.

First, some pix of Yuvraj, Harjit, their home, family photos (especially of Guru Haresh Singh Ji – Yuvraj’s father & Harjit’s husband), paintings, and Fort Pothimala…

 

Next, here are some pix of the old building at Fort Pothimala…

From the inside and on top with Yuvraj…

The murals themselves with some close ups…

Doors, ceiling, etc…

Looking out at Guruharsahai from the roof of the Pothimala building…

 

Study Questions:

1. Research Sikhism. Briefly describe its history. What are the fundamental tenets, principles, and practices of the religion?
2. Research religious symbolism and religious art. Why is this important?
3. Research building and historical preservation. Why is it important, and how can it be done effectively?