24

Oct

Spirit of Unity: Partition-Era Mosque Revived in Amritsar, Honouring Flood Relief Martyrs

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Sami Ahmed

New Delhi | Friday | 24 October 2025

In a moving display of interfaith harmony, residents of Raizada village in Amritsar’s Ajnala tehsil have revived a long-abandoned mosque, handing it over to the Muslim community for restoration. The effort, led by Sarpanch Sardar Omkar Singh, embodies Punjab’s timeless ethos of Punjabiyat—unity beyond religious divides. For the first time since the Partition, prayers echoed through the old mosque during a special Friday congregation attended by Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims, Christians, and Dalits alike.

Located near the Ravi River close to the India-Pakistan border, the mosque had remained in ruins for 77 years. Its walls were crumbling, and an adjoining school building had shut over a decade ago. In a rare act of solidarity, non-Muslim villagers offered the structure to local Muslim leaders for restoration. “This is our shared heritage,” said Omkar Singh at the handover. “In Punjab, we walk together, not apart.”

Presiding over the ceremony, Maulana Muhammad Usman Rahmani Ludhianvi, the Shahi Imam of Punjab, praised the gesture as a revival of Punjab’s interfaith legacy rooted in the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji—revered by Muslims as Peer Baba Nanak Sahib—and carried forward by Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Citing history, he recalled how Muslim brothers Nabi Khan and Gani Khan once carried Guru Gobind Singh in a palki during battle, while Hindu devotee Diwan Todar Mal sacrificed his wealth for the Guru’s Sahibzadas. “Punjab’s Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs have nurtured this unity for centuries,” he said. “India’s strength lies in Anekta Mein Ekta—unity in diversity.”

Tribute to Flood Martyrs

The mosque’s restoration also serves as a memorial to two Muslim volunteers—Shamshad Bhagwanpuri from Uttarakhand and Zakariya Mewati from Rajasthan—who died delivering flood relief during Punjab’s devastating 2025 deluges. Torrential rains and dam discharges had claimed over 55 lives and displaced thousands across Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Ferozepur, and Pathankot. In response, nearly 3,000 mosques across India—from Rajasthan to Maharashtra—raised over ₹2 crore in aid through the Ahrar Foundation under the Shahi Imam’s leadership.

Article at a Glance
In a remarkable act of interfaith unity, residents of Raizada village in Amritsar revived a 77-year-abandoned mosque and handed it to the Muslim community for restoration. Led by Sarpanch Omkar Singh, this initiative reflects Punjab’s spirit of Punjabiyat—harmony beyond religion.
The mosque, now renamed Masjid Shamshad Bhagwanpuri, honors two Muslim volunteers—Shamshad Bhagwanpuri and Zakariya Mewati—who died during 2025 flood relief work. A second mosque in Patiala, Masjid Zakariya Mewati, will also commemorate their sacrifice.
The ceremony, attended by people of all faiths, was hailed by Punjab’s Shahi Imam as a revival of Guru Nanak’s message of universal brotherhood. Across Punjab, over 30 mosques have been restored through Sikh and Hindu contributions, reflecting shared faith and service traditions like seva and sarbat da bhala. In Raizada, the mingling of Gurbani and Azaan symbolized India’s enduring unity in diversity.

Shamshad, who had served a week in flood-hit areas, was fatally injured in an accident near Yamunanagar, Haryana, while returning home. Zakariya died in a similar crash on the Kharar–Patiala Highway after completing relief work in Ramdas. “They didn’t just bring rations—they carried love,” said the Shahi Imam. “In serving Allah and humanity, they gave their lives. Punjab will never forget their sacrifice.”

To honour them, the Raizada mosque will be rebuilt and renamed Masjid Shamshad Bhagwanpuri. Construction begins this month, using salvaged bricks from the original structure. A memorial plaque will recount Shamshad’s life and martyrdom. “When we prayed here today, our hearts wept with joy,” the Shahi Imam said during a live broadcast. “Allah has revived His house after years of silence.”

A second mosque—Masjid Zakariya Mewati—will soon rise in Fagan Majra, Patiala district. The martyrs’ families, including Shamshad’s parents from Bhagwanpur, have been invited to lay the foundation stones themselves. “This is their legacy,” said the Imam. “May their service inspire generations.”

Echoes of Harmony

As the event concluded, the evening Gurbani from the nearby gurdwara blended with the Maghrib call to prayer, symbolizing Punjab’s spiritual harmony. Villagers shared sweets to celebrate—a scene reminiscent of similar revivals in Bhaloor (Moga) and Sherpur Sodhian (Sangrur), where non-Muslims restored old mosques. Earlier this year, Sikh families in another Punjab village donated prime land for a new mosque, with the Shahi Imam laying its foundation.

This revival coincides with broader acts of cross-border compassion witnessed during the floods. Volunteers from Mewat in Haryana sent over 300 truckloads of relief material to Punjab, Himachal, and Jammu & Kashmir. Organizations such as Khalsa Aid also joined hands, distributing essentials and rescuing stranded families. “Our service has no religion,” said a Khalsa Aid volunteer in Gurdaspur. “We are all children of one humanity.”

Legacy of Shared Faith

According to community data, more than 30 mosques in Punjab have been revived through interfaith collaboration, often led by Sikh donors and volunteers. Idara Masajid leader Shahbaz Ahmed Zahoor notes nearly 200 instances statewide where Sikh families have donated land or funds for mosques and cemeteries.

In Moom (Barnala, 2018), Sikhs funded a mosque sharing a wall with their gurdwara, while Brahmins donated the land—creating a rare trio of worship spaces for all three faiths. In Bakhatgarh (2022), a Sikh farmer, Amandeep Singh, donated land for Noorani Masjid, and local Sikhs and Hindus raised most of the ₹12 lakh construction cost, enabling 15 Muslim families to pray nearby instead of travelling 5 km.

Earlier this year in Umarpura (Malerkotla), former sarpanch Sukhjinder Singh Noni and his brother Avninder Singh gifted prime roadside land worth nearly ₹8 lakh for a mosque, supported by Sikh donors contributing ₹2–3 lakh each. The Shahi Imam laid its foundation himself. In Malla (Ludhiana, 2016), Sikhs and Hindus renovated a mosque for the village’s sole Muslim family, providing both labour and funds. And in Nathowal (Sangrur, 2015), non-Muslims contributed over 65% of ₹25 lakh to repair the Jamia Masjid, citing ancestral bonds of mutual protection during Partition.

Historic examples reinforce this spirit: Sri Hargobindpur’s 17th-century “Guru’s Mosque,” built by Guru Hargobind Singh for local Muslims, was restored by Sikh volunteers in 2022 with UNESCO recognition. In Bhalloor (Moga, 2021), a ruined mosque was rebuilt with gurdwara support, its groundbreaking held amid rain-soaked prayers.

A Living Testament to Punjabiyat

Such acts—often coordinated by gurdwaras and trusts like the Habib Charitable Trust—represent Punjab’s conscious healing of Partition wounds. They draw strength from Sikh principles of seva (service) and sarbat da bhala (welfare for all). As one villager from Kutba Bamaniya (Barnala) said last year, “Our village is a family. When we donate to a gurdwara, we contribute equally to the mosque.”

As dusk settled over the Ravi, the Shahi Imam offered a final prayer: “May this love spread across India, turning every heart into a beacon of brotherhood.”

In Raizada, that vision already shines—one brick, one bond at a time.

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