Architecture and Art During Maharaja Ranjit Singh?s Reign (1799-1839 CE)

In the book titled Maharaja Ranjit Singh – Ruler and Warrior, TR Sharma, editor of the papers of 15 contributors, writes in the Introduction, "Around the turn of the millennium Punjab celebrated, in quick succession, two events both of which have great historical significance. One was the tercentenary of the birth of Khalsa (founded by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699) and the other was the bi-centenary of the Coronation of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (coronation is said to have taken place in 1801). The vice-chancellor Professor KN Pathak says in the Foreword, "the centre for Defence & National Security Studies of Panjab University organized a National Seminar on April 10-11, 2002, marks the Bi-centenary Celebrations of the coronation of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, a genius and a multi-faceted personality who played his role well to usher in an era of peace, prosperity and progress during his four decades of rule in the state of Punjab.” My paper on Architecture and Art during Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Reign (1799-1839 AD) is also featured in the book.

About the Author: Founder-Teacher and former Principal, Chandigarh College of Architecture, Dr SS Bhatti is India’s most versatile professional—architect, artist, art & literature critic, poet, singer, musicologist, writer, philosopher, and mystic. He has developed and works in 55 disciplines as an abiding tribute to the great all-inclusiove Indian tradition which, according to him, is grounded in “Holistic Humanism”. He applies the tools of Theory, Practice, Research, and Pedagogy to the study of four major fields of human endeavour: the Humanities, Art, Science, and Technology besides Culture and Comparative Religion. As the inventor of this novel approach to the study and understanding of human creativity vis-à-vis human predicament he has discovered Spiritual Realities that illuminate the purpose, path, and salvation of human life. He insists that the discovery of one’s native creativity and its development lead to God-realisation. This is his Nirman Marg, the Creative Way.