At a distance of 48km from the capital city, there is one of the holiest sites of Sikhism; the Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasanabdal.

This historic city has many tales to tell a visitor.Other than the Gurdwara, the shrine of Baba Wali Kandhari – also known as “Hakimon aur Lalarukh ka Maqbara” or Hakim and Lalarukh’s tomb – is another famous monument that is worth visiting. Located opposite to the eastern gate of Gurdwara Panja Sahib, there is a pathway that leads to a garden containing a pond and couple of tombs.

Adjacent to the pond is a building called Hakim’s tomb. It is said that there were two ‘royal hakims’ (or royal doctors) who were brothers, named Abdul Fateh Gilani (d. 1589) and Hamam Gilani (d. 1595). They were buried here on the orders of Mughal Emperor Akbar. The pond and tomb were built by Khawaja Shamsuddin Khawafi, who was said to be Akbar’s minister between 1581 and 1583. A paved path leads from the pond to a small walled garden. The garden has two graves, one in the centre and the other in a corner. There is a myth among the locals regarding the grave in the centre of the garden.

It is believed to be the grave of Mughal Princess Lalarukh, but no historical facts verify this narrative. Some locals claim that this is the grave of Humayun’s daughter while some say it is Jehangir’s daughter, who died of sickness while traveling to Kashmir and was buried here. In spite of different points of view on who actually was Lalarukh, this place attracts a lot of visitors who find peace and tranquility in the solitude of this place.

Published in Dawn, August 31, 2014