The ASI said the structure found underneath the Golden Temple is historic and requested the Punjab government to preserve the structure.
A centuries-old structure has been found during excavation being done around the Golden Temple. The ASI team which visited the temple on July 20 has asked the Punjab government to preserve the structure.
“These are remains of the building which were constructed in the late medieval period of the Indian history of 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. It is made of Lahori brick with lime plaster”, Hindustan Times quoted a senior ASI official.
Noted historians consider this structure as the remains of Gianian Da Bunga, a building which was gifted by then Maharaja Ranjit Singh to the family of Giani Sant Singh, the then head granthi of Golden Temple. The structure was pulled down by the government three decades back. An excavation was going on around this site. The descendants of Giani Sant Singh have claimed that it was their residence till 1988.
“The ASI report says that the building remains are not on its list of declared heritage sites. It has asked the Punjab government to look into it under the Punjab Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1964. The tourism department has been asked to start the steps that the team has recommended,” Hindustan Times quoted Amritsar deputy commissioner Gurpreet Singh Khaira.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has also sought help from experts to clear any doubts about the structure.
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