Archive · 22 Aug 2026
Sikh Frescoes Vanish as Punjab’s Gurdwaras Undergo Renovation
The Golden Temple complex and other Sikh sites once had colorful paintings on their walls and ceilings.
These paintings showed Sikh gurus, Sikh warriors and Hindu religious figures.
Some of the paintings were inside the Akal Takht in Amritsar.
Many disappeared when the Akal Takht was rebuilt after Operation Blue Star in 1984.
One historian remembers a painting of Hanuman and Lakshman that has vanished.
An expert says much Sikh heritage in Punjab has been lost during renovation.
This means people may no longer be able to see important examples of older Sikh art.
The article argues that preserving old buildings and paintings helps people stay connected to history.
Frescoes once inside the Akal Takht depicted Sikh gurus, Sikh warriors and Hindu deities.
Historian Roopinder Singh says many Akal Takht murals disappeared after its reconstruction in the mid-1980s.
The reconstruction followed the destruction caused by Operation Blue Star in 1984.
Historian Surinder Kochar recalls a vividly colored fresco of Hanuman and Lakshman that is no longer there.
Conservation architect Gurmeet Rai estimates that 90% of Punjab’s Sikh heritage has been lost through renovation since the 1980s.
- Who
- Sikh historians Roopinder Singh and Surinder Kochar, conservation architect Gurmeet Rai, and writer William Dalrymple are quoted discussing the frescoes and their loss.
- What
- Historic Sikh frescoes and heritage structures have disappeared or been damaged through destruction, rebuilding and renovation.
- When
- Many losses occurred after 1984 and during rebuilding in the mid-1980s; Rai refers to continued losses since the 1980s.
- Where
- The Akal Takht in Amritsar and other Sikh heritage sites in Punjab, including gurdwaras.
- Why
- The article attributes the losses to destruction during Operation Blue Star, subsequent rebuilding and renovation carried out without sufficient preservation.
- Primary site mentioned
- Akal Takht, Amritsar
- Depicted subjects
- Sikh gurus, Sikh warriors and Hindu deities
- Reconstruction period
- Mid-1980s
- Related event
- Operation Blue Star in 1984
- Recalled missing fresco
- Hanuman and Lakshman in vivid colors
- Estimated heritage loss
- Gurmeet Rai estimates that 90% of Punjab’s Sikh heritage has been lost since the 1980s through renovation.