Zulamgarh : a terror house for the guilty
In the days when kings and queens ruled over different areas of the Indian subcontinent and the British were trying to gain a foothold, it is said that there reigned a queen in Ambala City.
The queen was a strong believer in justice and her punishment was enough to send shivers down the spines of the guilty. For she would not hesitate to pass a decree that a thief’s hands be chopped off or chilli powder be put into the eyes of an eve-teaser. The severity of the punishment led to the queen’s abode being called “Zulamgarh”.
It is said that Rani Daya Kaur used to reign over an area in Ambala City that used to stretch up to the Ghaggar. Rani Daya Kaur’s once beautiful home is today located among the serpentine lanes of Ambala City. Except for a small portion of the wall, the queen’s abode is practically non-existent.
Rani Daya Kaur had an ADC called Diwan Sipahi Mal Bhandari. The ADC was a confidante of the queen. Sepoy Mohalla in Ambala City is believed to have derived its name from Diwan Sipahi Mal Bhandari.
A descendant of Diwan Sipahi Mal Bhandari, Mr Anil Bhandari, said Rani Daya Kaur was a just queen. “We have heard from the older generation that if a thief was caught and the charge against him was proved, she would order his hands to be chopped off,” he said.
Mr Bhandari said during digging at “Zulamgarh”, a torture instrument was recovered. “An instrument used to chop off the hand was found during the digging. It was a wooden instrument. The hands of the guilty person would be affixed and then a heavy “gandasa” or blade would fall on the hands, severing it,” he said.
Legend has it that Rani Daya Kaur did not allow anybody to wear the red colour in her presence. “Rani Daya Kaur felt that the red colour was a challenge to her authority. No woman was allowed to wear the colour. Even the wearing of a red colour turban was not permitted. If anybody was found wearing red colour, the person would be punished,” Mr Anil Bhandari said.
Rani Daya Kaur used to take bath in a nearby well. A special underground pathway had been constructed so that she could go up to the well unnoticed. The well has today been covered. The well was covered after an animal fell into it a couple of years back.
Mr Kuldip Singh Gullu, vice-president of the district unit of Congress, Ambala City, who today resides at the spot where “Zulamgarh” used to stand, said Rani Daya Kaur’s home was built on a raised ground.
Mr Gullu now runs a dairy there. “Before, I came here, a coal depot was present,” he said. “Despite our consistent effort in digging, nothing substantial emerged from “Zulamgarh”. We have only got some cutlery pieces during digging. A few days back we recovered a broken spoon,” he added.
The boundary wall is the only remnant of the once bustling queen’s home. The use of thin bricks is typical of the bygone era. The walls which are still standing are thick. A local said, portions of Rani’s home stood as late as two decades ago. “We had seen up to eight to nine rooms which were present in “Zulamgarh,” Mr Bhandari said.
Mahant Prem Dass Shastri of Bada Thakurdwara said Rani Daya Kaur had once sought assistance from the then Mahant of Bada Thakurdwara. “I have been told that Rani Daya Kaur’s kingdom was up to the Ghaggar. Across the river, it was the kingdom of the Maharaja of Patiala who was a powerful king,” he said.
He said once the Maharaja of Patiala had planned to annex the kingdom of Rani Daya Kaur. “Rani Daya Kaur was aware that the Maharaja of Patiala was a formidable opponent. She then approached the then Mahant Ayodhya Das. He gave her a “vibhuti” and directed her to sprinkle it on her “riyasat,” he said.
“I am told that after Rani Daya Kaur had sprinkled the “Vibhuti”, the army of the Maharaja of Patiala did not enter the Rani’s “riyasat” and they returned from the border,” he said.
In the days when kings and queens ruled over different areas of the Indian subcontinent and the British were trying to gain a foothold, it is said that there reigned a queen in Ambala City.
The queen was a strong believer in justice and her punishment was enough to send shivers down the spines of the guilty. For she would not hesitate to pass a decree that a thief’s hands be chopped off or chilli powder be put into the eyes of an eve-teaser. The severity of the punishment led to the queen’s abode being called “Zulamgarh”.
It is said that Rani Daya Kaur used to reign over an area in Ambala City that used to stretch up to the Ghaggar. Rani Daya Kaur’s once beautiful home is today located among the serpentine lanes of Ambala City. Except for a small portion of the wall, the queen’s abode is practically non-existent.
Rani Daya Kaur had an ADC called Diwan Sipahi Mal Bhandari. The ADC was a confidante of the queen. Sepoy Mohalla in Ambala City is believed to have derived its name from Diwan Sipahi Mal Bhandari.
A descendant of Diwan Sipahi Mal Bhandari, Mr Anil Bhandari, said Rani Daya Kaur was a just queen. “We have heard from the older generation that if a thief was caught and the charge against him was proved, she would order his hands to be chopped off,” he said.
Mr Bhandari said during digging at “Zulamgarh”, a torture instrument was recovered. “An instrument used to chop off the hand was found during the digging. It was a wooden instrument. The hands of the guilty person would be affixed and then a heavy “gandasa” or blade would fall on the hands, severing it,” he said.
Legend has it that Rani Daya Kaur did not allow anybody to wear the red colour in her presence. “Rani Daya Kaur felt that the red colour was a challenge to her authority. No woman was allowed to wear the colour. Even the wearing of a red colour turban was not permitted. If anybody was found wearing red colour, the person would be punished,” Mr Anil Bhandari said.
Rani Daya Kaur used to take bath in a nearby well. A special underground pathway had been constructed so that she could go up to the well unnoticed. The well has today been covered. The well was covered after an animal fell into it a couple of years back.
Mr Kuldip Singh Gullu, vice-president of the district unit of Congress, Ambala City, who today resides at the spot where “Zulamgarh” used to stand, said Rani Daya Kaur’s home was built on a raised ground.
Mr Gullu now runs a dairy there. “Before, I came here, a coal depot was present,” he said. “Despite our consistent effort in digging, nothing substantial emerged from “Zulamgarh”. We have only got some cutlery pieces during digging. A few days back we recovered a broken spoon,” he added.
The boundary wall is the only remnant of the once bustling queen’s home. The use of thin bricks is typical of the bygone era. The walls which are still standing are thick. A local said, portions of Rani’s home stood as late as two decades ago. “We had seen up to eight to nine rooms which were present in “Zulamgarh,” Mr Bhandari said.
Mahant Prem Dass Shastri of Bada Thakurdwara said Rani Daya Kaur had once sought assistance from the then Mahant of Bada Thakurdwara. “I have been told that Rani Daya Kaur’s kingdom was up to the Ghaggar. Across the river, it was the kingdom of the Maharaja of Patiala who was a powerful king,” he said.
He said once the Maharaja of Patiala had planned to annex the kingdom of Rani Daya Kaur. “Rani Daya Kaur was aware that the Maharaja of Patiala was a formidable opponent. She then approached the then Mahant Ayodhya Das. He gave her a “vibhuti” and directed her to sprinkle it on her “riyasat,” he said.
“I am told that after Rani Daya Kaur had sprinkled the “Vibhuti”, the army of the Maharaja of Patiala did not enter the Rani’s “riyasat” and they returned from the border,” he said.
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