CHAKWAL: The historic Vahali village erupted into an unusual festivity as its residents opened their arms and hearts to receive the descendants of the Sardars of Vahali who visited their native village for the first time after getting uprooted 76 years ago in the wake of 1947 partition.

Heart-warming and moving scenes were witnessed as three Sikh men and their wives from the United States arrived in the village, founded by their forefathers, and stayed there for three hours on Nov 29.

Located in the picturesque Jhangar Valley of Tehsil Choa Saidan Shah, the village used to be the capital of Vahali state before the partition. Its founders, the Sardars of Vahali of Johar clan, were not only the leading land owners but also had been at the helm in the courts of Mughal and Sikh emperors.

The visitors were Sardar Mokshinder Singh Vahali, Sardar Dilveer Singh Vahali and and Rajinder Singh Mahil – all accompanied by their wives.

The villagers, who had gathered at the main road before the arrival of the much-awaited guests, showered rose petals on them and escorted them amidst the beat of Dhol (drum) to the village school which used to be the residence of Sardar Hari Singh, the grandfather of Sardar Mokshinder before partition.

The local singers presented folk songs and some of the students performed traditional Luddi.

Tears were also seen rolling down the eyes of the honourable guests as they kept on touching every wall and door while passing through the winding streets of the small hamlet.

A young man, Nauman Mirza, had arranged a ceremony in honour of the Sikh guests which was also held at the village school. After the ceremony, the excited visitors were taken to the home of Mr Nauman where they were served with desi and traditional food, sweet dishes, Lassi and butter.

Talking to Dawn, 71-year-old Sardar Mokshinder said they would never forget the love, the warm hospitality and affection they received in the village.

“It was our maiden visit to Pakistan and we were nervous but when we entered the village, we were welcomed in such an unprecedented way that it looked like a dream,” said the emotional Sardar.

He said they would keep on visiting Pakistan and particularly Vahali in future also.

The women of the village presented Shawls to the guest women while Chakwal’s speciality Pehlwan Rewri was also presented to the guests.

“We also presented them utensils which we had found from the debris of a Gurdwara,” Nauman said.

Vahali village was burnt to ashes during riots at the time of the partition in which hundreds of people, including women and children, died.

One of the ancestors of Vahali was Sardar Diwan Karn Mal, who served as an adviser in the court of Shahjahan and he advised the Mughal emperor to begin building large-scale projects as it would add to his legacy and create jobs within the kingdom.

Diwan Karn Mal had personally supervised the construction of the Taj Mahal building – Shahjahan’s greatest architectural achievement.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2023