Gobindgarh Fort is a historic military fort located in center of the city of Amritsar in the Indian state of Punjab. Eight generation descendants of Maharaja Ranjit Singh have staked claim on Fort Gobindgarh,[1] besides they have also demanded from the government to bring back the relics of Maharaja Dalip Singh, the last Maharaja of the Sikh empire, from UK and cremate here according to the Sikh rituals. Jaswinder Singh , seventh generation descendant of Rattan Singh, the youngest son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh from his second wife Raj Kaur, along with other descendants, including Harvinder Singh, Tejinder Singh and Surjit Singh met chief secretary, cultural affairs, archeology and museum department in Chandigarh to stake their claim. He claimed that they were the legal heirs of the fort which was made during the period of Maharaja Ranjit Singh . He said they had also submitted government records in which their names had appeared. Some of the documents include sajra nasbe, kursi nama (which proves that Rattan Singh was born from the second wife of Maharaja Ranjit Singh) painting of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his son Rattan Singh .
He claimed that they were also the owners of Bazar Gadweian, Katra Dal Singh , in front of main entrance of Golden Temple . Jaswinder Singh, who works with Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee said: " My earnest plea goes to the Punjab government that the families who gave full support in enriching the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh through historical roles, their services and sacrifices are required to be appreciated in adequate measures".

Architecture

The main ingredients used to construct this museum were brick and lime. The 25 huge cannons that adorned the strong iron gates have now given way to weapons of modern varieties. The basic shape of the Fort was that of a square and it was built on 1500 sq. m. There are two strong iron gates, a sturdy rampart and four huge bastions in the fort currently.
While one of the entrances is named Nalwa gate, inspired by the talented Sikh soldier, the other gate is known as Keelar Gate. There is a popular assumption that this gate is closely linked with a secret underground passage that could take them to Lahore Tunnel. Researchers and officials who have tried to authenticate these facts do not wish to believe this assumption, because their results did not prove the presence of any secret passage.
When the British had conquered Punjab, they provided various modifications to the Gobindgarh Fort. The Darbar Hall, Hawa Mahal and the hanging place, known as Phansi Ghar were all additions of the British to the fort. This fort was the abode for a number of Pakistani refugees during partition. The fort was submitted to the Indian Army in October 1948.

Dyer’s Sadism

The Gobindgarh Fort holds a historical significance because it was at these gallows that millions of selfless patriots were executed during the freedom movement. General Dyer’s office was strategically located just on the other side of the Phansi Ghar, and he used to enjoy the executions of millions of Indian warriors.
One has to give full credit for the Armed forces for maintaining this fort exceptionally well, however, there is a debate going on whether the state governments had the capacity of maintaining the fort and bringing it back to its previous grandeur.
Most of the residents of Amritsar are descendants of warriors who were cruelly executed in Phansi Ghar. Therefore, they are all trying to research about the fort and find out if they were able to trace back data pertaining to a family member who was killed many years ago. As a mark of respect for the hundreds of thousands of patriots who were brutally killed by the British during execution at the Phansi Ghar, permission was sought to construct a memorial at this place. The memorial was proposed to salute those warriors who lost their lives during General Dyer’s shocking massacre at the Jalianwala Bagh during 1919.

Best Time to Visit

The months between October and March are ideal for visiting Amritsar as the climate is quite pleasant then.

• Assorted Cheeses and crackers
• Jumbo shrimp with Bloody Mary Cocktail Sauce
• Artichoke Heart Dip with Garlic Crostini
• Vegetable Crudite
• 'Bone Appetite' Baby Back Ribs
• Honey Ginger Glazed Chicken
• Weeping Maui Onion Tartlets
• Dark triple chocolate Brownies
• White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
• Fresh Kona Coffee