The historical monument of Pul Moran.
Credit: Photo by author
Just as we land in Punjab’s Amritsar, a cross-border romance hits the city’s cinema halls... on a whim, we watch the film Jee Ve Sohneya Jee (directed by Thaparr), starring popular Pakistani actor Imran Abbas and Indian actress Simi Chahal, in lead roles. It somehow feels fitting to watch a cross-border collaboration, what with the ‘other side’ just over 30 km away.
‘The other side’ is a constant presence as you make your way through the border city of Amritsar. As you walk through the walled city with its narrow gullies and crumbling havelis, you can’t but stop and stare at the terraces, the nameplates on doors, and the dates etched on walls. It looks like someone’s stopped the clock and you are in pre-Partition India. Is the famed androon shehr of Lahore similar to the walled city of Amritsar, you wonder? You look for shades of ‘the other’ everywhere — in the markets, the architecture, the old homes from pre-Partition, the phulkari (embroidered florals on cloth) and the juttis (shoes). We get a taste here and there — Pakistani suits sold in every bazaar, a ‘Rawalpindi Electrical Works’ board somewhere, the Lahori Gate from where, our rickshaw driver tells us, buses would start to Lahore. All the while, wherever you go, every Amritsari autowallah will accost you with cries of ‘Wagah border’, ‘Wagah border’ and offer you a package deal.
The typical things to do when you visit Amritsar is to head to the dazzling Golden Temple and the Wagah-Attari border to witness the lowering of the flags every evening. Thousands gather daily at the stadium to cheer on the Indian BSF men, ahead of the grand showmanship with the Pakistani Rangers. But if you really want to get a sense of how a fence separates, it is a good idea to head to Pul Moran, a monument of love adjacent to the last outpost of the Indian BSF-BOP (border outpost) Pul Moran.
As you head out from Amritsar either via the NH3 or the Grand Trunk Road, turn right once you cross Attari. The road passes through vast stretches of fields (our driver points out a couple of bunkers) before it ends at Pul Moran. The site stands as a testament to a love story that played out at the very beginning of the 19th century between Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780 to 1839) and a dancing girl called Moran, who later became Moran Sarkar. Legend has it that the courtesan who’d perform at the royal court had to cross a canal linked to River Ravi, and while doing so, lost her silver footwear gifted by the king. The Maharaja, who was so smitten by her intellect and beauty, ordered that a bridge be built across the canal. The king also built a small stepped sarovar (tank), with a mosque, gurdwara and a temple.
At the monument, we have for company, a bunch of young people busy with a pre-wedding shoot. One of the boys accompanying the couple is helpfully gathering fallen leaves for some special effects during the shoot. Later, as I scroll through reels on Instagram, I realise that the site is a popular spot for such shoots — the border in the backdrop and the fields stretching endlessly add so much romance. The stillness at the spot, interrupted by the occasional chatter of the pre-wedding troupe, gives you goosebumps. You squint your eyes in the afternoon sun, beyond the spectacular mustard patch, to focus on the fence that separates two nations — a distance of 75 years and a breath away!
Distances of religion or social status did not dissuade Maharaja Ranjit Singh from eventually marrying Moran and bringing her to his royal residence. According to a biography of the king by author Khushwant Singh (Ranjit Singh: Maharajah of the Punjab), “Mohran enjoyed Ranjit Singh’s confidence for many years, and the Maharaja had a coin minted in her honour.” In a footnote, he says: “The Arsiwala Sikka (currency of the mirrored ring) is said to have been issued in imitation of the currency of the East India Company, which bore the profile of Queen Victoria. These coins have the figure of a peacock; the Punjabi plural for the bird being Moran.”
Khushwant Singh also cites court diarist Sohan Lal Suri’s records of the Maharaja’s reaction when he saw British Governor General Lord William Bentinck help his wife step off a boat. “The Maharaja said that at that moment he was reminded of Bibi Mohran for he had exactly the same kind of love and understanding with her that he could not bear separation from her even for a moment.” It is said that the king built a mosque for her in Pappar Mandi in Lahore’s old city. The mosque, called Mai Moran Masjid or Masjid Moran Sarkar, still stands in Lahore. But back to present-day Pul Moran. Opposite the monument of love is a war memorial — a commemorative structure to pay tribute to the Indian soldiers who fought during the 1971 war with Pakistan. The land we stand on was briefly held by Pakistan in the 1965 and 1971 wars. Pul Moran was reclaimed by India in December 1971. While I look up at the sky, I make eye contact with the BSF patrol woman standing vigil on the terrace of the border outpost. She keeps a close watch on the handful of visitors to the site. As I head back, I spot a black bird flying freely and landing on a nearby branch. Did it fly in from ‘the other side’?
Getting there
You can plan a visit to Pul Moran before you head to the Wagah Border for the beating the retreat ceremony. Pul Moran is about 5 km from the border and approximately 35 km from the Amritsar Railway Station. There is no entry ticket for the border ceremony but it is better to book your slots online a day in advance at https://attari.bsf.gov.in/bsf/ Expect bigger crowds over weekends and national holidays like Republic Day and Independence Day.