Fond of Collecting Antiques, Retired Teacher Turns Home Into 'Museum of Memories'

Bathinda (Punjab): With several antique collections from across the world, Hardarshan Singh Sohal, Punjab-based retired teacher has turned his home into a museum and named it as 'Umrao Haveli'. Singh who always wanted to have an antiques museum to exhibit his collection of items including traditional Punjabi dress, cameras, belongings from the time of the British rule, and even age-old 'Madhani' (Churn), a machine used to make butter by churning milk or cream.  

Talking to ETV Bharat, Sohal said, "People are leaving behind their culture and tradition in villages to settle in cities.  I have lived in Chandigarh during my childhood days and spent my teenage life in Patiala. I have been living in Bathinda for the last 30-35 years. I have a keen interest in heritage. I am also fond of making paintings related to our heritage."

Sohal further said, "I collected all these antiques including heritage jewellry and vessels because of my interest in heritage. This is the reason I came back to my village. I would not have been able to buy even a small piece of land in city in the cost I have built my home and museum here."

He said, "It was my strong belief that wherever I may go and set up this museum, people like me who are fond of preserving heritage, would definitely visit this place. They would even visit villages for that."  

"I have collected item not only from Punjab and other Indian states but also from Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and even from UK and America. He also said that he has spent his life's savings on this museum but his family who initially was against this also supported him later on to pursue his passion," he added.  

After his retirment, Hardarshan Singh Sohal now works as an art professor in Maharaja Ranjit Singh University.