The Partition Museum is housed at the historic Town Hall building in Amritsar, a 5 - 7 minute walk from the Golden Temple. With its arched verandahs, doors with venetian glass, beautiful floor tiles, and the historic belfry (the bell was cast in 1897), the Town Hall is an apt home for the Partition Museum. It is located in the newly renovated Heritage Plaza.
The period from 1930 to 1945 was a time of turmoil and saw the rise of the Indian National Movement in full strength. Among several events that took place, a few crucial ones that defined the course of the movement included the Three Round Table Conferences, the passing of the Government of India Act 1935, the coining of the name “PAK-STAN” by Choudhry Rahmat Ali and World War II. Thousands of Indians were sent to jail during this period.
In the last gallery in the Museum, visitors are encouraged to leave their thoughts and comments on green leaves, which are placed on the “Tree of Hope”. Visitors share their thoughts and comments and help us “green” the Tree of Hope.
This pocket watch belonged to Pt. Devi Dass of Nowshera, Pakistan. He got separated from his family and for weeks they had no news of him. One day, an acquaintance of Devi Dass, Kishori Lal was helping with the mass cremation of unclaimed bodies when he recognized the body of Devi Dass. He removed the watch from his pocket and later advertised in a daily newspaper, asking any surviving family members to collect the watch from him. That advertisement was how the family came to know he was no more. Generously donated by Sudershana Kumari.
Gauhar Singh Waraich received this medal for his service to the British Indian Army as Junior Commissioned Officer. He retired in January 1947 and returned to his family. But once the riots started he was called upon to serve at the refugee camps. His ailing wife and five children navigated their journey from Radiala to Amritsar on their own. His wife died of tuberculosis and was no more when he was finally reunited with his family in November 1947. Generously donated by his great-grandson Gurshamshir Waraich.
These spectacles date to 1934 and were used by Amal Shome’s father who belonged to Mymensingh, East Pakistan now Bangladesh. The family migrated to West Bengal, India in 1951. Generously donated by Amal Shome.
