Shaheedan da Khu or Kalianwala Khu is a
well
A well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, or drilling to access liquid resources, usually water. The oldest and most common kind of well is a water well, to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The ...
near
Ajnala in northwestern India. The bodies of Indian soldiers killed during the Sepoy mutiny of 1857 were disposed of here, over 60 of which were recovered in 2014.
Disposal and recovery of bodies
During the 1857 Sepoy mutiny, many Indian soldiers revolted against the British. Around 500 revolted at
Mian Mir
Baba Sain Mir Mohammed Sahib (c. 1550 – 22 August 1635), popularly known as Mian Mir or Miyan Mir, was a famous Sindhi Sufi Muslim saint who resided in Lahore, specifically in the town of ''Dharampura'' (in present-day Pakistan). He was a d ...
Cantonment in
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...
. They swam across the
Ravi River
The Ravi River () is a transboundary river crossing northwestern India and eastern Pakistan. It is one of five rivers associated with the Punjab region.
Under the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, the waters of the Ravi and two other rivers were ...
to reach the town of
Ajnala, now in
Amritsar district
Amritsar district is one of the twenty three districts that make up the Indian state of Punjab. Located in the Majha region of Punjab, the city of Amritsar is the headquarters of this district.
As of 2011, it is the second most populous distr ...
. Of them, 218 were killed by British soldiers at Dadian Sofian village near Ajnala. The remaining 282 were stuffed in a small room, where many died of asphyxiation. The rest were shot dead and their bodies were thrown into a well, which was later named "Kalianwala Khu" and "
Shaheed
''Shaheed'' ( , , ; pa, ਸ਼ਹੀਦ) denotes a martyr in Islam. The word is used frequently in the Quran in the generic sense of "witness" but only once in the sense of "martyr" (i.e. one who dies for his faith); ...
an da Khu".
In February 2014, the remains of 22 of the soldiers were dug out from the well. The incident came to light after it was reported in major newspapers. On further digging on 1 March 2014, 40 more bodies were recovered.
Gallery
Inscription of Kalianwala Khu ( Black well) or Shaheedan da Khu.jpg,
Kalianwala Khu ( Black well) or Shaheedan da Khu 02.jpg,
References
* {{cite news , title=After 157 years, 22 bodies extricated from 'Shaheedan da Khu' , url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/After-157-years-22-bodies-extricated-from-Shaheedan-da-Khu/articleshow/31183298.cms , work=Times of India , date=28 February 2014
Battles of the Indian Rebellion of 1857
1857 in India