Palace of Maharaja Sher Singh

This palace in Batala began as one of Maharaja Ranjit Singh's summer residences, used during his visits to the town, which later became his son Maharaja Sher Singh's house. This was one of the venues of a great deal of entertainment as it was here, and at Dinanagar, that Ranjit Singh spent the summer months. Maharaja Sher Singh was born in Batala in 1807, along with his twin Tara Singh. The twins lived with their mother Mehtab Kaur, and maternal grandmother Sada Kaur in Batala for their entire childhoods till the death of Sada Kaur. The estate of Batala-Mukerian was subsequently given to Sher Singh. A soldier by training and fluent in English, Sher Singh was also a supporter of the arts, and it was he who had this haveli-style residence raised beside the tank associated with Shamsher Khan. Its architecture still shows a blend of European touches layered onto a traditionally Punjabi design. Sher Singh's reign ended in 1843, when he was assassinated by the Sandhawalia Sardars at the Shah Bilawal Baradari. Following the British takeover of Punjab, the palace was leased out for 99 years to Christian missionaries, who used it from 1878 to found what eventually grew into Baring Union Christian College. The building today serves as the college's administrative block. Although that lease expired in 1977, the college has continued to hold the building on rent from the Punjab government since.