Bedi Mahal, Kallar Syedan: History, Frescoes and Architecture

Bedi Mahal is a historic mansion in Kallar Syedan, Punjab, associated with the influential Sikh religious leader Baba Khem Singh Bedi (1832–1905). Traditionally regarded as a descendant of Guru Nanak, he played a prominent religious, educational and political role in nineteenth-century Punjab.

The mansion is especially valuable for its carved woodwork, courtyards and murals depicting figures from Sikh, Hindu and Muslim traditions. It forms part of the wider religious and architectural heritage of the Potohar region.

Who was Baba Khem Singh Bedi?

Baba Khem Singh Bedi was a prominent Sikh religious leader and landholder during the British colonial period. He claimed direct descent from Guru Nanak through the Bedi family line and became influential among Sikh communities in western Punjab.

He supported educational and charitable projects and was also involved in colonial-era public affairs. His political position and relationship with the British administration should be understood within the complicated power structures of nineteenth-century Punjab rather than reduced to either praise or condemnation.

Claims concerning particular military actions, land grants, titles and the exact number of schools he supported require citation from dependable historical sources.

To explore another surviving multi-faith site in the region, visit the Hindu temple and Sikh heritage of Gulyana. The nearby Sangini Fort.

While the influence of Mughals had reduced considerably in the Punjab region in the last part of the 1700s, the Sikh had risen to prominence. Baba Khem Singh during this time, being a spiritual leader, was very useful to the Colonials in preaching secularism, keeping dissent under check, and sending recruits for the British.

Baba Khem Singh fitted perfectly with the colonials’ plans like a Tee. He participated in suppressing the native rebellion in Gujera (Sahiwal) in 1857, personally leading cavalry charge and clearing routes.

For his loyalty to the crown as a ‘friendly native’, he was awarded the whole gamut of titles, powers, and lands in Western Punjab, now part of Pakistan. The privileges included magisterial powers, knighthood, and an invitation to King Edward VII’s coronation, etc. He was gifted vast agricultural lands appropriated by the British from the Muslim notables and distributed to their ‘loyalists’.

Baba Khem Singh’s descendants also sent soldiers to fight British battles including the 1^st world war.

Baba Khem Singh was a huge philanthropist as well. Naturally, Sikhs’ being a minority (3%) anointed to rule by the British, had to be generous, in order to stay influential in a majority Muslim population. He was known to have organized the construction of 50 schools and paid seed money for a college in Rawalpindi.

Despite his generosity, he still had money to splurge on a castle in the center of impoverished Kallar Syedan. The four-story castle had its own stables, dog kennels, a zoo, and servant quarters. The bottom floor was the basement, probably to hide in, in case barbarians ran them over. Only the Muslim servants were allowed inside the premises.

One octogenarian described in his memoir the first time at his teenage that he saw the inside of the Bedi Mahal after the Sikhs left in 1947. All the 5000 Sikhs’ of the surrounding area had gathered at the Bedi Mahal compound during the religious riots and were driven in army convoys to safety. No one was killed here.

Architecture of Bedi Mahal

Bedi Mahal was reportedly completed during the nineteenth century. The large complex included residential rooms, a guesthouse, courtyards, galleries, stables and service areas.

Despite its deteriorating condition, the mansion retains carved wooden doors, brass fittings, jharokhas, covered walkways and ornamental corner features. These surviving details reveal the craftsmanship and resources invested in the building.

Frescoes and religious imagery

The frescoes are the most remarkable feature of Bedi Mahal. Images associated with Sikh, Hindu and Muslim history appear around the courtyard and within the residential areas.

The upper section of the mansion contains paintings of the Golden Temple, Guru Nanak, religious gatherings and female figures that may represent Hindu deities. These identifications should remain cautious until the murals are examined by a qualified art historian.

Similar shared religious imagery can be seen inside the historic temple at Gulyana. Readers can also explore our broader guides to Sikh gurdwaras in Pakistan and Hindu temples in Pakistan.

The top deck of the Bedi Mahal still overlooks Kallar Syedan like a king. I could see the town’s Hindu temple and agricultural well in the distance.

We then went up to the zanankhana at the forehead of the Mahal and it had images of the Golden temple, Amritsar, and several religious gatherings, mostly depicting Guru Nanak and some Hindu lady deity.  There was a wood-carved separation as well. I wish someone could decipher the frescoes for me.

I am not sure what Baba Khem Singh Bedi has with Bucho Kalan, I could still hear Sikh devotees chant Dhan Dhan Baba Khem Singh Ji! echoing off the Bedi Mahal walls.

Bedian road that leads to Amritsar, pre-partition was also Bedi family heartland. Kabir Bedi of Mahabharata fame was born here.

The Bedi family tree is as distinguished as Sant Baba Khem Singh Bedi Ji himself. Where do I even start? Mahalaxmi Bedi, Kiran Bedi Maharashtra (actress), Rakesh Bedi (surgical strike), Manendar Singh Bedi MD. Maybe Pakistan needs to bring back the sons of the soil to their motherland as you cannot take the soil out of the man.

In the courtyard of the castle is the gaddi (grave) of a Muslim Sufi saint, kept there by the Bedi as a testament to their secular outlook. Besides the grave is the Sikh symbol erected on top of a metal pole.

Fifteen years in the making (ending 1855), Bedi Mahal (Castle) was abandoned in 1947. It was converted to a primary school and General Tikka Khan is one of its alumni. Now know why I keep searching through haunted houses while others make it to generals — it was the school building!

Why Bedi Mahal matters

Bedi Mahal is not merely an abandoned mansion. Its architecture and murals preserve evidence of Potohar’s Sikh history and the region’s interconnected artistic traditions. Careful documentation and conservation are essential because exposure, neglect and inappropriate restoration could permanently damage its surviving paintings.

Visitors should confirm current access, seek permission before entering and avoid touching the frescoes or climbing unstable sections. A visit can be combined with the heritage sites of Gulyana and Sangini Fort.