An article published in HT LIVE of Hindustan Times

Eminent Social reformer traces her roots at Kurukshetra

From Vijay Sabharwal

Kurukshetra: Geeta Bhawan, an old temple situated on the eastern bank of the holy Brahma-sarovar here is popular with tourists to the area, as well with locals, in large part because of its beautifully-designed building. Entering the temple, one is drawn towards a statue that is inscribed as that of ‘Raja of Reewa’, Venkataraman Singh, who donated money to build the temple.

Geeta Bhawan Kurukshetra

Close to the statue is a big portrait of an anonymous, turbaned gentleman, whose identity has remained a mystery. Often, pilgrims enquire about the identity of the man whose portrait is so prominently displayed within the temple, but neither the ‘pundit’ nor the manager had any answer to that question. Till Tuesday. That is when a 97-year-old freedom fighter and social worker, Indira Pasricha, visited the temple

Indira revealed that the portrait was that of her ‘Nana’ (maternal grandfather), Diwan Tek Chand, who was the Commissioner of Ambala Division in 1923, when this temple was built.

Diwan Tek Chand ICS

Indira had come to Chandigarh last week from Delhi to participate in a function organised by the Punjab University to release a commemorative postage stamp by the Department of Posts to mark the 150^th birth anniversary of a well-known educationist, scientist and religious reformist, Ruchi Ram Sahni. Ruchi Ram Sahni was also a trustee of the Tribune Trust that publishes the Tribune newspaper.

Grand-daughter of Sahni, Indira got excited when she met the Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University, Lt. Gen. (retd) Dr. D.D.D.S. Sandhu, at the event. She told Dr. Sandhu that she had learnt that a portrait of her ‘nana’ is adorned at a temple in Kurukshetra but that it did not carry his name or any form of identification. She expressed her desire to visit Kurukshetra and to identify the photograph so that his name could be mentioned on the portrait. Dr. Sandhu promptly offered to help.

After Indira’s visit to the Geeta Bhawan temple, the authorities and Pundit B.P. Pathak verified from family photographs that the portrait was, indeed, of Diwan Tek Chand, and declared that his identity would be displayed alongside the display henceforth.

Indira recalls that Tek Chand went on to do his Bar-at-Law from Middle Temple, London, after completing his B.A. from Lahore and Cambridge. He was selected for the ICS in London, in 1895, and returned to India thereafter.  He was appointed Assistant Commissioner, Hoshiarpur, in December, 1895, and was probably one of the first few Indian ICS officers. He went on to become the Commissioner of Ambala Division in 1923. Tek Chand was a scholar of Persian and, after studying in Egypt, obtained an honours degree in 1910. He was awarded the OBE (Order of the British Empire) in 1918 for rendering valuable service during the First World War. He was a member of the Viceroy’s council and designated ‘The Honourable’.

Amongst the public buildings whose development he had overseen was one in Nankana Sahib in 1914, the Clock Tower in Ludhiana and the Geeta Bhawan at Kurukshetra. He died while Commissioner of Ambala in 1928, at the age of 58.