CHANDIGARH, Punjab—The Lahore based residence of Maharaja Duleep Singh’s daughter Princess Bamba Sophia has been demolished. Notably, Princess Bamba had spent the last moments of her life in this house after the death of her father Maharaja Duleep Singh.
After arriving in Lahore, Princess Bamba had purchased House No. 104 in the A-Block of Lahore’s Model Town, which she named “Gulzaar” and she breathed her last in this house on March 10, 1957, i.e. at the age of 88 years. Her mortal remains were buried in the English graveyard situated on the Jail road of Lahore.
In November-1955, Princess Sophia had changed her will in the presence of two witnesses about 15 months before her death. In her new will, she had transferred the rights of managing her properties including her residence “Gulzaar”, Plot No. 103, and all the UK based precious articles to a Muslim man named Qarim Bakhsh Sapra.
In 1960, the Pakistan government had purchased all the UK based precious articles by paying 14,000 pounds to Qarim Bakhsh. These precious articles included 18 Oil paintings, 14 Water color paintings, 22 ivory made idols, 17 other paintings, 10 metallic articles and 7 other precious objects. All these precious articles have now been placed in the Sikh Art Gallery of Lahore’s royal fort under the title “Princess Bamba’s Collections”.
