Bedian

Bedian is a village in Pakistani Punjab in the Kasur District, close to the India-Pakistan border. The village is believed to have been founded by the Sikh preacher Baba Sahib Singh Bedi during the region of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and his descendants and followers populated the village. After the partition of India, Pakistan built the Bambawali-Ravi-Bedian Canal (BRB Canal), bringing waters from the Chenab River to the Upper Bari Doab Canal, as a replacement for the canal waters lost to the Indian Punjab.

Bedian
Village
Bedian
Map showing Bedian in Punjab (Pakistan)
Bedian
Bedian (Pakistan)
Coordinates: 31.3152°N 74.5028°E / 31.3152; 74.5028
Country Pakistan
Province Punjab
DistrictKasur
Founded byBaba Sahib Singh Bedi
Time zoneUTC+5 (PST)

History

It is believed that the village was first settled by the descendants of Baba Sahib Singh Bedi, a descendant of Guru Nanak. Bedi was a contemporary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and put tilak on the Maharaja's forehead during his coronation. The Maharaja is said to have allotted the land of the village to Bedi and his descendants ("Bedian") have lived in the village ever since.[1][2]

After the British East India Company conquered Punjab, it created the Upper Bari Doab Canal (UBDC) system, bringing waters from the Ravi River to irrigate lands in the Bari doab (the interfluvial regions between the Ravi and Beas-Sutlej rivers). The main branch of the UBDC ran through the village of Bedian.

During the partition of India, the Radcliffe Line that divided Punjab into West Punjab (Pakistan) and East Punjab (India) fell close to Bedian. The Sikhs living in Bedian abandoned the village and moved to India. Bedian is now populated by Mazhabi Sikhs that converted to Christianity to avoid persecution.[1]

After partition, the Indian Punjab claimed proprietary rights to the waters of the UBDC. To avoid dependence on Indian Punjab, Pakistan created the Bambawali-Ravi-Bedian Canal, bringing waters from the Chenab River to replace those of the Indian UBDC. The old channels of the UBDC in Pakistan continue to be used with water from the BRB canal and other link canals.[3]

Transportation

Bedian has a direct road to Lahore, which is called the Bedian Road.

The distance to the Lahore city centre about 30 kilometres (19 mi). The distance to the outskirts of Lahore, along the Hudiara drain, is 20 kilometres (12 mi).

The Bedian Road is home to much active development of residential areas around Lahore.[4]

References
  1. Haroon Khalid, To escape Partition violence in Lahore, these Hindus and Sikhs converted to Christianity, Scroll.in, 16 September 2016.
  2. Haroon Khalid, This village near Lahore serves as a reminder of Sikhism’s diverse past, Dawn, 21 May 2018.
  3. Gilmartin, David (2020), Blood and Water: The Indus River Basin in Modern History, Univ of California Press, p. 212, ISBN 978-0-520-35553-8
  4. Bedian Road Lahore, zameen.com, retrieved 8 May 2020.
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