The Samadhi of Ranjit Singh, often called the tomb of Ranjit Singh, is the memorial built on the spot where the Sikh ruler was cremated in 1839. It stands on the north side of Hazuri Bagh in Lahore, between the Fort and Badshahi Mosque, inside the same compound as Gurdwara Dera Sahib. Sikh visitors may enter freely. Everyone else needs written permission from the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), so most people see it from outside.
This guide covers the history, what the building contains, the access rule and the best places to view it.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Location | North side of Hazuri Bagh, between Lahore Fort and Badshahi Mosque |
| Also called | Marhi of Ranjit Singh; tomb of Ranjit Singh |
| Built | Begun August 1839; completed 1848; British repairs finished 1851 |
| Managed by | Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) |
| Entry | Sikh visitors freely; others only with ETPB permission |
| Free viewpoint | Hazuri Bagh, the open square in front |
| Busiest time | Late June, the Maharaja's death anniversary |
| From Lahore railway station | About 4 km |
Who was Ranjit Singh, and why here?
Ranjit Singh founded the Sikh Empire and ruled Punjab from Lahore for four decades. He died on Thursday 27 June 1839. His body was washed, dressed and carried on a sandalwood bier decorated with gold flowers to a pyre just outside the fort wall, and the memorial was raised on that spot.
Four of his queens, the best known being Rani Katochan, and seven concubines burned on the pyre with him in the practice of sati. Three days later his son Kharak Singh collected the ashes, which were taken to Haridwar and scattered in the Ganges.
How it was built
A far grander monument was proposed first: a mausoleum at Shahdara, across the Ravi, modelled on the tomb of Jahangir. In the end a smaller building was started on the cremation site in August 1839, during Kharak Singh's brief reign.
The succession struggles that followed slowed the work. The samadhi is usually dated to 1848, under the boy-king Duleep Singh, though the historian Nadhra Khan argues that it was still unfinished when the British annexed Punjab in 1849. The British administration completed repairs in 1851. Kanhaya Lal, the engineer employed on the work, recorded that the eight interior columns could not carry the dome, so he added eight more and bound cracked marble pillars with iron clamps.
For several decades it served as a gurdwara as well as a memorial, with the Guru Granth Sahib installed inside.
Architecture and what is inside
The building mixes Sikh, Hindu and Islamic elements, which is why some early writers were dismissive of it and why it is interesting now.
- Outside: gilded, fluted domes and cupolas above an ornate balustrade. The doorway carries figures of Ganesh, Devi and Brahma cut in red sandstone, and the dome has a serpent-hood pattern made by Hindu craftsmen. Some of the stonework is believed to have come from Lahore Fort.
- The central urn: a marble urn in the shape of a lotus sits under a marble canopy inlaid with pietra dura, in the middle of the hall. Most descriptions say it holds the Maharaja's ashes.
- The smaller urns: eleven of them, for the four queens and seven concubines. Nadhra Khan reads these as symbolic memorials to the women.
- The ceiling: wooden panels set with stained glass, and glass mosaic work.
- The frescoes: 48 paintings survive on the two levels of the interior, painted between 1839 and 1849 in a blend of Pahari and Punjabi styles. They show the Sikh gurus and scenes from the Hindu epics.
Marble statues of Ganesh and of goddesses, described by Urdu writers in the 1860s, can no longer be traced.
What else is in the compound
Gurdwara Dera Sahib stands next to the samadhi. It marks the place where Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Sikh guru, died in 1606. His son Guru Hargobind built a memorial here in 1619, and the present building with its gilded dome dates from Ranjit Singh's reign.
Two smaller samadhis to the west commemorate Kharak Singh and his son Nau Nihal Singh, with their wives. A samadhi of Maharani Jind Kaur once stood here too and has been demolished.
Who is allowed in?
The rule is simple. Local Sikhs and Sikh pilgrims from abroad may visit. Anyone else needs special permission from the ETPB, the federal body that manages Hindu and Sikh religious property left behind at Partition.
In practice:
- Sikh visitors should carry identification. Pilgrims from India and elsewhere usually come in organised groups hosted by the ETPB, and the complex is at its fullest for the Maharaja's death anniversary in late June. Our guide to the Ranjit Singh barsi in Lahore covers those days.
- Other Pakistani visitors should not expect to be admitted at the gate. Permission has to be requested from the ETPB in Lahore in advance. We could not find a published form, fee or timescale for this, so allow plenty of time and do not build a day around it.
- Foreign tourists who are not Sikh are in the same position as other non-Sikh visitors.
Expect tighter security around the compound during pilgrim visits.
Where to see it from
You do not need to go inside to appreciate the building.
- Hazuri Bagh. The open square between the fort's Alamgiri Gate and the mosque is free to enter, and the samadhi's domes and cupolas rise on its north side. This is the best ground-level view. See our Hazuri Bagh guide.
- The entrance steps of Badshahi Mosque. The samadhi stands at the north-east corner of the mosque, so the domes are close by as you climb to the gateway. See Badshahi Mosque.
- Lahore Fort. The compound faces the fort's Hathi Pol, the Elephant Gate. The fort is ticketed; see Lahore Fort ticket prices.
Photography from public ground is fine; do not photograph security posts or point a camera through the compound gate.
Getting there
The samadhi is at the north-west corner of the Walled City, about 4 km from Lahore railway station. Come by ride-hailing car or rickshaw and expect to walk the last stretch to the square. Our guide to getting around Lahore covers the options.
Allow 15 minutes for the samadhi from outside, and half a day for the fort, mosque and square together. Our guides to the Walled City of Lahore and the Sikh heritage sites in Lahore help with the rest of the day.
Is it worth going for?
As part of a visit to the fort and mosque, certainly: it takes no extra travel, and it completes the story of the square, where Mughal, Sikh and British Lahore meet within a few hundred metres.
As a destination on its own, only if you are Sikh or have ETPB permission in hand. The interior, with its frescoes and lotus urn, is the real interest, and the outside view takes a quarter of an hour.
Frequently asked questions
Can tourists visit the Samadhi of Ranjit Singh?
Sikh visitors can enter. Everyone else needs special permission from the Evacuee Trust Property Board in advance, so most tourists view it from Hazuri Bagh.
Where is the Samadhi of Ranjit Singh?
In Lahore, on the north side of Hazuri Bagh, between Lahore Fort and Badshahi Mosque and beside Gurdwara Dera Sahib.
What is inside the samadhi?
A lotus-shaped marble urn under an inlaid marble canopy, eleven smaller urns for the queens and concubines who died on his pyre, and 48 surviving frescoes of Sikh and Hindu subjects.
When was the Samadhi of Ranjit Singh built?
Work began in August 1839, weeks after his death, and the building is usually dated to 1848. Repairs under the British were finished in 1851.
Is there an entry ticket?
We found no published ticket price. Entry depends on who you are, not on a fee: it is open to Sikh visitors and by ETPB permission to others.
When is the Ranjit Singh death anniversary?
He died on 27 June 1839, and the anniversary is marked at the samadhi and Gurdwara Dera Sahib in late June each year, with pilgrims arriving from India.
