British town set to be Amritsar’s twin city

London, July 7

A small town in the East Anglia region of England will become the twin city of Amritsar as it observes the 125th death anniversary of Duleep Singh, last Maharaja of the Sikh empire, with a two-week-long Punjabi festival.

Thetford in Norfolk was home to Duleep Singh and the organisers of the Festival of Thetford and Punjab believe the town has strong resonance with the lush fields, intense farming activity and livestock grazing of the Indian state. “Elveden Manor in Thetford was home to the last Maharaja of Punjab for many years and Thetfordians are extremely proud of their unusual resident,” explains Seema Anand, a historian and storyteller behind a special ‘Punjab to Thetford’ film, which will be screened on the last day of the festival on July 21.

“But perhaps Duleep Singh coming to live in Thetford was not just mere coincidence. From his statue in the town centre, which is almost an extract replica of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s statue in Company Bagh in Amritsar, to the landscape of Norfolk, there seems to be an almost karmic connection between the two places,” she said.

The festival, is planned as a cultural celebration as well as an exploration of the story of Duleep Singh and his cultural legacy. — PTI