Mohinderjit Singh: A Versatile Architect, Sculptor, Painter, and Punjabi Writer Sarbjit Singh Bahga The history of modern Indian architecture revolves around nearly two hundred architects who have/had put effort into documenting and publishing their works. Unfortunately, all the so-called historians rely on this limited material, which is readily available and accessible. India is such a vast country with a rich treasure of outstanding masterpieces of contemporary architecture. Thousands of brilliant architects have worked/are working tirelessly to enrich this treasure, but their works never came to the limelight. This is because people generally don't write about their success stories, and others have no interest or time for that. One such hidden gem of modern Indian architecture is Mohinderjit Singh from Amritsar. He is an architect par excellence, a sculptor, a painter, a Punjabi poet, a story writer, and a novelist. Above all, he is a very noble, humble, soft-spoken, and down-to-earth human being, but publicity shy. He has produced hundreds of remarkable buildings that can be equated with those considered the best in the country, but they have never been published. Mohinderjit Singh (b. 19-06-1934) has six decades of professional experience designing various types of buildings and complexes. He graduated from Panjab University, Chandigarh, with a Bachelor of Arts in 1955 and subsequently studied architecture, completing a B. Arch from the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda in 1960. Mohinderjit Singh established his architectural practice in Amritsar in 1964. Before that, he was a lecturer in the Department of Architecture at the University of Roorkee, Uttarakhand. In 1979, he was appointed as an Architectural Consultant to Tashi Commercial Corporation, Bhutan, for commercial planning and interior design in Phuntsholing, Bhutan. During his 60 years of independent professional practice, Mohinderjit Singh has designed and executed various categories of projects. These include commercial and residential buildings, hospitals, schools, colleges, cinema halls, auditoriums, open-air theatres, factories, monuments, sports complexes, multi-storied office buildings, and housing colonies. Mohinderjit Singh’s architecture is highly creative, functional, and aesthetically pleasing. Due to his exceptional contribution to architecture, he has been conferred with many prestigious awards and honours. Prominent among these are the State Award Parman Patra Gold Medal by the Government of Punjab in 1995, the Silver Plaque by Guru Nanak Dev University during the visit of the Dalai Lama in 1994, and the Best Architect Award of North India by Inside Outside magazine in 2011. Besides his professional field, Mohinderjit Singh remained active in social work through the Rotary Club Amritsar. He served the Club as Secretary, Vice President, and President, besides being Chairman of the Environment Improvement Committee of the Club.

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Mohinderjit Singh:
A Versatile Architect, Sculptor, Painter, and
Punjabi Writer
Sarbjit Singh Bahga

2. 2
The history of modern Indian architecture
revolves around nearly two hundred architects
who have/had put effort into documenting and
publishing their works. Unfortunately, all the so-
called historians rely on this limited material,
which is readily available and accessible. India is
such a vast country with a rich treasure of
outstanding masterpieces of contemporary
architecture. Thousands of brilliant architects
have worked/are working tirelessly to enrich this
treasure, but their works never came to the
limelight. This is because people generally don't
write about their success stories, and others have
no interest or time for that.
One such hidden gem of modern Indian
architecture is Mohinderjit Singh from Amritsar.
He is an architect par excellence, a sculptor, a
painter, a Punjabi poet, a story writer, and a
novelist. Above all, he is a very noble, humble,
soft-spoken, and down-to-earth human being,
but publicity shy. He has produced hundreds of
remarkable buildings that can be equated with
those considered the best in the country, but they
have never been published.
Mohinderjit Singh (b. 19-06-1934) has six
decades of professional experience designing
various types of buildings and complexes. He
graduated from Panjab University, Chandigarh,
with a Bachelor of Arts in 1955 and subsequently
studied architecture, completing a B. Arch from
the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda in
1960. Mohinderjit Singh established his
architectural practice in Amritsar in 1964. Before
that, he was a lecturer in the Department of
Architecture at the University of Roorkee,
Uttarakhand. In 1979, he was appointed as an
Architectural Consultant to Tashi Commercial
Corporation, Bhutan, for commercial planning
Mohinderjit Singh: A Versatile Architect,
Sculptor, Painter, and Punjabi Writer
Sarbjit Singh Bahga
Mohinderjit Singh - A Versatile Architect, Sculptor, Painter,
and Punjabi Writer.
Mohinderjit Singh explains his paintings to Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.

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and interior design in Phuntsholing, Bhutan.
During his 60 years of independent professional
practice, Mohinderjit Singh has designed and
executed various categories of projects. These
include commercial and residential buildings,
hospitals, schools, colleges, cinema halls,
auditoriums, open-air theatres, factories,
monuments, sports complexes, multi-storied
office buildings, and housing colonies.
Mohinderjit Singh’s architecture is highly creative,
functional, and aesthetically pleasing. Due to his
exceptional contribution to architecture, he has
been conferred with many prestigious awards
and honours. Prominent among these are the
State Award Parman Patra Gold Medal by the
Government of Punjab in 1995, the Silver Plaque
by Guru Nanak Dev University during the visit of
the Dalai Lama in 1994, and the Best Architect
Award of North India by Inside Outside magazine
in 2011. Besides his professional field,
Mohinderjit Singh remained active in social work
through the Rotary Club Amritsar. He served the
Club as Secretary, Vice President, and President,
besides being Chairman of the Environment
Improvement Committee of the Club. As Senior
Vice Chairman, he also served the Academy of
Fine Arts, Amritsar.
Since 1987, Mohinderjit Singh has been a
consulting architect at Guru Nanak Dev University
(GNDU), Amritsar. The magnificent campus of
GNDU was initially designed by the noted
architect Jasbir Sachdev. He prepared its master
plan and designed several buildings from 1970
to 1986 in the first phase. After that, Mohinderjit
Singh took charge of the second phase of
development and designed dozens of buildings
in GNDU's Amritsar campus and its Regional
Centre at Jalandhar. Prominent among these are
Asia House, GNDU, Amritsar.
Student Centre, GNDU, Amritsar.
Asia House, GNDU, Amritsar.

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Guru Nanak Dev Bhawan, Guru Nanak Heritage
Centre, Maharaja Ranjit Singh Bhawan (Computer
Science building), Asia House, Student Centre,
and various sports facilities such as the Indoor
Stadium, Swimming Pool complex, Cycling
Velodrome, Hockey Stadium, and others.
The GNDU campus buildings, designed by Jasbir
Sachdev in the first phase, are a perfect
combination of exposed concrete and brick.
Therefore, Mohinderjit Singh faced the challenge
of matching his architecture with that of Jasbir
Sachdev. With his ingenuity, creativity, and
brilliance, Mohinderjit Singh did justice in
providing a contextual architecture that
harmonized perfectly with the existing one. He
maintained the visual outlook of the buildings
with exposed brick and concrete. As a result, it
becomes difficult for onlookers to identify any
differences between the two phases of
development at GNDU.
There is a need for an extensive monograph to
showcase Mohinderjit Singh's complete works.
However, for the time being, only two of his
representative buildings in GNDU are discussed
here briefly to shed some light on his way of
conceptualisation. These buildings are Guru
Nanak Dev Bhawan and Guru Nanak Heritage
Centre.
Guru Nanak Dev Bhawan is a themed building on
the campus of GNDU. It is based on the concept
of Kabir ji’s Shalok from Sri Guru Granth Sahib,
'Ek Noor Se Sab Jag Upjiya…'. Its curves,
simplicity, and singular form of three
independent units represent universality. The
building is formed by a circle and two segments
of larger circles, with the centre of all the circles
remaining the same. All structural components,
such as walls, beams, and column placement,
have one focal point where all axes meet, just as
the universe originated from only the Lord (Noor).
Similarly, this structure of Guru Nanak Dev
Bhawan originates from one point, which lies in
the centre of the main hall named Sangat Hall.
Above this point, there is a light dome on top of
the roof, made of fibreglass and concrete. The
dome allows natural light to be transmitted to the
centre of the hall.
Guru Nanak Dev Bhawan, GNDU, Amritsar.
Guru Nanak Dev Bhawan, GNDU, Amritsar.
Guru Nanak Dev Bhawan, GNDU, Amritsar.
Guru Nanak Dev Bhawan, GNDU, Amritsar.

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The Guru Nanak Heritage Centre is a part of the
recreational zone on the GNDU campus. It was
designed as a museum to house paintings,
manuscripts, and documents related to the life
and history of Guru Nanak Dev. The client's brief
was to design an administration area, space for
paintings and photographs, space for articles and
other items of historical importance, manuscripts
and computerized documents, and space for
research scholars. The building was designed to
provide independent space for each requirement
without interfering with the others. A square form
has been adopted, with the building having four
different levels to accommodate each
requirement. The space for research scholars is
coupled with the area provided for manuscripts
and computerized documents. A centralized
grand staircase is provided so that each floor can
be independently approached. The placement of
floors is done in such a way that while standing
on one floor, other floors are also in sight. The
façade is made of exposed concrete and
brickwork to maintain homogeneity with other
university structures. This was the architectural
approach taken by Mohinderjit Singh.
Chandigarh-based architect Surinder Bahga, who
is an ardent admirer of Mohinderjit Singh’s works
and knows him very well, says, "Mohinderjit
Singh's contribution to the architecture of Punjab
and surrounding areas is immense. I have closely
seen his work at the GNDU campus in Amritsar,
initially designed by noted architect Jasbir
Sachdev. Mohinderjit Singh has designed many
new buildings in the second phase of developing
the GNDU campus. His buildings are in complete
harmony with those designed by Jasbir Sachdev
in the first phase. As of now, it is challenging to
identify which buildings are old and which were
added by Mohinderjit Singh. He is saintly and
god-fearing, lives a straightforward life, and
keeps himself away from any publicity."
“Any creative work, when done with concentration, is a form
of meditation and brings godly bliss.” - - Mohinderjit Singh
Guru Nanak Heritage Centre, GNDU, Amritsar.
Guru Nanak Heritage Centre, GNDU, Amritsar.
Guru Nanak Heritage Centre, GNDU, Amritsar.

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The author felt honoured when he had the
opportunity in 2009 to design the expansion of
an existing Hockey Stadium in the GNDU
campus, which was originally designed by
Mohinderjit Singh. Designing a stadium in such a
magnificent campus was not only exciting but
also challenging. It was like working alongside a
master. The stadium consisted of a small, open-to
-sky seating pavilion and a multi-utility building
located next to the playground. This utility
building was, and still is, a double-storied linear
block made of exposed concrete, in harmony
with Jasbir Sachdev's architecture on the campus.
In the new design, the architect/author decided
to preserve the existing utility building and
seating pavilion as a mark of respect for
Mohinderjit Singh's architecture. Two additional
seating pavilions were added on either side of
the existing one, with sufficient space left
between them. All three pavilions have been
covered with a single giant canopy made of pre-
engineered steel. The canopy has been designed
to not touch the existing pavilion or the multi-
utility building, in order to maintain their original
character. It is hoped that Mohinderjit Singh will
be pleased with this design proposal.
Mohinderjit Singh is not only an architect but also
a brilliant sculptor. The combination of these
qualities is visible in his architecture through the
sculptural forms of the buildings he has
designed. In addition to buildings, he has also
created many independent sculptures, which
have been constructed in various places such as
parks and plazas. One notable sculpture is
located in the Rose Avenue Park in Amritsar. This
art installation was designed and built in 1995
and is considered one of the city's oldest
sculptures. Another impressive creation by
Mohinderjit Singh is the sculptural landscape of
the front courtyard of his own house in Amritsar.
The courtyard is artistically landscaped with free-
flowing lines that demarcate paved areas, lawns,
and flowerbeds. Carefully selected and creatively
placed rocks, boulders, and pebbles add a
sculptural touch to the landscape. The highlight
of the place is a white sculpture depicting a
mother and child in an affectionate pose.
Sculpture by Mohinderjit Singh.
Hockey Stadium, GNDU, Amritsar.
Entrance to War Memorial at Jalandhar.

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This larger-than-human-sized creation showcases
the versatility of Mohinderjit Singh, who believes
that any creative work, when done with
concentration, is a form of meditation and brings
godly bliss.
Amritsar-based architect and poet, Dalbir Singh,
a close family friend of Mohinderjit Singh, says,
"He is a very refined, soft-spoken, intellectual,
and contented human being. In the initial years of
his career, he was reluctant to engage in private
practice as he was more interested in teaching at
architecture institutions. Mohinderjit Singh's
father, engineer Dharam Singh, who dominated
Amritsar's architecture scene in the first half of
the 20th century, compelled him to start his
architectural practice there. Since then, he has
created wonderful architecture; all his buildings
are unique as he follows no fixed rules or
trademark style. He loves curves and angles as
design elements and specializes in architectural
detailing. He has a strong preference for hand-
drawn drawings and renderings. His favourite
colours for architecture are light brown, pink, and
off-white, and he dresses in the same colours. In
addition to being a passionate architect,
Mohinderjit Singh is also a talented painter,
sculptor, Punjabi writer, and poet. If someone
hurts him, he will write a poem or a short story to
calm down instead of sharing his anguished
feelings with someone."
As explained by Dalbir Singh, Mohinderjit Singh
has an artistic inclination and thus, painting,
sketching, and perspective-making have always
been his favourites. Since he began his
architectural practice in 1964, he has consistently
created 3-D perspectives of each building he
designs and renders them with watercolours - his
preferred medium. When the author was working
on his book "Hand-Drawn Perspectives and
Sketches" during the pandemic lockdown in
2020, Mohinderjit Singh was approached for his
contribution. Despite the challenging times when
all offices were closed, he managed to have
some drawings framed for display. Defying his
age, he opened the frames, removed the
perspective drawings, had them photographed,
Sculptural courtyard of Mohinderjit Singh’s house.
Sculpture by Mohinderjit Singh.
War Memorial at Jalandhar.

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and sent the photographs to the author for
publication in the book. Such is the spirit of
Mohinderjit Singh, who may be aged but is
certainly not tired.
Besides professional drawings, Mohinderjit Singh
always loves making oil paintings on canvas. Even
now, at 90, he continues with this passion. He
says, "This hobby keeps me young and healthy at
this age." His paintings usually capture expansive
landscapes, lakes, rivers, seas, trees, flowers, and
birds. The perfect layout, depth of field, level of
detail, and use of vibrant colours make his
paintings much more attractive, appealing,
soothing, and refreshing to the eyes.
Yet another facet of Mohinderjit Singh is that he is
a noted Punjabi litterateur (Sahityakaar) – a poet,
story writer, and novelist. He has authored half a
dozen books, which include Dabb, Sach di Bukal
Vich, Chetna da Ik Pal, Kach Tutda Hai, Eti Maar
Pai, and Ahisaas. Apart from this, he has been
contributing short stories since 1952 to various
Punjabi magazines like Lok Sahit, Parivartan,
Sardal, and Kanwal. Mohinderjit Singh is a
compassionate, introverted, and emotional
person who seldom expresses his feelings to
anyone. Instead, he prefers to translate them into
his writings. Mohinderjit Singh will turn 90 in a
few months, and considering his health, he has
curtailed his professional activities to a greater
extent. However, he is not tired yet and continues
with his hobbies of painting and writing.
Mohinderjit Singh penned a very touching and
emotional poem in Punjabi to sensitively describe
his graceful ageing process. He says, "Sensitivity,
when tamed sensibly, can be a boon and
creative." This poem is reproduced here with its
English translation by architect and poet Dalbir
Singh.
We wish Mohinderjit Singh a healthy, long
and eventful life.
Teachers’ Guest House at Dalhousie for GNDU.
A House at Amritsar.
Lal Ratan Cinema at Jalandhar.
A House at Amritsar.

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ਮੇਰੇ ਤਨ ਦਾ ਚੋਲਾ
ਉੱਧੜ ਰਰਹਾ ਹੈ...,
ਇਹ ਨਾ ਮੈਲਾ
ਨਾ ਹੀ ਦਾਗੀ...,
ਬਸ ਪੁਰਾਣਾ ਹੋ ਰਗਆ ਹੈ।
ਜਦੋਂ ਕਦੇ ਇਹ ਰਜਥੋਂ ਪਾਟਾ,
ਰਸਓ ਰਲਆ ਮੈਂ।
ਪਰ ਹੁਣ ਥਾਾਂ ਥਾਾਂ ਤੋਂ
ਰਿਜ ਰਰਹਾ ਹੈ...,
ਰਨਗਾਹ ਰ ੱਚ ਹੈ ਚੋਲਾ ਉਸਦੇ,
ਰਨੱਤ ਨ ੇਂ ਚੋਲੇ ਜੋ ਸੀ ਰਰਹਾ ਹੈ।
This worldly body of mine
Is disintegrating,
I saved it from spoils,
I saved it from impurities,
Just wearing out, is it,
It got hurt,
Sometimes, somewhere
I became its healer,
But now, it splits,
Here n there, everywhere,
Nature will be taking care of it,
Who all the time
Heals, repairs, creates.
Mohinderjit Singh reads Sarbjit Bahga's book - Hand-Drawn Perspectives and Sketches.

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Oil paintings by Mohinderjit Singh.

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Oil paintings by Mohinderjit Singh.

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Oil paintings by Mohinderjit Singh.

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Oil paintings by Mohinderjit Singh.

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A House at Amritsar.
Indoor Sports Stadium, GNDU, Amritsar.

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Dr. Daljit Singh Eye Hospital, Amritsar

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Maharaja Ranjit Singh Bhawan, GNDU, Amritsar.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh Bhawan, GNDU, Amritsar.