Veer Haqiqat Rai commonly known as Haqiqat Rai, was born at Sialkot (1724 AD) to Durga and Bhag Mal, Kshatriya of the Puri subcaste.
While at school he heard Hindu gods or goddesses being abused by Muslim classmates, and in return was rude about Muhammnad (or his daughter Fatima, the sources disagree). For this he was sentenced by a Qadi for execution. Here the sources disagree again, some saying that the Qadi’s sentence provided the option of conversion to Islam instead of execution, others that an appeal was lodged with Zakriya Khan, governor of Lahore, who decreed that he could be pardoned only if he accepted Islam as punishment for blasphemy. Haqiqat Rai refused conversion and was executed. Haqiqat Rai was executed on 20 January 1735 (or perhaps 1741 or 1743). The day of his execution used to be marked by a ‘mela’ (fair) on Vasant Panchami day in Lahore, around his ‘samadhi’ (Baway di marrhi), before India’s partition. It appears his ‘samadhi’ was wrecked during riots in Lahore.
Kalu Ram was a wealthy Hindu resident of Lahore. He began the Basant mela (fair) in Lahore in Marrhi, Kot Khwaja Saeed, Khoje Shahi, now, Baway di marrhi. It was dedicated to the memory of Haqiqat Rai.
One of the objections to celebration of Vasant Panchami (called Basant in Lahore) by Muslim scholars is because it coincides with the memorial day for Haqiqat Rai.
There is a memorial to Haqiqat Rai at Batala at the spot that marks the samadhi of Sati Lakshmi, the wife of young boy Haqiqat Rai.
After partition many Hindu refugees from Pakistan migrated to India. Many cities in India have localities named after Hakikat Rai, mosty the ones where the refugees settled. Example are Hakikat Nagar of Delhi and Haqikat nagar in Saharanpur.
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