As thousands of devotees enter the Golden Temple through the historic Ghanta Ghar entrance every day, a few may notice the large stone slab installed in the passage after the stairs.Engraved on it are the names of those who died in Saka Bhuler, one of the lesser-known but deeply tragic episodes of the Partition of Punjab.The massacre took place on August 31, 1947, barely two weeks after the creation of Pakistan, at Chak No. 119, Bhuler village, in Sheikhupura district of undivided Punjab.According to accounts preserved by survivors and descendants, more than 300 Sikhs were killed when a large armed mob from surrounding villages attacked the predominantly Sikh settlement.The tragedy was not confined to those who died fighting. Sikh women and young girls, fearing abduction and sexual violence, took their own lives.Several reportedly jumped into wells, while others were killed by members of their own families at their own request when there was no longer any space in the wells.Bhuler, also known as Chak No. 119, was located near Sangla Hill in Sheikhupura district. Sikhs formed the majority of its population and owned considerable agricultural land, said Historian Kulwinder Singh Bajwa from Bhuler village, now resides in Batala.When Pakistan came into being on August 14, Bhuler and Sheikhupura became part of Pakistan. Yet many Sikhs in the village decided to stay, believing that the violence might eventually subside.Surrounded by Muslim-majority villages, Bhuler remained isolated.Initial attempts at looting were resisted by the villagers. But tension continued to mount as reports of violence from across Punjab reached them.The episode has been documented in Dr Virsa Singh Bajwa’s book, “Shaheedi Saka Bhuler”, which provides a detailed account of the battle and the massacre.According to Dr Virsa Singh, thousands of armed men from surrounding villages descended on Bhuler, beating drums as they advanced. Sensing danger, the Sikh residents gathered women, girls and children inside a house while the men took up defensive positions around the village. The Sikh families had only a limited number of firearms and ammunition.When the attackers came within range, the defenders opened fire. The attackers also retaliated. The Sikh men conserved their ammunition, hoping that reinforcements would arrive. But the numerical difference was overwhelming.As the mob breached the village, roughly 100 Sikh men found themselves facing thousands of attackers. The fighting eventually became hand-to-hand. With the defence collapsing, women and girls confronted what they believed was the possibility of abduction and sexual violence.Several jumped into wells. When the wells filled with bodies — survivors recalled — some women asked their fathers and brothers to kill them rather than allow them to be captured.Inside the house where women and children were gathered, many Sikh women reportedly chose death.The attackers took control of the village and began looting houses. A Sikh jatha reached Bhuler the following day. The arrival of the group, accompanied by Sikh war cries, reportedly forced the attackers to flee.The rescuers searched for survivors, but only a small number had escaped the massacre.The remaining Bhuler families were eventually brought to a refugee camp in Amritsar. Many displaced Bhuler families subsequently settled in Batala and adjoining villages, where they were allotted land left behind by Muslims who had migrated to Pakistan.A marble engraved memorial stone was installed at the Golden Temple and another memorial in Batala.