Febraury 22, 2009
By Sajid Bashir:
In the east of China Scheme, at Kot Khawaja Saeed, is a baradari in ruins. The place which has a historical significance is called Sher Singh's baradari.
The Solid Waste Management (SWM) department has constructed a waste enclosure here after demolishing one corner of the Baradari, in violation of the laws. According to the World Heritage rules no one can construct any thing in such premises within 200 yards of that building.
There are twelve arches in its three walls due to which it is called baradari. A wall around the baradari was demolished earlier by the Nawaz Sharif Hospital, Kot Khawja Saeed and SWM department. Maharaja Sher Singh was born in 1805 in Gujranwala into a Sikh family of Sukerchakia misldars. At the time, much of the Punjab was ruled by t
he Sikhs under a confederate Sarbat Khalsa system and Afghans, who had divided the territory among factions known as misls. Sher Singh's father Ranjit Singh was the first Maharaja of the Punjab. He succeeded his father at the young ageof 12.
After several campaigns, his rivals accepted him as their leader, and he united the Sikh factions into one large country. Sher Singh was known as a persom who did good works for the betterment of his people. He ruled for two and a half years only but is remembered for improving the existing system of governance. Sher Singh and his young son were brutally murdered by the Sardaran-e-Sindha Walia. After his death Rani Randhawi Singh and her family constructed their Samadhi in this baradari. These 'Samadhis' have domes where the cremated ashes of the dead were kept. This baradari was meant to be the new resting place of Sher Singh and his son.
The arches are also in very bad shape and may collapse any time. The Auqaf department which is responsible for its maintenance, has constructed the only two pillars to save the baradari from collapsing.
The roof of the building has been demolished and its debris lies as such. The boundary wall is already gone. It is becoming a garbage dumping ground as the locals of the area throw garbage inside the baradari.
When contacted, District Officer SWM Rafique Jatoi said the SWM has not constructed the waste enclosure against the World Heritage Laws. "The law that does not allow construction within 200 feet is only applicable to those historical buildings which are on the list of World Heritage and the baradari of Sher Singh is not on its list. The department could not construct the waste encloure without the permission of Archeology and Auqaf department," he added. He said the department can construct waste enclosure besides the baradari otherwi
se the Auqaf department could have stopped the SWM from constructing the waste enclosure.
On the other hand the Auqaf department officials said the department is doing its best for the repair of the baradari but work on it has been delayed due to insufficient funds. They said the department is already working on a number of different sites and soon repair work on the baradari would also start. There is also a shrine of famous Sufi Saint Allama Mirza Syed Shah Bilawal Qadri in the premises of the baradari which used to host a Muslim festival in Lahore. Writers like Kannahiya Lal Hindi and Justice Abdul Latif have mentioned this festival in detail in their researches. This festival used to take place in the month of December.
The Solid Waste Management (SWM) department has constructed a waste enclosure here after demolishing one corner of the Baradari, in violation of the laws. According to the World Heritage rules no one can construct any thing in such premises within 200 yards of that building.
There are twelve arches in its three walls due to which it is called baradari. A wall around the baradari was demolished earlier by the Nawaz Sharif Hospital, Kot Khawja Saeed and SWM department. Maharaja Sher Singh was born in 1805 in Gujranwala into a Sikh family of Sukerchakia misldars. At the time, much of the Punjab was ruled by t
he Sikhs under a confederate Sarbat Khalsa system and Afghans, who had divided the territory among factions known as misls. Sher Singh's father Ranjit Singh was the first Maharaja of the Punjab. He succeeded his father at the young ageof 12.After several campaigns, his rivals accepted him as their leader, and he united the Sikh factions into one large country. Sher Singh was known as a persom who did good works for the betterment of his people. He ruled for two and a half years only but is remembered for improving the existing system of governance. Sher Singh and his young son were brutally murdered by the Sardaran-e-Sindha Walia. After his death Rani Randhawi Singh and her family constructed their Samadhi in this baradari. These 'Samadhis' have domes where the cremated ashes of the dead were kept. This baradari was meant to be the new resting place of Sher Singh and his son.
The arches are also in very bad shape and may collapse any time. The Auqaf department which is responsible for its maintenance, has constructed the only two pillars to save the baradari from collapsing.
The roof of the building has been demolished and its debris lies as such. The boundary wall is already gone. It is becoming a garbage dumping ground as the locals of the area throw garbage inside the baradari.
When contacted, District Officer SWM Rafique Jatoi said the SWM has not constructed the waste enclosure against the World Heritage Laws. "The law that does not allow construction within 200 feet is only applicable to those historical buildings which are on the list of World Heritage and the baradari of Sher Singh is not on its list. The department could not construct the waste encloure without the permission of Archeology and Auqaf department," he added. He said the department can construct waste enclosure besides the baradari otherwi
se the Auqaf department could have stopped the SWM from constructing the waste enclosure.On the other hand the Auqaf department officials said the department is doing its best for the repair of the baradari but work on it has been delayed due to insufficient funds. They said the department is already working on a number of different sites and soon repair work on the baradari would also start. There is also a shrine of famous Sufi Saint Allama Mirza Syed Shah Bilawal Qadri in the premises of the baradari which used to host a Muslim festival in Lahore. Writers like Kannahiya Lal Hindi and Justice Abdul Latif have mentioned this festival in detail in their researches. This festival used to take place in the month of December.
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