Tombs & Shirines

This Catagory includes all information about Tombs & Shirines of the historical city of saints Uch Sharif Bibi Jawindi, Hazrat Bahawal Haleem, Ustad Nurya, Hazrat Jalal ud Din Surkhposh Bukhari, Hazrat Abdul Qadir Gilani Mehboob Subhani Qadri Uchi, Hazrat Musa Pak Shaheed, Hazrat Makhdoom Jhania Jhangashat Bukhari, the foot of Hazrat Ali and much more!

Sources of Restitution

Sunday, 30 December 2007 01:02 |

Written by Ashraf Kaleem Sagar |

Restitution means facts finding procedure that tells us how the monument used to look like at the time of its built. There can be three major sources. As the tomb of Bahaul Haleem is damaged badly, its 80% of the area is already gone with water. There are only a couple of walls left and a part of doom that have lost all of its artwork. Therefore, in order ton construct these monuments back, three restitution techniques will be sued.

Maps and Drawings of the tomb or some sketches or pictures that would give the idea how some tomb used to look like, subject to condition if available.
Elderly people of the area who have seen the tomb is some better shape then today.
If first two methods are not applicable, then approximate time of built is condclude and it is observed what other buildings were made in the same time with similar design patters.

Luckily, few drawings are found of the tomb of Bahaul Haleem, which will be extremely helpful. Moreover, different senior architects from NCA have worked over these monuments and have made architectural planes of restoration.

Last Updated (Sunday, 30 December 2007 17:01)

Restoration Plan

Sunday, 30 December 2007 01:00 |

Written by Ashraf Kaleem Sagar |

There are numerous factors that played their role in destruction. Natural disasters were the one and ignorance was the other. These monuments were evacuated from the coffins of saints at the time of floods and these monuments were not the holy place anymore as the saint was buried somewhere else and these places became orphan. Tomb of Bahaul Haleem and other nearby tombs are made by coal brunt bricks which are still more stiff and reliable then our bricks today. So people took these valuable bricks when they needed them for construction of their own homes or sometimes for the construction of graves when their loved one died. Two thoughts were behind this act.

• These bricks are sacred and therefore will make the grave of their beloved one sacred.
• They are better than the bricks available today.
• Free things are always the best, no matter from where you get them.

In addition to that, some glazed tiles were taken by the villagers of the place when they were fallen and some times pulled away just to keep something from the tomb that is being demolished, so they could have some remaining with them. Although the thought was not destructive, yet it was one of the destructive reasons.

When restoration procedure was started, restoration workers went to villagers and requested them to hand them over all the tiles and bricks that they have with them and villagers did some cooperation and few tiles and bricks were recovered. But what ever was recovered was only a fraction of what was taken away.

Now lets conclude the solutions for this destruction.
• One is placement of watchman who is already there since 1986. He is an employee of Federal Archeological Department and stays near these monuments 8 hours a day. This may seem insufficient, but those 8 hours are the hours when most visitors visit these places and there fore, majority of visitors are still taken care in these 8 hours. Department can arrange one more person and increase the care time to reduce the chances of damage by visitors to further degree.
• A temporary boundary wall around these monuments can be built to stop people touch these monuments.
• Secondly, educate the local population and tell them what worthy monuments they are damaging.
• Preach the population about what is homage and what is disrespect, so they would change their attitude towards these monuments that is totally based on devotion, but is destructive in nature.

Prevention from Water
Water has been the most destructive agent since the time these monuments are built. Firstly, it was the flood and rain water that damaged the structure badly and infect 80% of which is already gone. Floods of 18th and then 19th century are the two major floods that caused major damages. We cannot blame only floods which destructed them; rain and uncontrolled rain water are equally responsible. Tomb of Bahaul Haleem is made with mud and clay as the sticking element. This mud is washable and that was the reason the whole tomb was covered with glazed tiles to provide water proof layer. Once those protecting layers were gone, mud was exposed to water and was consistently dissolved by water. This dissolving left the bricks unprotected and they started falling with time.

There are few portions of the tomb that are covered protected with plaster and some effort is made to keep them intact, but its only the fraction of effort that is required to keep these monuments saved. However, to prevent rain water from coming here, water channels are being built which will definitely prevent water to flow towards them and harm the monument basis.

Removal of unsustainable portions
There are few wooden structures that have been damaged to the degree that hey cannot be used in the new structure. But there are few that are still good in condition. We can classify them in three categories

• Structures that are still in good shape and will remain part of the monument as such.
• Structures that need additional support but they will remain part of monument.
• Structures that are damaged and will be replaced by new ones.
•
But this analysis that which portions are to be used as such, which require support and which portions require replacement will be considered in the second phase.

Restoration by CRC

Sunday, 30 December 2007 00:59 |

Written by Ashraf Kaleem Sagar |

CRC, Conservation and Rehabilitation Centre is an NGO which is also active since 1980s and has done a remarkable work is spreading the awareness of these tombs. There are many Senior Architects who are working in this organization and trying to save these monuments of art and history. During our survey and research process, we met two of their chief architects, Mr. Jam Iyas and Mr. Answer who are working on the “first phase” of the restoration Procedure. When we discussed this matter with Mr. Anwar, he stated “Restoration is a phased procedure and we are working over the first one right now which will take 11 months to complete”.

Restoration doesn’t mean you take cement and bricks and start building and fixing the demolishing structures. There are many factors that must be considered before restoration work is started and the most important one is to stop the structures from falling or from further deterioration. For this purpose, all the elements of destruction are considered and eliminated one after the other. and water, is the most harming element.
Second phase of restoration strengthening the standing structures and later and then finally the third phase of restoration will start.

Restoration by Archeological Dept.

Sunday, 30 December 2007 00:38 |

Written by Ashraf Kaleem Sagar |

National Archeological Department is played some important role in the era of 80s and these monuments were declared “National Heritage” . Declaring them national heritage had not stopped these monuments from falling, but a watchman was given in 1986 who stays there and looks after these buildings. His job is to monitor and check if somebody tries to damage these monuments physically, but he is definitely not concerned with the deterioration caused by whether, wind and other natural forces that are the actual reason of demolishing. “Funding being supplied are insufficient” was the statement of Jam Iyas, the architect held there for restoration procedure buy CRC, another NGO working on these monuments for restoration purpose. As Uch is a far flung place, only a few officials visit this place because of lack of facilities and interest.

As these monuments are declared National Heritage and undertaken by National Archeological Department, this has advantage as well as disadvantage. we observed different other monuments of the area which lie under Mehkama’e Oukaf and are in much better shape than these ones. Those include Jalal-ud-din Bukhari, Jahaniya Jahan Ghast, Rajan Qattal and some other Sufias of the area. Ofcours these monuments (tombs of Bahaul Haleem, Bibi Jivindi and Ustaad Nooria) were damaged because of floods and the others I am talking about were not, but still I found other monuments far better. There are couple of reasons behind that.
• One major reason is coffins of these saints are taken away from these tombs at the time of floods and buried somewhere else (most probably in the tomb of Jalal-ud-din Bukhari) and there are no regular visitors anymore. Other shrines do have their care takers that take care of the tomb for the reason that their respected saint is sleeping inside and that spirit is not applicable on these monuments.

• There is a concept of Nazrana or Chanda that believers offer to their Sufias and that money is used for the care and rehabilitation purpose. This money is not available for the monuments of Bahaul Haleem, Bibi Jivindi and Ustaad Nooria.

Tomb of Hazrat Hassan Dariya

Tuesday, 30 October 2007 23:52 |

Written by Ashraf Kaleem Sagar |

Hazrat Syed Hassan Kabir ud Din was in the period of Hazrat Makhdoom Jahanian Jahangashat R.A. However it is not certified from History. Hazrat Shah Abdul Haq Muhadis Dehilvi R.A wrote in the "Akhbar ul Akhiyar" that he alived 180 years. He borned in 716 hj. and died in 896 hj.

Some detail found in "Nizha tul Khawatir" that he was a piouse and prominant person in knowledge and blessings. He saw a world. and visit most of the world. Then came to Uch Sharif and lived there. Many person embraced Islam on his hand. He had the ablity when a person look at him then he could not refused the order of Hazrat Hassan.

Hazrat Syed Hassan Kabir was the grand son of most famous shiya pious saint Shah Shams Sabazwari Multani. But he agreed and adopted the path of Suni Fiqa "Ehl-e-Sunnat". He was the follower of Suharwardia Saint Chain.

Bio Data (Shajra e Nasab) of Hazrat Hassan Kabir is as follows:

Syed Kabir ud Din Hassan S/O Syed Sadar ud Din S/O Syed Naseer ud Din S/O Syed Shah Shams ud Din Sabazwari Multani S/O Syed Salah ud Din S/O Syed Salam ud Din S/O Syed Momin S/O Syed Mohib Mansoor S/O Syed Ismail S/O Syed Muhammad S/O Syed Ismail S/O Imam Jafir Sadiq S/O Imam Muhammad Baqir S/O Imam Zain ul Abideen S/O Imam Hussain S/O Ali ibn e Abi Talib.

The Tomb of Syed Hassan Kabir in the East side of Uch Gilani (Shams Colony). Because he belong to Ismaili Sadaat by family so the person and peoples of ismaili group take him special respect. His heir on have Shiya group/fiqa thoughts. He is known as Hassan Kabir Dariya which indicate about the chairty and donation given by him to the peoples.

Last Updated (Sunday, 16 December 2007 02:57)

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