Tanzeela Muhamamd

Reminiscence of the Past

When nations stop honoring their past and heritage they are left with no future and culture. Our nation has not only forgotten their older generations but also have no care for the legacy they left behind. Old landmarks lying in shambles are biggest example of such attitude.

Here, in Pakistan, most of our old buildings have reduced to rubble or are in the process of becoming one. Sheikhupura Fort is one of such erections. Built in the 16^th century, in the city of Sheikhupura which got its name from this fort; *Qila Sheikhupura, this fort has been the house of many great and small rulers. According to historical records this structure was constructed by Emperor Jehangir as a base camp for their hunting trips. Later the fort became the possession of a Sikh ruler then to be taken over by the British. The fort has even housed the immigrants, at the time of East and West Pakistan, who burned downed its magnificent wooden doors because they were not provided with proper resources to survive in the harsh winters.

Not only that this fort has been the victim of the illiteracy of our people who have vandalized the place by scratching the walls, jotting down their numbers as if the ghost of a royal princess will be interested in giving them a call and writing down their names in hideous hand writings. I seriously don’t get such people. It’s so heartbreaking to see a beautiful painting covered by “Basheer” and his girl’s name. I wonder what sort of monstrous satisfaction it brings them. If they are so interested in leaving their marks on history, better do something that might actually get them there rather than ruining whatever actual past we have left.

Though the place lies in ruin it might not be sill too late to save it. Even in its broken state whatever is left their, the art and the craftsmanship, it is breathtaking. The paintings on the walls survived despite all odds. The colors are still so vivid and vibrant; I honestly don’t believe any modern day paints can compete with the ones used in these pictures. The wooden roof-covering are some masterpieces. Even after their upper layers have fallen off, they still leave one in awe. It took me a while to get back to my senses.   

Going through those ruins was like getting a glimpse into the past though a very, very, very blurry one. To imagine what it would have looked like in its original form is something none of us can do justice with. Also we do not have much of an option left anyways as nothing original remains but in small bits and pieces shattered all over the place. At every turn there is something utterly amazing only to found broken, vandalized or gone! I would give anything to actually see what it was like back then. How were our legendary ancestors?! The fort amidst of all the houses sprang out of the ground like mushrooms, stand tall and graceful.

This place holds a special attraction many are not aware about, the underground tunnel system. Rumor has it that beneath the fort there is a complex network of tunnels that once led to Lahore fort and from there they went to a fort now in India. Though there is no solid evidence to prove this fact but the fort does have underground tunnels, which I found out after nearly falling into one. Due to no maintenance most of the ground above the tunnels has fallen into them making the fort ground an extremely dangerous place. So, I would advise anyone lace to go there to take extra care throughout the trip though it is now closed. The only way to get in is to find the assigned caretaker and pay him to let you in. 

Anyways coming back to the tunnels, where they lead, not many know for sure. Such amazing places if restored can be huge tourist attractions. People should view these places as huge investments. Just a little revamping can make such places into dollar earning machines. We’ve seen so many such examples especially in India. If there are still people out there who have conscience and enough resources, they should definitely step forward to save these reminiscences of the past because if we keep losing them one day we will lose our true identity as well.

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(*Qila is the Urdu word used for fort)