By Haroon Rashid
PESHAWAR: A historic monument of Peshawar is getting a brand-new garden to enhance its looks, but what really matters i.e the monument itself the historic Gor Gathri is being completely ignored.
The provincial government in May this year launched a big project of laying a new park at Gor Gathri to facilitate recreational activities in the congested central part of the provincial metropolis. The Rs18.910 million project is to be completed in one year. Already more than half of the Lahore's Shalimar Garden-type park is complete. Lush green lawns are being laid with fountains in the middle and bricked walking lanes.
The provincial government before embarking on the project had vacated the historic building from encroachers such as police and fire brigade departments. The general public welcomed both these decisions. The city, especially its congested and older part, lacks parks for the people to go to and enjoy a day out. Before this everyone had to go to Army Stadium for rest and recreation. Now they will have a park to be pride of right in the middle of the old city. "We used to go to Wazir Bagh or any plain area on holidays to play cricket. Now we will be able to play here close to our home," a class sixth student Haider Ali told The Statesman. When asked what would he do if they were not allowed to play cricket in the park, he said with anger they would play forcibly.
However, a point of greater concern is that no attention is being paid to the centuries-old dilapidated building itself. It is crumbling at a fast pace and archaeological experts say the time is fast running out to save them. "A beautiful park in the midst of ancient ruins will definitely not look nice," a local resident of Ganj, Abdul Shakoor said.
The authorities are also demolishing a part of a marriage hall built some year back in the middle of the Gor Gathri premises. It is being speculated that the building, now serving cheap tastes of local people by holding vulgar variety shows, would be converted into a museum. Many believe nothing could be more appropriate then that. A public library is already functioning in the building. One hopes that this neglected "treasure of knowledge" would also get some attention of the city forefathers.
Peshawar is one of the country's oldest cities. Historians date back its origins to more than 2,000 years. Being a historic city, several ancient landmarks add to both its beauty and status. However, because of lack of interest and mixed-up priorities, little attention has been paid to their preservation. The result is crumbling history. Several monuments have already gone, while the rest are counting their last days. More than a dozen historic gates of Peshawar's walled city are a prime example. Only two remain now and that too in very precarious condition.
Gor Gathri, located right in the middle of the old city on a mound, could be an ideal place for tourists - both local and foreign. It could also be starting point for a historic trail of the city. Now slumbering Sarhad Tourism Corporation had once done some work on this concept to attract tourists, but the only remaining sign of this work are the signboards installed by it near these historic buildings.
The spacious fort-like building has two main big gates on the eastern and western sides and several living quarters. Both these gates seem to fall any moment. Prominent historian Dr Ahmed Hassan Dani in his book on Peshawar records that the earliest account of the building is given by Mughal emperor Babar. Both Jehangir and Akbar regarded it as a place of jogis or Hindu saints who believe in quiet meditation. It once became a place of Hindu pilgrimage. Hindus came here to perform Sradha, or funeral sacrifices in honour of their ancestors. Remains of once a beautiful Hindu temple called Gorakhnath could also be seen. Only a few doors and walls remain. A wide and a very deep well in the middle of the temple is also testimony to the grandeur of the past.
Mughal king Shah Jehan's daughter Jahan Ara converted the site into an inn and also constructed a mosque. It is also believed that the place apart from serving as offices and residences of Sikh and British governors was also taken up by Sayyed Ahmed Shaheed as his residences.
There is no doubt about the fact that if resorted to it past glory, the park and the building could attract a large number of tourists. However, no work is currently in progress to save the buildings. A CD&MD official overseeing the work on the park informed that the buildings come under the Archeology Department purview. "We're supposed only to build the park," he said.
People concerned with the fading history of the city have appealed to the government to pay attention to the preservation of the Gor Gathri building as well, as just the park would not serve the whole purpose. "Also they should ensure that after completion of the park a mechanism for its proper maintenance will be devised," said another concerned Peshawarite.