Rohi-Cholistan Festival 2004

Rohi-Cholistan Festival 2004


Karavan Rohi-Cholistan Heritage Festival
By Shanaz Ramzi


In pursuit of its objective to spread awareness about the many wonderful heritage sites in Pakistan, and to instill a sense of pride in our youth, KaravanPakistan has steadily been holding events at various historical monuments throughout the country. Having begun its journey from the streets of Karachi and trekked through Lahore where it celebrated the world heritage site of Shahi Qila, last week KaravanPakistan made inroads into the palaces of Bahawalpur.

When one talks of magnificent historical structures in Pakistan one invariably confines one’s eulogy to sites in Lahore. It is such a pity that so far limited attempts have been made to project or indeed expose the many breathtaking monuments that exist all over Pakistan, to the general populace. This is precisely why Karavan decided to organize its heritage fests in Bahawalpur region, home of eight palaces established during the reign of the Abbasi dynasty (1702 to1955 AD). The first two programmes were arranged on the grounds of the spectacular Noor Mahal and Durbar Mahal in Bahawalpur respectively, making them accessible to local children and civilian adults, most of whom had never entered the portals of these palaces.

The programme was spread over three days, with the first day dedicated to the painting of the Karavan HeritageMural by nearly 300 students from 28 schools. The venue was the grand Noor Mahal, built in 1872, allegedly on the orders of the mother of Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi IV, to provide her son a regal backdrop after he succeeded to the throne at the unripe age of four-and-a-half years. However, there are many popular legends floating around regarding the construction of the palace, and one can’t be too sure as to which belief is authentic. Eleventh in line of the thirteen Abbasi Amirs who ruled Bahawalpur State for 253 years, Nawab Sadiq Muhammed IV is also accredited with the construction of Daulat Khana, Darbar Mahal and Sadiq Garh Palace.

Interestingly, all the palaces in Bahawalpur region – there are at least eight known ones – had been stripped by family members of all its valuables and abandoned to a state of disrepair after the survivors of the Abbasi dynasty fell out into two warring clans. Noor Mahal was in no better state, until the army bought it over from the Abbasis and restored it to its former glory. It is currently being used as an army mess and the surrounding areas as army units, and it was for the first time that such an event was arranged in which civilians – both children and adults -- were not only allowed within these grounds to celebrate the heritage site but were actually allowed to enter the palace itself.

With the army going all out to facilitate KaravanPakistan in organizing their events, the immaculately maintained premises had become transformed into a festive site with banners, tents and murals complementing the magnificent backdrop of the palace, and bestowing it a fairy-tale like ambience. Army jawans holding placards of the school assigned to each of them acted as guides, leading the students first to receive their briefing and then up to their tents where painting kit awaited their arrival. It was a curious and welcome sight indeed to see the saviours of the country interacting with children with such gentleness and patience. It was no less heartening to see the children, many of whom were working with paints and brushes for the first time in their lives, displaying astounding talent and proudly painting their heritage.

The next day’s programme, held at Darbar Mahal, which is being used as the headquarters of the Pelican Division of the army was just as colourful, if not more so. Once again the army went out of its way to make the visitors feel welcome and offered their full cooperation to the Karavan team so that they could fulfill their goal of instilling pride in the youth for their culture and heritage. A huge stage had been erected with the glorious restored Darbar Mahal, a unique blend of Sikh, Mughal and European architecture, constituting an elegant backdrop. The 900 ft long murals that had been painted so far by the children of Karachi, Lahore, and Bahawalpur the previous day, had all been displayed along the palace grounds, accentuating the rich diversity of our traditions and heritage.

Twenty schools had prepared skits on themes related to Bahawalpur, such as the accession of Bahawalpur State to Pakistan, lifestyle in Cholistan desert, and wedding ceremonies in Cholistan. The kids did such a wonderful job with their presentations that many in the audience were surprised by their flair and enthusiasm. Interestingly, many of the skits centered on the scarcity of water in Cholistan and ended with the children fervently praying for rain, and almost as an answer to their prayers, the heavens opened up, showering its blessings on many parts of the country.

As part of the Karavan initiative to clean heritage sites, a third programme had been arranged for the following day, this time at the imposing Derawar Fort in Cholistan, at a two hours drive from Bahawalpur. One’s heart bled at the total state of disarray that this magnificent structure had been relegated to. Students from five schools accompanied the Karavan team to clean up one of the most beautifully embellished rooms in the fort that had become so laden with dust accumulated over centuries, that one could see none of the fresco work or the wonderful tiles beneath. Just cleaning the area with dry, soft brushes and cloth, and removing the mounds of dust caking the floor with the help of plastic pans was enough to reveal the tremendous difference that could be made to the fort’s appearance given a little effort.

With the great wealth of beauty and heritage sites that our country is sitting on, one hopes that the government is going to wake up soon from its stupor and do something to salvage them from the ravages of time. It is also imperative that more such awareness-raising activities take place, highlighting historical monuments so that our future generations are abreast with and proud of their history, culture and heritage.