BAHAWALPUR, Dec 1: The Punjab government has allocated about Rs87 million for the rehabilitation and conservation of Bibi Jiwandi Complex in Uch Sharif, Dawn learnt on Sunday.
The complex houses the tombs of Bibi Jiwandi, Bahaul Haleem and Ustad Nuria and other graves within its premises.
The mausoleum of Bibi Jiwandi was built at the end of 15th century by Muhammad Dilshad of Khorasan. The structure was severely damaged by floods during the previous years and since then (when the federal Archaeology Department owned it) it had been neglected. After taking over it, the Punjab Archaeology Department allocated funds for its restoration, which had yet to be released and the work to start.
According to the tomb’s history preserved with the department, its style as exemplified by the mausoleums of Rukn-i-xAlam in Multan and Bibi Jiwandi in Uch Sharif could be traced back to Central Asia and Iran.
The tomb of Bahaul Haleem is a single chamber three-tiered structure on an octagonal plane with battered walls and tapered corner buttresses at the base, a stepped back octagonal transition zone and dome. The tomb has an opening at the south and east similar to the Bibi Jiwandi tomb. The west and north contains the mehrab and sir-hana niche, respectively.
The tomb of Ustad Hazrat Nuria is the smallest of the three and is a square plan with single-chambered, three-tiered brick structure and tampered corner buttresses.
It is less prolifically embellished as compared to the other two tombs.
In-charge of the local archaeology office of Punjab government, Malik Muhammad Sajjad, told Dawn restoration work would
be initiated with the release of funds allocated, which he hoped would happen soon.
He also said the shrines of Musa Pak Shaheed and Hazrat Safyuddin Haqqani in Uch Sharif and the historic C-hanjni mosque
in Liaquatpur tehsil of district Rahim Yar Khan needed immediate preservation and restoration.
He added the government was expected to allocate funds for them too.
