Baba Bankhandi Mahraj, birth name Balchand Sharma, better known as Sadh Belo, the sage of jungle, had migrated either from Kero Khetar near Dehli or Nepal in 1823 and chosen Menak Parbat, a natural island spread over nine acres in the Indus River situated at Sukkur, Sindh as his place of worship.
He had come to the island when he was 15 years old, worshipped there for 45 years and died at the age of 60.
Baba Bankhandi Mahraj’s death anniversary analogous to the Sufi saints is celebrated every year, in which hundreds of pilgrims from all over Pakistan, India and other parts of the world participate enthusiastically and perform their religious rituals for three days.
Menak Parbat Island is now called Sadh Belo and is famous for its highly revered Hindu temple Teerath Asthan, Pakistan’s biggest temple, founded by the Mahraj. The island houses eight other temples such as Mata Anapuri temple, Hanuman Mandir, Srichand Temple, Ganesh Temple, Shiv Temple Doiym, Rama Peer Temple, and 12 Samadhiyan. Moreover, the island harbours also other main places, which include abodes for the Mahraj’s students, a library that contains a large number of religious books, and Hindu mythology, Bhandars (dining rooms) for women and men separately, washrooms and a huge garden with numerous flowers and unique plants. The place enjoys high esteem among the Hindu community of Pakistan, India and other parts of the world, who occasionally visit it.
MONUMENTAL BUILDING OF BABA BANKHANDI MAHRAJ TEMPLE (DARBAR)
The historical, classical and remarkable building of the Mahraj’s temple is its magnificent, unique, attractive and astonishing architecture. One of his disciples and the eighth Gadi Nasheen of the temple, Sant Harnam Das, erected the beautiful building in 1889 after Baba Bankhandi died. This square shaped building with the two archways opening to the east and south is made of Malagori white marble brought from Jaipur and Rajasthan that keeps it cool in hot weather. The building is really a remarkable piece of art and workmanship and one of the finest buildings of the British period with splendid jharokas on the eastern and southern walls.
The Menak Parbat Island is now called Sadh Belo and is famous for its highly revered Hindu temple Teerath Asthan, Pakistan’s biggest temple, founded by the Mahraj. The island houses eight other temples including Mata Anapuri temple, Hanuman Mandir, Srichand Temple, Ganesh Temple, Shiv Temple Doiym, Rama Peer Temple, and 12 Samadhiyan
The distinctive feature of the fabulous architecture is the sculptured eight white beautiful marble panels, located on its northern and western walls, which depict Hindu mythologies. One of the panels represents the conceptual hell and Narka, showing the wrongdoers are being punished.
VIEW OF BABA BANKHANDI DARBAR
Another panel on the northern wall of the darbar depicts images of dancers and musicians. The musicians have been shown playing some musical instruments including the sitar, surando and drum, etc. Below this depiction is a representation of a female dancer accompanied by three musicians who are playing drum and cymbals. This appears to be ritual dance. On the intrados of the central arch opening to the southern direction, there are a few sculptures of Bhagwan Krishna, which depict him in dancing posture and flanked by women servitors and admirers.
MARBLE PANEL DEPICTING DANCERS AND MUSICIANS
Flood 2010 had made huge damage to this Hindu cultural and architectural heritage. Floodwater forcing its way through a 20-feet-wide portion of outer wall, inundated the island. The historic and monumental buildings and boundary wall were damaged to a great extent and the entire floor had got uneven. The damaged portions were repaired and pulchritude of the architectures was maintained to a great extent after the then president of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, had given funds in 2013.
The visitors of Sadh Belo Island, which is both the place of worship for Hindus and one of the historical tourist sites of Pakistan, have been under-going life-threatening troubles and difficulties because to be at the island they have to travel about a 100 metres on boat offered privately. During three days of the annual anniversary festivals, a large number of devotees visit the temple round the clock and the incidents of drowning in the river of some of the devotees occur every year, which, unfortunately, go unnoticed. Viewing the disturbing situation, the Sindh government in order to connect the island with main land of Sukkur city should put the construction of pedestrian bridge in its priorities, making it the most frequented religious and tourist historical place.
The writer is a columnist and a blogger, currently pursuing MPhil Sociology from Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur. He Tweets at @ARShykh and can be reached at [email protected]
Published in Daily Times, September 18th 2017.