Daily Times

LAHORE: Chauburji, which is listed among the Protected Heritage Monuments of Punjab’s Archaeology Department, is in danger, as cracks are clearly visible on its walls.

Chauburji was a gateway to a Mughal era garden that was constructed on the wish of Princess Zebun Nisa in 1646 CE. It has four unique towers that are wide from the top and decorated with Kashi-Kari on enamel tiles.

Imrana Tiwana, representative of the Lahore Bachao Tehreek (LBT), told Daily Times that such cracks appeared due to continuous work on the Orange Line Metro Train (OMT) project.

After hearing of the OMT case in the Lahore High Court (LHC) last month, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had showed his willingness to work on building “new heritage sites”. With the help of Chinese money, the Punjab government could reconstruct historical buildings anywhere and anytime, he had said, leaving everyone’s confused.

Earlier in February, the chief minister assured an official delegation of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) that the OMT project would not affect the historical sites.

The division bench of the high court had given a verdict on petitions against the OMT project and stopped the construction within 200 feet of the historical sites, including Chauburji, declaring the government’s no objection certificate (NOC) null and void in this regard.

Aqsa Munir, an activist, said that the Punjab government had constructed two towers inside the 200 feet area while digging was still continuing around the historic building.

Commenting on visible cracks on the sidewalls of Chauburji, renowned painter and activist Ejaz Anwer told Daily Times that owing to visionless rulers, it was not just Chauburji that was dilapidating, but the history of Lahore.

The Archaeology Department had started renovation of Chauburji by just mixing plain clay and ‘kasuri chuna’ (a special hydraulic lime) to fill the gaps and cracks.

In the Mughal period, buildings were generally constructed with 4Cs and a P (coal, clay, clax (hydraulic lime), cotton and pulses) for their longevity.

Upon contact, Archeology Department Director Malik Maqsood told this scribe that his department had started repairing the monument by using proper method to ensure its longevity, hoping that the repair work would be completed within next six months.

He also said that they were fully aware to the cracks on the Chauburji monument and in order to fill them, the department had tendered hydraulic lime directly from Kasur so that no compromise was made on its quality.

The director further confirmed that the procedure to prepare kashan style enamel tiles to decorate the Chauburji monument in its original shape had also been started.