020. Bhera: Sher Shah Suri Mosque, Bhera City Gates & Old Houses

Bhera is one of the oldest cities in Pakistan. Its history dates back thousands of years. At the time of Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni's invasions, Bhera was a large and important city, and a stronghold of the Hindu Shahis. The Sultan attacked Bhera in 1004 AD.

The foundations of the modern city were laid by Sher Shah Suri (reigned 1540–1545 AD). His army almost destroyed the old city of Bhera (the exact circumstances are not known to me), and he decided to construct a new city nearby, at the present location. He also built a splendid mosque in the city, which still exists in all its glory.

During the Mughal period, Bhera remained an important city, and a royal mint operated here to produce coins. With the decline of Mughal power, the city came under attack by Ahmad Shah Abdali in 1757, and consequently suffered greatly. The Sikhs captured the town in 1771 AD. During Sikh rule, the landmark mosque of Sher Shah Suri was badly damaged; it was used as a stable and storage facility.

The mosque was restored to the Muslims in the 1850s after the British took control, and Muslim caretakers began repair and restoration work, which continued in several stages over a long period. The mosque is located at 32° 28' 40" N, 72° 54' 36" E.

Front view of the mosque. Main Entrance. (09.04.2011.)

Grand entrance of the mosque. (09.04.2011.)

 Sher Shah Suri Mosque. (09.04.2011.)

Rooms on the sides of the courtyard. (09.04.2011.)

 Rooms for the students in the madrassa. (09.04.2011.)

One of the two minarets of the mosque. The southeastern one. (09.04.2011.)

Jame Mosque Bhera

Sher Shah Suri constructed this mosque in 1540 AD, in the historically important city of Bhera. Which was considerably damaged in the 19th century, during the Sikh rule. Sheikh Al Hadith Qazi Ahmad ud Din Bugvi, Khatib of Shahi Mosque Lahore (died 1869), got it vacated with the cooperation of Muslim notables and constructed or repaired some parts.

The work on construction and repair is still in progress. The Bhera mosque always had a central position in educational, missionary, political and social movements. During the rule of the British, the ulema of the mosque always guided the Muslims in their struggle for freedom, and spread unity and harmony among Muslims and continued work of education, righteousness, and guidance, free of sectarianism. 

Introduction

             Bhera (Northern Punjab)      Longitude:  72.56   Latitude:  32.18    

(These are actually incorrect)  

             Area of the mosque     69 x 127   Feet    Firstly           Sher Shah Suri

                                                  161 x 228 Feet    Secondly      Bugviah  Ulemas

 Building of the mosque:  Dar Al Quran, Dar Al Hadith, Minarets, Building of the madrassa, Entrance of the mosque, water pool and library and the additional constructions of later times. 

Property of the mosque:  No permanent endowments / trust.  

Interior of the mosque. (09.04.2011.)

Mihrab of the mosque. (09.04.2011.)

Of all the historical buildings, the mosque of Sher Shah Suri is the most magnificent and luckily the best preserved. Other main attractions in Bhera in this regard are its eight gates, which are Lahori, Chinioti, Multani, Kashmiri, Kabuli, Peeran Wala, Loharan Wala and Haji Gulab.

Multani Gate. I hope you will get a glimpse behind our national curse of banners and advertising boards.  (09.04.2011.) 

Remnants of a gate. (09.04.2011.)

Multani Gate. (09.04.2011.)

Kashmiri Gate. (09.04.2011.)

 New Lahori Gate. (09.04.2011.)

Lahori Gate. (09.04.2011.)

Lahori Gate. (09.04.2011.)

Bhera is a treasure trove of old, traditional buildings. Its architecture and style closely resemble those of old Lahore and Peshawar. Bhera has always been a center of trade, art, and craft, and was especially famous for weapons manufacturing and woodwork.

Before independence, a large portion of Bhera’s population consisted of Hindus and Sikhs. According to the 1941 census, the total population was 20,219, of which 21.7% were Hindus and 1.66% were Sikhs. The Hindus were mostly prosperous traders and built beautiful, large houses. Bhera was also home to many prominent Khatri clans. The city is replete with old havelis built by Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs, reflecting a shared architectural heritage. In addition to the famous Sher Shah Suri Mosque, there are several other historical mosques, temples, and gurdwaras that add to Bhera’s rich cultural landscape.

Here are a few pictures of some of these old houses.

 An old house. (09.04.2011.)

An old house. (09.04.2011.)

View of an old house on the northern side of the town. (09.04.2011.)

 

An old house with wooden balconies. (09.04.2011.) 

Some old houses. (09.04.2011.)

Beautiful traditional houses. (09.04.2011.)

An old Hindu Temple. (09.04.2011.)

 Another view of the old temple. (09.04.2011.)

 

੧ ਓ

ਗੁਰ ਦੇਵੀ ਸਪੁਤਨੀ

ਲ. ਗੁਰਦਾਸ ਮਲ

ਸੰ. ੧੯੭੯

 مسمات گور دیوی

بیوہ گورداس مل قوم ببر - سنہ 1979

Gur Devi

Widow of Gur Das Mal Caste Babbar - Year 1979 Samvat (1922 AD)

Many houses have beautiful wooden balconies. As you can see in the above picture.  (09.04.2011.)

A Sikh Gurdwara in Bhera. Now it is being used as a Shia Imam Bargah. (09.04.2011.)

Another traditional home. (09.04.2011.)

Old Bazar of Bhera. (09.04.2011.)

At the end, I must inform you that the above pictures and details are not even a fraction of what could be found in Bhera. It is no ordinary city, it is a museum and it needs a massive scholarly exercise on the part of a big team of experts, just to collect and document all the information about the history and architecture of Bhera. I appeal to our provincial and federal governments to do something before it is too late. But we all should realize the importance of this fast vanishing cultural treasure and put our efforts to save it. Bhera is very easy to reach, as it is located just 3.5 km away from the Bhera Interchange on M2. 

Tariq Amir 

June 4, 2014. 

Doha - Qatar