A Heritage at Risk: Old Khui (Small Well), Outside Mohalla Malakanwala, Bhera
Mohalla Malakanwala is one of the smallest mohallas of Bhera, comprising only 10 to 12 houses. Most likely, before Partition, it belonged to a single caste or extended family. The mohalla lies close to Imam Kot (the old Gurdwara) and the small mosque, Qazianwali, dating from the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan’s reign (1628–1658).
The most prominent landmark of Malakanwala is an old Khui (small well) located just outside the mohalla, now disused. According to the elders of Bhera, women once fetched water from this well after sunset. For their convenience, lighting arrangements were made around the Khui. Diwaas—small clay oil lamps—were lit at dusk and remained burning until dawn. The niches where these earthen lamps were placed are still visible inside the small chamber of the Khui.
Local admiration and civic responsibility should encourage efforts to restore the Khui’s operational status. The surrounding area needs cleaning and protection. It may be preserved as a historic landmark of Bhera before encroachment erases it. From its present dilapidated condition, it appears that one day it may completely vanish—like many other significant monuments of Bhera. These modest landmarks quietly narrate the story of Bhera before independence.
On the building under which the Khui is situated, a faded white marble plaque bears an inscription in Gurmukhi:
On top, written: “Onkar” (meaning: There is One God).
Below the symbol, the name of the owner is inscribed.
English translation :
GUR DEVI
Wife of
Lala Gurdas Mal
Qaum Babar
Bikrami Samat 1979 (1922 AD).
Note: Postcards regarding old Khui by Maheen Mumtaz are shared.
_Note: The difference between the Christian calendar and the Bikrami (Vikrami) Samvat calendar is approximately 57 years. Thus, 1979 Bikrami corresponds to 1922 AD
Zahid Mumtaz
