A majestic Pilkhan (White Fig) tree, a loyal companion for 60 years, stood proud outside Sher Shah Suri Jama Mosque, Bhera, close to old Janazgah. Its canopy provided shade and comfort to countless prayers, who sought refuge beneath its branches like a mother’s embrace. For a long time, Nimazis cherished solace in its enduring presence. They had developed a sentimental attachment to it.
Unfortunately, on a cruel stormy night in November 2014, the mighty tree’s main branches fell upon the electric wires, sealing its fate like a death sentence. For the safety of the Nimazis, it had to be felled. When the branches were cut, it seemed somebody had chiselled a beautiful sculpture after making it, leaving only a memory. The loss was a collective grief, a painful feeling that the tree could never be retrieved.
The Pilkhan’s demise left a haunting nostalgia that refused to subside. The mosque’s entrance seemed bare in its absence as if somebody had forcefully removed the pugri from an old man’s head. Yet, the tree’s legacy would live on with those who enjoyed its shade and comfort and loved it like their ancestors.
Zahid Mumtaz