Exploring the Historic Town of Bhera on Two Wheels.  See the write – up and pictures on the website , bhera org , under the category , “Miscellaneous.” The link is given below:https://bhera.org/exploring-the-historic-town-of-bhera-on-two-wheels-see-the-write-up-and-pictures-on-the-website-bhera-org-under-the-category-miscellaneous-the-link-is-given-below/. Zahid Mumtaz

Exploring the Historic Town of Bhera on Two Wheels

The charm of Bhera unfolded in a most unusual way when a group of cyclists, including women riders from Lahore, set out to explore the town on their bicycles. Arriving with their cycles loaded on vehicles, they chose the historic Sher Shah Suri Jama Mosque (1540 AD) as their starting point—its secure parking and welcoming hosts at the Information Centre,  making it an ideal base.

After a brief visit to the mosque, the riders mounted their cycles and pedalled along the Circular Road, pausing at the Esa House and later at the Bauliwala temple. The highlight awaited them at the River Jhelum, where their bicycles were loaded onto a pre-arranged boat. Drifting across the waters and landing at Ahmadabad and Buraarryaan, the cyclists began an exhilarating ride along kacha tracks — cross-country cycling through landscapes steeped in history.

Lunch was enjoyed by the riverside before they crossed back, returning once more to Circular Road. A stop at the abandoned railway station added a touch of nostalgia before they finally concluded at Jama Masjid, where their vehicles awaited.

“It was an unforgettable journey,” the group remarked. “Crossing the river with our cycles and riding through the rustic trails of Bhera was fascinating. To stand on the very ground where Alexander the Great finally  withdrew after his epic battle of Hydaspes ( Jhelum )  with King Porus in 326 BC was wonderful.”

Recommendation.  The Al-Iftikhar Bugvia Foundation could enhance such experiences by keeping a few bicycles available for rent. This would allow tourists to explore Bhera’s narrow and intricate streets and hidden corners with ease, making history and adventure more accessible in less time.

Notes:

1 . Alexander and Bhera’s Ancient Past. According to recorded history, Raja Porus fought Alexander the Great around 326 BC. Porus resisted bravely, like a true soldier and king. Historians suggest the battle of Hydaspes ( Jhelum) took place somewhere between Jhelum City and Jalalpur Sharif, though the exact location has not been confirmed. According to Dr. Ahmed Hassan Dani, internationally acclaimed archaeologist, historian, and linguist, Alexander finally sailed out from old Bhera ( Ahmedabad and Buraarryaan), where he built large boats and barges for his troops. Old Bhera existed hundreds of years before the birth of Christ.

For details, see Wikipedia and references/ sources given  below :

a . History, Archaeology, and Architecture of Bhera — in Historic Towns of Punjab: Ancient and Medieval Period, by Dr. Abdul Rehman ( Ferozsons Ltd., Lahore, 1987).

b . Alexander’s Crossing of the River Jhelum with Reference to Stein by Dr. Muhammad Salim.

c . “Antiques of Iron Age, Achaemenian, Greek, Mauryan Periods Discovered at Bhera” (Dawn, 6 Dec 2003).

d . “Many Bheras” (Dawn, 11 Dec 1999).

2 . Pre-Partition Bhera.

Before 1947, a sizable Hindu and Sikh community lived in Bhera. The Municipal Committee, Bhera, can confirm their exact percentage. The community maintained several temples inside and outside the Walled City, which had nine gates. Historical accounts and oral traditions suggest the wall connected these darwazas, roughly aligning with the present-day Circular Road. Around 11 temples have been identified—mostly in dilapidated condition or vanished.

The largest surviving temple is the Bauliwala temple, located north of Mohalla Pirachgan in an open field, about a kilometre from Chirri Chog Darwaza (Qabli Gate, 1865) on a kacha road leading to the left bank of the River Jhelum. Before independence, this route was known as Kiraarriaanwali Road, sacred to Hindus. Hindu funeral processions passed along this road to the  Jhelum River, stopping at various ritual points: Chirri Chog temple — Bauliwala temple — Marrhiwala khooh (sacred well) —  Ghrribhan (site for breaking mud pitchers) — 

Shamshan Ghat (cremation ground) — Noonaan Wala Nullah and Dhibyaanwala Darya ( later cut away by river floods).

The ashes of the deceased were immersed in the River Jhelum, a holy river. Hindus believed the Vedas were written on its banks (1500–1200 BCE).

Zahid Mumtaz