Over the years the old buildings in Bhera have sharply deteriorated . Some have crumbled down, few completely vanished – faded away in the mist of time . No attention was paid by the residents and concerned departments for conservation and preservation of the unique historical buildings , including old darwazas, temples, gardens, railway stations , etc . Indifferent attitudes and lack of interest by the people, who mattered in Bhera , contributed to the damage of its cultural heritage . Things have moved to the lowest ebb. Colossal efforts would be required to restore and preserve Bhera.
The visit of Mr Kamran Lashari , Director General , the Walled City Lahore Authority ( WCLA ) gave some hope to the people of Bhera for its revival. Meeting with Mr Kamran Lashari and his team of professionals and experts in their fields was held in Bhera on 31 January 2022 . It was attended by Commissioner Sargodha , Mr Nabeel Javed , Assistant Commissioner Bhera , Madam Sara Luni, Mr Nadeem Afzal Chan and Mr Hasan Inam Piracha and myself.Consensus was on four points, as under for restoration and preservation of cultural heritage of Bhera.
- Establishment of Information Centres at Bhera interchange and Bhera Railway Station. Leaflets / pamphlets may also be placed in the information room of Sher Shah Suri Jama Masjid , as tourists often visit this mosque .
- Restoration of Bhera Railway Station , to be converted into Railway Heritage Museum , if possible to run a train for a few kilometres . Establishment of park at railway station , including jogging track, tuck shop , souvenirs shop , extensive tree plantation , swings for children , etc
- Out of nine darwazas, the reconstruction of three, which have been demolished and encroached,i.e., Peeranwala ( 1865 ), Haji Ghulab ( 1865) and Loharan Mori ( 1873). Mr Kamran Lashari during a tour of the town, pointed out three more darwazas, which have been renovated badly, should be re-done. , close to the original condition, i.e., Chirrya Ghog Darwaza ( known as Chirri Chowk Darwaza, Qabli Gate – 1865 ), Chitti Pully Darwaza ( Cashmeeri Gate – 1863 ) and Ganj Mandi Darwaza ( Lahori Gate – 1869).
- Restoration and preservation of Bouliwala Mandir ( near mohalla Pirachgan) , and development of park , along with the swings for children in the area adjacent to it. ( About , six canals land of the temple , is under Evacuee Trust Property Department ).
In the meeting Mr Kamran Lashari instructed the concerned members of his team to prepare the PC-1. Almost four months have passed : there is no ostensible progress on the ground. I hope with the changed government , the Bhera Walled City Project will not be shelved. Irrespective of the political affiliations , the politicians of the area must pursue the Bhera Walled City Project with active interaction and understanding with Mr Kamran Lashari and his team. Dynamic joint efforts and involvement by the senior citizens of Bhera and local administration are also required for the needful. Bhera has inherent potential to become a big tourists attraction.
To keep the issue alive and remind the concerned , few old pictures of decaying Bhera are shared in parts.
Pictures of crumbling and decaying Bhera , district Sargodha. Part 1 .
