Derawar Fort’s renovation kicks off with Rs100m grant

Officials say foreign tourists will visit site after completion of project

BAHAWALPUR: The renovation and repair work on centuries old Derawar Fort has been kicked off as the provincial government has released a sum of Rs100 million for the purpose. The funds have been provided in view of international jeep rally that is held every year in the region and gained immense popularity in international media.

Officials at commissioner’s office said that the Punjab government has released development grant of Rs100 million for repairing and renovation of 800-year-old historical fort of Derawar located in Cholistan Desert.



“As the jeep rally is being held each year in the region, it draws attention of international jeep racers as some drivers from abroad also participated in the event. The provincial government, feeling the importance of the event, has released a huge grant of Rs100 million for restoration of the fort," the officials said. In this regard, a meeting was held at commissioner’s office in which arrangements of renovation and restoration work were reviewed. The meeting was chaired by Commissioner Saqib Zafar.

While speaking on the occasion, the commissioner said that last year, a sum of Rs6 million was provided by the provincial government for renovation of the fort.

He added the grant was insufficient to complete the work as the fort was in a dilapidated condition.

He maintained that he furnished recommendations and proposals to the provincial government that the repairing and renovation work of the historical fort needed huge grant. “Accepting our recommendations, the Punjab government provided Rs100 million for the purpose,” he pointed out. The commissioner said that the project included repairing and renovation of the entire boundary wall of the fort, tomb, rooms located inside the fort, the entrance and the mosque.

Meanwhile, the officials told the meeting that jeep rallies that were held near Derawar Fort gained popularity in international sports media by the name of Cholistan jeep rallies of Pakistan. “Some international drivers participated in the rallies and the event got specific coverage in international media,” they said. “Thousands of local tourists from different parts of the country visit Derawar Fort each year to enjoy the jeep rally and after the renovation work, foreign tourists would also visit the place,” the officials said.

The backdrop

The Derawar Fort has been a strategically important monument through the ages. It is considered to be better planned than any other forts in Pakistan. This fort was the seat of Nawab of Bahawalpur, Sadeq Mohammad Khan I, for around 15 years, until it fell into British hands.

The architecture of the Derawar Fort is a representation of the cultural intermingling that the Mughals brought to the subcontinent.

It is the culmination of the Mughal style of architecture that began with the first emperor and that involves a fusion of Persian, Timurid and Hindu traditions.



The Derawar Fort is a famed hallmark of Bahawalpur which stands proudly in the midst of the Cholistan Desert. It takes hours to reach the fort from Bahawalpur City. However, the journey to the fort is long, tiring and dust laden. With the vast Cholistan Desert serving as a backdrop, the majestic fort is a sight to behold.

Historians say the fort was first build on the site by Rai Jajja Bhati, a Hindu Rajput from Jaisalmir. However, the Nawab of Bahawalpur, Sadeq Mohammad Khan I, captured the fort in 1733 and had it rebuilt to how it looks today. The fort was taken away from the Nawab in 1747 but in 1804, Nawab Mubarak Khan reclaimed the fort. Later, the British invaded the region and took control of the fort.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 28^th, 2017.