Maulvi Musafirkhana is now a relic of past
The caravanserai, established in 1893, provided free lodgings to travellers
The marble plaque which survived for over a century is now showing signs of wear and tear. It remains today the only marker of what was once a grand building. PHOTOS: EXPRESS
KARACHI:
If one passes by Maulvi Musafirkhana today, it is unlikely that they will be able to recognise where the building is now. With the passage of time, the yellow-stone grand structure, situated on MA Jinnah Road, has fallen into decay and the unchecked encroachments in its premises have completely defaced it.
Passage of time
Sindh Central Record Management Committee Chairperson Dr Kaleemullah Lashari said that the building was in its original condition until 1955 and it was only later that commercial activities began in the area.
The building was conceptualised as a caravanserai, providing lodging facilities to travellers from low-income households and working white-collar jobs free of charge. "Prior to the creation of Pakistan, there were only three hotels in the city, Palace Hotel, Central Hotel and Prince Hotel, and everyone could not afford to stay there," he said.
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Maulvi Mushafirkhana building was designed by James Strachan and the responsibility for its construction was undertaken by Haji Muhammad Maula Dina. The city administration of the time paid half of the estimated cost while the rest was borne by Dina. In addition to the remaining cost, Dina, who was also a contractor, did not charge for labour and other work.
According to a shopkeeper, Manzoor, who for the past 60 years has been selling straw blinds and mats in the area, people settled in the rooms of several buildings in the premises and even set up huts in the caravanserai which they later turned into permanent structures. He said that on top of one of the doors of the dilapidated building, an inscription on a marble plaque reads Mauli Maula Dina Dharamshala, clearly indicating that it used to be a boarding and lodging facility. The words on the plaque too have faded with time.
Traveller’s respite
When the caravanserai was established, the inner lanes in its premises were so wide that camel carts could easily make their way through, but now they have become so narrow that only a single person may pass as dozens of homes and factories occupy the area.
Munawwar Ali, an aged man who was born in the residential plots surrounding the caravanserai, said that he has some childhood memories when the Maulvi Musafirkhana was still a grand structure. "There were no petrol or diesel run vehicles then. People used to travel on horses and camels," said Ali adding that people with fruit carts and hawkers would go inside the building.
"These narrow and dark lanes used to be wide in the days gone by, and camel carts and horse carts could easily pass through these lanes".
But now, it is overcrowded, over-occupied. "There used to be a Gora Qaburistan in front of the Maulvi Musafirkhana. There used to be water and fodder pools in the nearby areas. But now all these things have vanished".
Shopkeepers said that when Pakistan was established, migrants settled at the caravanserai but instead of taking shelter temporarily, they made the building their permanent abode. The area around the building is littered with several shops including sewing machine repair shops as well as leather and shoe making factories.
The walls, the top rooms and windows of the main building designed on Victorian architecture no longer resemble the masterfully crafted structure it originally was.
A calligrapher, Mubashir, pointing to an outer wall of his shop shared that the original wall was made of yellow-toned stone, but the paint and limestone applied on it has caused the building's façade to fade. Mubashir's shop was established in the 1970s in a narrow lane.
He said that he had learnt from his elders that many people going for Hajj or Umra through sea, used to stay at this Maulvi Musafirkhana. He added that many traders also sought lodgings at the caravanserai.
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The various governments that came into power in Pakistan completely neglected this historical building. No government paid any heed to redress the dismal situation nor did anybody thought of restoring the building.
Hope for restoration
Lashari said that the law for the protection of the historical buildings was formulated in 1994 in Sindh, after which all the historical buildings were declared as heritage sites. He added, however, that the rampant residential and trade encroachments in the inner and outer areas of the buildings, due to the negligence of the municipal institutions, has masked the original façade of the building. He said that the restoration process of the historic building can be laborious and time-consuming task, but it was not impossible. He said that experts are available in this regard who can guide the project.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 30th, 2019.
If one passes by Maulvi Musafirkhana today, it is unlikely that they will be able to recognise where the building is now. With the passage of time, the yellow-stone grand structure, situated on MA Jinnah Road, has fallen into decay and the unchecked encroachments in its premises have completely defaced it.
Passage of time
Sindh Central Record Management Committee Chairperson Dr Kaleemullah Lashari said that the building was in its original condition until 1955 and it was only later that commercial activities began in the area.
The building was conceptualised as a caravanserai, providing lodging facilities to travellers from low-income households and working white-collar jobs free of charge. "Prior to the creation of Pakistan, there were only three hotels in the city, Palace Hotel, Central Hotel and Prince Hotel, and everyone could not afford to stay there," he said.
Uncovering history: 4,000-year-old artefacts found near Khanpur
Maulvi Mushafirkhana building was designed by James Strachan and the responsibility for its construction was undertaken by Haji Muhammad Maula Dina. The city administration of the time paid half of the estimated cost while the rest was borne by Dina. In addition to the remaining cost, Dina, who was also a contractor, did not charge for labour and other work.
According to a shopkeeper, Manzoor, who for the past 60 years has been selling straw blinds and mats in the area, people settled in the rooms of several buildings in the premises and even set up huts in the caravanserai which they later turned into permanent structures. He said that on top of one of the doors of the dilapidated building, an inscription on a marble plaque reads Mauli Maula Dina Dharamshala, clearly indicating that it used to be a boarding and lodging facility. The words on the plaque too have faded with time.
Traveller’s respite
When the caravanserai was established, the inner lanes in its premises were so wide that camel carts could easily make their way through, but now they have become so narrow that only a single person may pass as dozens of homes and factories occupy the area.
Munawwar Ali, an aged man who was born in the residential plots surrounding the caravanserai, said that he has some childhood memories when the Maulvi Musafirkhana was still a grand structure. "There were no petrol or diesel run vehicles then. People used to travel on horses and camels," said Ali adding that people with fruit carts and hawkers would go inside the building.
"These narrow and dark lanes used to be wide in the days gone by, and camel carts and horse carts could easily pass through these lanes".
But now, it is overcrowded, over-occupied. "There used to be a Gora Qaburistan in front of the Maulvi Musafirkhana. There used to be water and fodder pools in the nearby areas. But now all these things have vanished".
Shopkeepers said that when Pakistan was established, migrants settled at the caravanserai but instead of taking shelter temporarily, they made the building their permanent abode. The area around the building is littered with several shops including sewing machine repair shops as well as leather and shoe making factories.
The walls, the top rooms and windows of the main building designed on Victorian architecture no longer resemble the masterfully crafted structure it originally was.
A calligrapher, Mubashir, pointing to an outer wall of his shop shared that the original wall was made of yellow-toned stone, but the paint and limestone applied on it has caused the building's façade to fade. Mubashir's shop was established in the 1970s in a narrow lane.
He said that he had learnt from his elders that many people going for Hajj or Umra through sea, used to stay at this Maulvi Musafirkhana. He added that many traders also sought lodgings at the caravanserai.
A relic of the past - Saddar’s Rainbow Centre slowly fades away
The various governments that came into power in Pakistan completely neglected this historical building. No government paid any heed to redress the dismal situation nor did anybody thought of restoring the building.
Hope for restoration
Lashari said that the law for the protection of the historical buildings was formulated in 1994 in Sindh, after which all the historical buildings were declared as heritage sites. He added, however, that the rampant residential and trade encroachments in the inner and outer areas of the buildings, due to the negligence of the municipal institutions, has masked the original façade of the building. He said that the restoration process of the historic building can be laborious and time-consuming task, but it was not impossible. He said that experts are available in this regard who can guide the project.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 30th, 2019.