Famed shrine in dire need of authorities’ attention

The 700-year-old structure, last restored in 1971, is in a dilapidated condition

MULTAN: Multan, the city of saints famous for its culture, has a number of historic shrines, temples and tombs. However, the dilapidated condition of the 700-year-old tomb of Shah Rukn-e- Alam raises questions about the performance of the Auqaf Department.

The shrines of Shah Shams, Sakhi Sultan and Bibi Pak Daman, along with that of great Sufi saint Bahauddin Zakaria also require attention of the authorities concerned.

Multan is famous all over the world for the teachings and final resting places of saints and these shrines are the focus of tourists.

However, their dilapidated condition not only discourages tourists but also causes problems for the pilgrims.

The long courtyard of the tomb of the Sufi Saint Shah Rukn-e-Alam has developed cracks at several places and the floor of the terrace has also been damaged.

Though the tomb gets a yearly income of Rs800,000, it has not been repaired for many years.

The seven-century-old tomb was last repaired in October 1971, but since then its renovation has not received attention of the authorities concerned.

Visitors to the shrines demand that the Auqaf Department should pay attention to the restoration of the buildings so that the ancient culture of the city of saints can remain preserved.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi is the Sajjada Nasheen of the shrine of Shah Rukn-e-Alam.

Thousands of pilgrims from across the country visit the shrine to participate in the three-day urs of Shah Rukn-e- Alam.

Especially, a large number of people from Sindh come to Multan to pay homage to the saint. The visitors do not wear shoes to express their devotion.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2020.