Quaid’s mausoleum gets facelift ahead of his birthday

Workers race against time to shine, polish fixtures, marble floor

KARACHI:

With the commemoration of the birthday of the Founder of the Nation Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah due on December 25, the caretakers of his mausoleum are racing against time to polish and shine everything from marble flooring and walls, chrome grills and glass chandeliers.

On Monday, the cleaning of an 80-feet-long chandelier, gifted by China, was completed.

The special function to be held four days later will be attended by the Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and other dignitaries. On the birthday of the founder of Pakistan, ordinary citizens will be allowed free-of-cost entry to the Mazar-e-Quaid.

The maintenance and renovation of the mausoleum of the Founder of Pakistan, spread over a large area, continues throughout the year. Special steps are being taken to prepare for December 25, the birthday of Baba-i-Qaum, said Mazar-e-Quaid Resident Engineer Aleem Sheikh.

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The work of decoration and repair of Quaid’s mausoleum continues throughout the year, he said adding special arrangements are made on national holidays. Sheikh said that the biggest step in this regard is to repair the dome of 72-feet-diameter, because due to continuous sunshine and cold and hot weather, repair of the dome joints and subsequent washing is inevitable.

He said that special priority is also given to the work of cleaning and polishing the beautiful chandelier installed on the tomb of Baba-e-Qaum which is gold plated with 8.5kg of gold water.

According to Aleem Sheikh, the first chandelier was given as a gift by Muslims of China in 1971 and the current chandelier was installed by the Peoples Republic of China in 2017.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 21^st, 2021.