Projects to conserve Derawar Fort underway

Pakistan's most beautiful and iconic monument standing tall in the vast landscape of the Cholistan desert has been decaying for a long time. However, the provincial government is making all-out efforts to conserve it part by part, and two projects worth Rs161 million to conserve its façade, besides conserving the residence of the late Nawab of Bahawalpur and his office, are underway.

The medieval forts of the Cholistan desert are a group of around a dozen structures, some standing and some deteriorated. But the Derawar Fort is the best surviving example of this series of historic forts, some dating from pre-Mughal times, but all restored and expanded from the 16th to 18th century by powerful local clans, according to the Unesco World Heritage Convention website.

Other forts from north to south include Meergarh, Jaangarh, Marotgarh, Maujgarh, Dingarh, Khangarh, Khairgarh, Bijnotgarh, and Islamgarh. These forts form a network across the desert landscape and serve to protect and enable the desert caravan routes as well as mercantile routes from Central Asia to the heartland of the subcontinent.

The in charge of the Archaeology Department of Bahawalpur, Muhammad Sajjad, who also holds the additional charge of the Archaeology Department of Multan, said that conserving the whole Derawar Fort, a stunning architectural masterpiece from the past, was a gigantic task involving huge funding. However, he added, the Punjab government had launched a Rs41 million project in 2017-18 to conserve and restore its front face encompassing its main gate, the wall and buttresses on both sides of the gate. So far around Rs10 million had been spent, he said, adding that work on the project had faced suspension due to problems like Covid-19 and other issues. However, fresh funding had been received, and work resumed.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 5^th, 2023.