A decision has been made to install the old chandelier, gifted by China in 1970, on the green belt at Mazar-e-Quaid. A glass hall will be prepared to offer a charming view of the chandelier for the visitors.
This engineering marvel was a gift from Muslim Association of China and was previously installed in the premises of the mausoleum until 2016.
The four-story ornate chandelier, locally known as fanoos, is adorned with several kilograms of goldwater, 48 lights, and 10,000 sparkling crystals.
A new chandelier was presented by the Peoples Republic of China on December 17, 2016, replacing the old one.
Subsequently, discussions were initiated concerning the relocation of the old Fanoos in a prominent government building. In this regard, various buildings, including the President House, Prime Minister House, and Sindh Assembly, were examined. However, several technical challenges hindered the commencement of this extraordinary task, the foremost being that the height of the roof of any of the aforementioned buildings was insufficient for the installation of an 80-feet high Fanoos. Consequently, this matter remained pending for seven years.
Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture Division and Quaid-e-Azam Mazar Management Board Chairman Jamal Shah, presided over the 96th board meeting session held for the decision.
The meeting decided that the old chandelier installed in the dome of Mazar-e-Quaid would be repositioned to a designated spot amidst the greenery and fountains situated in the Mazar.
The committee overseeing this work and handling all technical matters includes Vice Chancellor NED University Sarosh Hashmat Lodhi, Faheem Iqbal Siddiqui, Inamullah Sheikh, and Abdul Aleem Sheikh, the Resident Engineer of Mazar-e-Quaid.
According to Abdul Aleem Sheikh, the old chandelier can be considered a masterpiece of engineering from the past, and its installation work is equally complicated. Every angle was meticulously examined to commence the installation work or to determine its location. Numerous government buildings were considered, but almost everywhere, the height from the roof to the ground was inadequate. Now, a committee has been formed, and it has been decided that a glass room or hall will be constructed according to the height and width of the fanoos, after which it will be detached from its old location at Mazar-e-Quaid and installed there.
He adds that this fanoos, with historical ties to the early period of the founding of Pakistan, will be preserved like other antiquities associated with Quaid-e-Azam.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 25th, 2023.
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