But the restoration of tile-work and marble, recreating the façade of the building, gives back Anarkali her resting place; legend has it that she was buried alive. The effort to reconstruct the church is also a positive development. We have lost too much of our history due to neglect and a disinterest in preserving it. The sum of some five million rupees spent on the renovation is not wasted money.
It is also good news that the archaelogical department intends to go about the task of repairing other buildings. The Ghazi Khan tomb in Dera Ghazi Khan and the Sher Singh Samadhi top the list. It is crucial that we do not allow our past to fall apart, piece by piece. Other decaying buildings from the Mughal era stand across Punjab; others date back to the times of Sikh rule. Preserving them is important, so we know our legacy, can take pride in our history and also pass on a little more knowledge about it to future generations. This is what is required to keep our history alive and prevent it from dying away and being forgotten by time as the years pass on.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 21st, 2013.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ