It is all about Multan city of Pakistan which is said to be 5000 B.C. historic oldest living city and sister city of Rome. Rig Veda was written here, Alexander the great captured it, famous Chinese traveler Hieun Tsang visited here. Previously it was called "City of Gold" now called "City of Saints". I have given all information regarding tourism to help tourists and pilgrims.
Shrine Mian Dalair Banga Balail 1832 A.D. Muhalla Kacha Kamangran Delhi Gate Multan. We know that just opposite is the mausoleum of Nawab Saeed Khan Qureshi. Interesting Notes
It is stated that he was the Mua’zan of Hazrat Bahaul Huq Zakriya and hence was commonly called Banga and also honoured by the additional name of Balal – the famous Mua’zan of the Holy Prophet. To honor his name a large mosque has been built quite close – though not contiguous to grave. Few Photos
Located on Alang Road in the Faseel i Multan and exists between Dolat Gate and Khuni Burj Multan. An auto rikshaw or taxi can bring you here.
Delhi Gate Multan
This Gate was originally a part of the City Wall when it was built for the first time in the 17th century by the orders of Prince Murad Bakhsh and then repaired and rebuilt in 1756 by Muhammad Ali Khan Khakwani. It is said that inside Delhi Gate were once the spacious palaces and gardens of Nawab Saeed Khan Qureshi in a place where his tomb stands today. Was attacked by the British army on 29th December 1848 and subsequent complete destruction of it. When British Raj was established and peace restored, this Gate was also rebuilt but now not to defend the city from an enemy but as a memorial to the fighting that took place here in 1848.
Interesting note about this gate is it faces straight towards Delhi if you see on maps.
Delhi gate of Multan Satellite photos shows its direction toward Delhi
Monument
DELHI GATE
Location
DELHI GATE / ALUNG ROAD / CIRCULAR ROAD
Status
NON – LISTED.
Owner
MCM
Use
FORMER: GATEWAY
PRESENT GATEWAY.
Period / Date
BRITISH PERIOD.
Historical Notes
This Gate was originally a part of the City Wall when it was built
for the first time in the 17th century by the orders of Prince Murad
Bakhsh and then repaired and rebuilt in 1756 by Muhammad Ali Khan
Khakwani. It is said that inside Delhi Gate were once the spacious
palaces and gardens of Nawab Saeed Khan Qureshi in a place where his
tomb stands today. Saeed Qureshi was a favorite courtier of Prince Murad
Bakhsh, the fourth son of Shah Jahan. This Gate has been prominently
mentioned in the accounts of the Siege of Multan which took place in
1848 and ended in January 1849. John Dunlop has provided an interesting
account of the attack on this Gate by the British army on 29th December
1848 and subsequent complete destruction of it. He has also published a
litho showing how complete was the destruction of Delhi Gate as a result
of this breach (plate at p. 67). The wall attached with Delhi Gate was
about 30 feet high. “Upon passing the broken ground and ruined outworks
of the gate under a heavy fire of matchlocks descended a deep hollow,
and found to their surprise the city wall in front, about thirty feet in
height, un-breached, and totally impracticable, being from the nature
of the ground, fairly concealed from view until directly upon it”,
writes Dunlop (30). When British Raj was established and peace restored,
this Gate was also rebuilt but now not to defend the city from an enemy
but as a memorial to the fighting that took place here in 1848.
Description / Main Features
It is a free standing structure standing in the middle of an open
space at the meeting place of several roads. It looks like a memorial
rather than part of a city wall guarding an entry point. Delhi Gate is
one of the old landmarks of the city considering a gate had existed here
even before the coming of the British. The present gate was rebuilt
during the British Raj. Its construction is similar to Haram Gate and
Bohar Gate except that its arch has a wider span than that of the Haram
Gate.
Access / Environs
The gate can be approached both from Alang Road and Circular Road. Its environs are densely populated with houses and shops.
Present Condition
The gate has been conserved with deep struck pointing. However,
banners, posters and encroachments destroy the majesty of this
historical building.
INTERVENTIONS
The greatest intervention in Delhi Gate took place when the original
Mughal period Gate was completely destroyed during the Siege of the city
in December 1848 and then, after an interval of a few years, was
rebuilt in the style of European architecture with church windows.
However, it is not known if any further intervention took place between
1854 and 1990 when the first survey of monuments of Multan was
undertaken by the Multan Development Authority. The present restoration
took place at the same time when the renovation of the Walled City
between Delhi Gate and Pak Gate took place between July 2006 and 2008.
Proposal
No immediate repair work is needed. Cleaning and removal of Banners, posters and electric cables.
References
Latif, 38, 51; Wasti, 169-176, Dunlop, 26, 67; Nazir, 16, 45, 120, pl. on page 121, 125.
Plans
Elevations
Sections
Photograph
Environmental Notes
Delhi Gate
Vehicular Access / Parking
The gate is located on the eastern side of the Walled City with the
ring road passing below it and the internal ring road and bazaar roads
converging at the gate. Traffic passes through the Gate in large
numbers; vehicles park in the area in front of the Gate and immediately
adjacent to the structure.
Use of Space
The space around the gate is crowded with vendors and temporary
shops; the surface of the lower portion of the historic structure is
plastered with posters and advertisements. At the time of our visit a
goat was being kept in one of the side chambers of the gate with ice
being sold from another.
Visitor Facilities
NThere are no facilities of any kind for visitors.
Electricity
A Electricity poles are placed very near the historic structure and wiring obstructs views of the monument.
Sewerage
There are no toilet facilities and no sewerage directly associated with the gate.
Drainage
Surface water running off from the adjacent bazaar streets collects at the gate and flows towards the ring road.
Solid Waste
A lot of solid waste is generated near the gate due to the dense
commercial activity and traffic. Solid waste is dumped in many corners
and spots around the gate from which it is later collected by CDG staff.
Pavement and surfaces
All adjacent surfaces are blacktop bituminous roads.
External threats
TheNone recorded.
Condition
The monument is a British period brick load bearing structure of
massive masonry. The top of the structure is open to the elements and
potentially at risk of degrading. Overall it is stable and safe
Khuni Burj is located at a turn in Faseel i Multan (Fortified City Wall of Multan) between Delhi gate and Pak gate. Access is very easy. Also written as Khooni Burj or Khooni Boorj. Whatever spelling means Bloody Tower is a bastion in city wall of Multan.
Multan: Khuni Burj The Bloody Tower of Multan
Khuni Burj which the British termed as Bloody Bastion is as old as the Fortification wall of the city. But Sikhs appears to have given it special prominence because it was here at this site on Jan,2,1849 that they could defend both wings namely the Delhi Gate on one side and Pak Gate on the other side in the war against the British. It was here the bloodiest encounter between the Sikh and British forces. Breach of the Khuni Burj was the key to the final conquest of the city of Multan.
Local traditions claim that it was here that Alexander the Great scaled the walls of city of Malloi and was wounded severely and it was here that the Greek army took full revenge from local population..
Multan: High resolution photo of Khooni Burj the bloody bastion of Multan
Location Map
It is situated in between the Delhi Gate and Pak Gate
MONUMENT
KHUNI BURJ (BLOODY TOWER)
LOCATION
BETWEEN DELHI GATE AND PAK GATE CIRCULAR ROAD, KHUNI BURJ AREA
STATUS
NON – LISTED / NON – PROTECTED
OWNER
District Government
USE
FORMER: BASTION OF THE OLD CITY WALL
PRESENT: PARTLY USED AS IMAMBARGAH AND PARTLY AS TERRACE
PERIOD / DATE
18TH CENTURY REBUILT AFTER 1849.
HISTORICAL NOTES
Khuni Burj which the British termed as Bloody Bastion is as old as
the Fortification wall of the city. But Sikhs appears to have given it
special prominence because it was here at this site on Jan,2,1849 that
they could defend both wings namely the Delhi Gate on one side and Pak
Gate on the other side in the war against the British. Local traditions
claim that it was here that Alexander the Great scaled the walls of city
of Malloi and was wounded severely and it was here that the Greek army
took full revenge from local population.. But, certainly in 1848 it was
the Sikh army which defended the city of Multan from the heights of this
Burj and with held its possession from going into the hands of British
for long time. It was here again that the bloodiest encounter between
the Sikh and British forces took place on the first January 1849
followed by a ruthless massacre of the Sikh soldiers. Breach of the
Khuni Burj was the key to the final conquest of the city of Multan. It
was completely destroyed during the Siege of 1848 and the present
structure was raised after the rule of the British Government was
established. But when exactly it was reconstructed, is not known. The
date of the construction of the present day Imam Bargah is also unknown.
DESCRIPTION / MAIN FEATURES.
It is circular mass of rubble bound by bricks. A curving flight of
steps, from the western side of the Burj leads up to the upper level.
ACCESS / ENVIRONS
Khuni Burj is approached by Circular Road. It is set in the city wall corner along the Circular road.
PRESENT CONDITION
Despite the fact that the structure has been recently reconstructed
and restored the lower part of the Burj is in a state of dilapidation.
Encroachments have taken place at the top of the Burj with an Imam
Bargah.
INTERVENTIONS
It was completely destroyed during the Siege of 1848 and the present
structure was raised after the rule of the British Government was
established. But when exactly it was reconstructed, is not known. The
date of the construction of the present day Imam Bargah is also not
known. But certainly it has been there prior to 1972 as can be confirmed
from a photograph published by Huq (between p. 184-185. The same photo
shows that the Burj was in pretty good shape and without any
encroachment till 1972. However, when M/s GHK and INNOVATIVE carried out
their survey of important buildings of this city, they found the lower
part of the Burj in a state of dilapidation with some encroachments on
the top of the Burj. The structure has been reconstructed in the 1990’s
as part of the conservation plan by the city government. The necessary
work for rebuilding and repair of the Burj was initiated in July 2006
and has since then been completed. At present the structure need no
immediate intervention except removal of encroachments both at its base
and on the top terrace and disallow pasting of posters and banners.
PROPOSALS
After recent rebuilding and repair work completed in 2006, the Burj
does not need any immediate intervention. However, it certainly needs
immediate attention by the authorities for preventing fresh
encroachments that have started taking place at its base and for removal
of encroachments on the top-terrace particularly the construction of
the Imam Bargah.
REFERENCES
Huq, 184; Gazetteer, 67; Dunlop, 29 & p. 73 for a lithograph of Khuni Burj after it was breached.
Plans
Elevations
Sections
Photograph
Environmental Notes
Khuni Burj
Vehicular Access and Parking
Khuni Burj is a part of faseel and is accessible to vehicular traffic
from circular road Alang road and other streets of walled city. Parking
is possible on the street
Use
Its use is to purely religious. One Tazia of Muharram is placed in
the room over the Khuni Burj. The original historicity of the monument
which gave it its name has been lost due to the construction of the Imam
Bargah.
Visitor’s facilities
There are no facilities at all for visitors except for those visiting the Imbargah.
Sewerage
Open drains run along road, approx 22’-0” away from the Khuni Burj
and the connected faseel. There are no toilets or bath rooms within the
premises of the Khuni Burj itself.
Floors and Pavements
Surface runoff of the Khuni Burj itself is towards the Alang Road as the floor slopes are towards it.
Drainage
Surface runoff of the Khuni Burj it self is towards the Alang road as the floor slopes are towards it.
Electricity
Electric connection was available within premises of Khuni Burj.
Solid Waste
There are no visitors to the Khuni Burj except during Muharram days.
The solid waste generated during those days is placed on the Alang Road.
Pavement Facilities
Alang road and Circular roads are Blacktop Bituminous roads. The
premises of the Khuni Burj accessible from Alang road are brick paved.
External Threats
None noted
Condition Survey
Outside the original wall of the Khuni Burj, a new brick masonry wall
has been constructed, there by further strengthening the Khuni Burj.
Hence the structure is stable, safe and sound.
