24-10-2017
Jandiala Sherkhan, also known as Jandiala Sher Khan, is a town situated in the Punjab province of Pakistan's Sheikhupura District. It holds significance as the birthplace of the renowned poet Waris Shah, often referred to as the Punjabi Shakespeare, and is home to his Mausoleum. The town is located at coordinates 31°49'15N 73°55'10E and falls within the jurisdiction of Sheikhupura Tehsil.
In the days of the Mughal empire, Jandiala Sherkhan held prominence as an important provincial town. Despite being situated on a floodplain, the absence of nearby water sources compelled the local inhabitants to dig wells for irrigating their crops. During the reign of Emperor Akbar, a man named Sher Khan, who was well-off, decided to settle in the town. Acting upon the advice of a local dervish named Syed Ghaznavi, Sher Khan undertook the construction of a remarkable step-well, also known as a baoli, to facilitate access to the water table.
Furthermore, Sher Khan erected a structure resembling a caravansary above the steps leading to the well. This construction served as an inn or a marketplace for merchants to trade their goods with travelers journeying along the road connecting Lahore and Kashmir. Adjacent to the baoli, in the southeastern direction, Sher Khan also contributed to the establishment of a small mosque. The architectural design of the step well exemplifies the essence of Akbar's era. The layout encompasses a central domed chamber encircled by eight smaller rooms, an artistic motif known as hasht bihisht, meaning "eight paradises." This innovation by the Mughals was derived from Timurid's influence.
Sher Khan's endowment of the baoli was commemorated through a plaque adorned with Persian calligraphy. Previously displayed at the site, this plaque was relocated to the Lahore Museum in 1971 for preservation and safekeeping.
