Remains of Bakhar/Bukkur Fort (Island), Sukkur (2020)

23 February 2020

All photos are owned 

Bakhar During our trip to Sukkur, we planned to visit Bakhar Fort. Unfortunately, we were unable to obtain permission to visit this historical site, as it is located on a small island named Bakhar in the Indus River, between the towns of Rohri and Sukkur. Currently, the premises of the fort are occupied by an army school, and access is restricted to the general public.

Despite being unable to enter the fort, we managed to capture a few pictures of the site from the opposite bank of the Sindh River at Satyan Jo Aastan, known as the "Seven Sister Graves."

The island itself has an irregular shape, approximately 2 furlongs broad in the North-South direction and 4 furlongs long in the East-West direction. The entire island is encompassed by the fortification wall, which runs along the outer periphery and touches the waters of the Indus. The western portion of the island is inhabited and features barracks and a parade ground, but it lacks any prominent monuments except for a shrine and a ruined mosque. However, the presence of brick bats, pottery shards, and heaps of earth scattered throughout the area suggests that this part of the island once contained numerous buildings. The fortification wall, which used to encircle the entire island, has mostly disappeared, except for a few remnants here and there, particularly in the southern and northwestern sides. The wall was constructed using burnt brick tiles, primarily measuring 12"x12"x21½" in size, although various sizes of bricks were likely used for repair purposes. Several bastions, with semi-circular and elliptical shapes, still stand, alongside gateways of different sizes, now partially obscured by rubble. The fortification wall is approximately 5 feet thick, but in some places, it reduces to only 2 feet in thickness, while its height ranges from 10 to 10 feet.

The fort is divided into two equal parts by a railway line. The western part of the fort contains only two buildings—a modern shrine or tomb and a mosque constructed with burnt bricks and mud. The eastern part, however, only exhibits scattered foundations of walls.

Bakhar Fort, also known as Bakhar (meaning "Dawn") as named by Sayyid Muhammad Al-Makki in the seventh century of the Hijri calendar, is situated on a limestone rock island. The island is oval in shape, measuring approximately 800 yards long by 300 yards wide, and stands at a height of about 25 feet. According to historical records from 1912, the Superintendent of Land Records and Registration in Sindh stated that the area of Bukkur Island was 255,292 square yards, equivalent to 49 acres (20 hectares). Presently, Bukkur Island is occupied by an Army public school and the tomb of Sayyid Sadruddin, the son of Sayyid Muhammad Al-Makki.

The fortress of Bakhur was constructed using brick on a low rocky island made of flint, located 400 yards from the left bank of the Indus and slightly less distance from the eastern side of the river. Its walls were fortified with loopholes and flanking towers that sloped towards the water's edge, with a maximum height of twenty feet. The fortification featured a gateway on each side, facing Roree and Sukkur, as well as two smaller wickets. The interior of the fort was densely populated with houses and mosques, some of which extended above the walls, including parts of the rock itself. The fort had an approximately oval shape, measuring 800 yards in length and 300 yards in breadth. Although the rock had been pared and scraped in certain areas, Bukkur Fort derived its strength not from its structures, but from its strategic position

In 622 H. (1225 A.D.), Shums-ud-deen led an army to Oochch with the intention of overthrowing Nasir-ud-deen, who had entrenched himself at Bukkur. During this campaign, Shums-ud-deen detached Nizam-ul-Moolk to Bukkur, but Nasir-ud-deen attempted to escape by boat, which tragically capsized in a storm, resulting in his drowning.

During the First Anglo-Afghan War in 1839, the fort was armed with a garrison of 100 men from the Khyr poor Ameer and fifteen pieces of artillery. The fort's walls enclosed the entire island, except for a small date grove on the northern side, which provided a potential landing point from the right. The fort could be captured through escalation or breached from the riverbank.

Ghanta Ghar, Sukkur (2020)

Ghanta Ghar - the clock tower is one of the most important landmarks in the city. Located in the center of the city, it is surrounded by Victoria Market, Mehran Markaz, hotels, and shopping malls. A Hindu businessman, Seth Wadho Mal Nebhau Mal Manjhari, constructed the tower to mark the silver jubilee of King George V. It was inaugurated by the then Collector of Sukkur, UM Mirchandani, in 1937.

It is 90 feet high with four clocks that marked the passage of time on four sides. Once upon a time, the sounds of the tower’s bells resounded throughout the city especially at night, when life slowed down and the buzz of daily life muted.

In 1937, it stood tall and alone with nothing but Victoria Market for the company but as time wore on, more and more buildings cropped up. Victoria Market, though, continues to stand in solidarity with the tower, still supplying poultry, vegetables, and fruits to people in Sukkur and adjoining areas.

In the early 1950s, around eight shops were constructed right around Ghanta Ghar, an affront to its colonial majesty. With more business and less attention to repair, the clock continued to be worn down. Finally, around 15 years ago the then municipal corporation of Sukkur decided to take charge. They demolished these shops and carried out the necessary repairs and renovation. An iron fence was put up around the tower to discourage encroachments. However, all four clocks of the tower have been stolen, leaving it vacant and silent.

Ghanta Ghar has always been at the center of things. Protests are staged outside it and religious parties host their events there as well.