A beautiful, carpeted road stretches for
about 13 kilometres, connecting River Saifan to Batapur Lahore. On one side of
this road, the BRB canal flows, flanked by tall trees at both ends, while on
the other side, small villages and fields come into view. I became familiar
with this road a long time ago when my younger brother and I used to ride our
bicycles along it. I still vividly remember the early morning rides, where we
encountered a variety of birds and rare species. The Bee-eaters and Indian
Rollers would gracefully fly in front of us, fearlessly greeting us with their
presence and signaling the arrival of a new day.
Bhaini, a small village that dates back
to the pre-partition era, consists of only a few houses and is located
approximately six kilometers along the Batapur-Saifan road. A few months ago, I
discovered the existence of an old structure in the vicinity of Bhaini. Last
Sunday, I decided to visit this place with one of my friends.
As we entered the village, we noticed a
cluster of trees just outside its boundaries. It turned out to be the Bhaini
graveyard, with a tall, 20-foot-high ancient structure situated at its center.
This structure takes the form of a semicircular arched gateway, featuring an
indentation in the main wall that serves as a Mihrab, indicating its connection
to a mosque. On one side of the Mihrab structure, one can still observe the
remains of brick grooves, indicating the presence of an adjoining front wall
that has been eroded by the passage of time. In front of this structure lies a
small courtyard, with a grave positioned in the center. The locals utilize this
space for both prayer and funeral rites. Constructed with Nanakshahi bricks
laid in kankad lime, the Mihrab still bears traces of the once magnificent
fresco work that adorned its interior. Its grand scale suggests that this
mosque must have been an awe-inspiring sight during its prime, dating back at
least three to four centuries.
As I stood there, many questions arose
in my mind. What had happened to the rest of the mosque's structure? How did it
come to be demolished?
After much contemplation and
speculation, I managed to find some possible answers to unravel this mystery.
This site is located a mere four kilometers from the River Ravi, which has
changed its course over time. A couple of decades ago, I witnessed the most
severe flood of my life here, with the River Ravi coming dangerously close to
overflowing the ring road. It is likely that the floodwaters eroded the walls
of the mosque's structure, leaving only the intact Mihrab behind.
Another theory that emerged is that this
site lies within four kilometers of the Indo-Pak border and was within range of
Indian artillery fire during the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pakistani wars. It is
possible that the main structure of this mosque was destroyed during those
turbulent times.
As we prepared to leave, my mind was
filled with a multitude of thoughts. Where is the mind that conceived this
mosque? Where are the hands that constructed it with such devotion? Where have
the foreheads gone that once bowed before the Almighty within its walls?
Oh, my Lord, with these hazy thoughts
lingering, we slowly moved away, and the mosque gradually disappeared into the
darkness, leaving behind a sense of awe and wonder.
