In Ustad Ghulam Hussain’s cluttered artist studio, a painting tells the forgotten story of Bahawalpur’s vanishing heritage. His 1978 original oil painting of the grand Daulat Khana gate revives its lost splendor in vibrant colors, stirring a deep sense of nostalgia. The Mughal-style arched gateway, once adorned with intricate motifs, now hangs on his studio wall like a spectral shadow of a bygone era.
“This gate was not just stone and mortar,” Ustad says, gently touching the canvas. “It was a guardian of our history—where travelers paused in awe. Now, it lies buried under concrete houses and honking rickshaws.”
In recent years, bulldozers erased the gate’s last remnants, replacing them with a “Housing Society”—a move that has ignited a growing debate: is Bahawalpur trading its heritage for hollow modernity?
A Silent War Between Stone and Steel
The Daulat Khana gate is only the latest casualty in Bahawalpur’s quiet war between tradition and development. Once a jewel in the crown of the Abbasi dynasty, the city boasted numerous historic gates across its 250-year legacy. Today, only seven survive—recently restored by the district government—while the rest have faded into oblivion.
The 19th-century Farid Gate has been rebuilt but stands now as a pale imitation of its former grandeur. Other once-vibrant landmarks, like the gardens of Nishat and Darbar Mahal—once poetic sanctuaries—now keep their gates shut to the public.
“We’re not just losing buildings—we’re losing our identity,” argues Dr. Syeda Rubina Yasmin, a local historian. “Imagine Paris without the Arc de Triomphe. Would we still call that progress?”
The Heritage Debate: Preservation or Practicality?
Opinions across Bahawalpur are sharply divided. Dr. Shoaib, an international relations professor, believes development must come first:
“What value do ancient stones hold compared to livelihoods? Modernity is the need of the hour.”
In contrast, history professor Dr. Tahir sees the gate as a portal to his youth.
“We once found peace here,” he laments. “Now there’s only noise and neon lights. Progress without history is meaningless.”
Archaeologist Waqar Mushtaq offers a pragmatic view:
“Modernization is inevitable. Heritage can’t feed empty stomachs—unless we align it with contemporary needs.”
Syed Haider Raza Shah, a Punjab Tourism Department official, insists a middle ground is possible:
“We’re working on projects like transforming Noor Mahal Palace into a cultural hub so that history and progress can coexist.”
Lessons from Other Cities, Hope for Bahawalpur
Mian Ateeq, Director of the Punjab Arts Council Bahawalpur, reminds us that Bahawalpur is not alone. From Istanbul’s fading Ottoman homes to Delhi’s demolished havelis, cities around the world grapple with balancing the past and the future.
Yet, success stories shine through. Lahore’s Walled City Project, for example, restored the Shahi Hammam by merging tourism with preservation.
“Bahawalpur can follow this path,” suggests architect and scholar Jam Ayaz Ahmed. “Why not convert the remaining gates into art galleries or cultural trails? Let history stand tall alongside modernity.”
Professor Dr. Aftab Gillani adds, “A nation without heritage is a rootless tree.”
Meanwhile, cultural activist Suhal Kamran Maitlla proposes bold measures:
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Mobilizing NGOs and schools to 3D-scan endangered sites (as done in Palmyra)
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Offering tax incentives for restoring heritage properties
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Documenting oral histories through education programs
“These steps can revive history in a modern context,” Maitlla explains.
A City’s Soul, Hanging by a Thread
As dusk blankets Bahawalpur, Ghulam Hussain’s painting glows softly on a tablet screen—a digital epitaph for a lost era. The image whispers a haunting question:
Should progress be a wrecking ball?
“A city’s soul lies in how it honors its past,” the artwork seems to answer.
And so, the question lingers: Will Bahawalpur choose cultural amnesia, or rise to become a bridge between eras?
For now, the remaining gates stand silent—weathered, waiting, and whispering their stories to those who still listen.
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