LAHORE: The Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) has started Rs 1.730 billion rehabilitation work on Bhatti Gate and the trail up to Katri Haji Allah Bakhsh (Taveela Shaikhen).
The World Bank is funding the project through the Punjab Tourism Economic Growth Programme (PTEGP), and the conservation work will be completed by 2025. The project will be executed in two phases: the first phase involves the rehabilitation of house facades and later the infrastructure works.
According to details shared by the Authority here on Thursday, 1,038 properties will be rehabilitated, with work already completed on almost 190 buildings. Moreover, almost 35 buildings are of high architectural merit out of 194 heritage properties that are in this area, and all of these will be rehabilitated.
Talking about the importance of Bhatti Gate, WCLA Director Marketing and Tourism Tania Qureshi said that it was once known as the Chelsea of Lahore, as most affluent and literary personalities lived there.
“Bhatti Gate has been home to numerous notable figures from the past, including poets, singers, sportsmen, and artists. Among them were Allama Iqbal, Agha Hashr, Fasih Ul Mulk, Daag Dehlvi, Chaudhry Sir Shahab Ud Din, Faqir Syed Azizuddin, Indian singer Rafi, music composer Khawaja Khurshid Anwar, and many others,” she added.
Moreover, she explained that the name “Bhatti” is believed to have originated from the Bhutti warriors of Multan, who camped there before the Mughals arrived. Over time, the name evolved to Bhatti. Some sources suggest the gate was named after Emperor Raja Bhatti, while others believe it was due to the Bhatti Clan that settled in the area centuries ago.
Commenting on the project, WCLA Director General Kamran Lashari said that Bhatti Gate was one of the most famous and important gates of the walled city.
“We had always wished for the rehabilitation of this area. We will soon be turning it into a tourist hub, just like Delhi gate,” he added.
According to him, the rooms next to Bhatti Gate have been vacated, which were earlier being used as a police station. After conservation, they will set up a tourist centre and a craft bazaar in these rooms for the tourists to come and enjoy the locality of Bhatti Gate. Also, the trail will be one of the hotspots for tourists as it holds several historic houses and streets.
WCLA Director Conservation Najamusaquib Sheikh said that the significant part of the project involved the removal of encroachments from Bhatti Gate.
“As part of this effort, the police station within the Bhati Gate building had been relocated, and informal shops outside the gate have also been removed. This was the most difficult task that we had to take up during this project. The works to be done on the Bhatti Gate Trail included replacing of dangerous roofs, surface rendering, woodworks on the Jharoka’s doors, windows or balconies, consolidation of structures, works,” he added.
About the conservation of the Bhatti Gate itself, the Director Conservation said that they are doing the flooring of Bhatti Gate and the rooms will be functional for tourist purposes. “We are also doing fresco lining, making the historical gate functional and illumination of the gate will also be done. The roof treatment of Bhatti Gate is also being done during the conservation process,” he added.
Talking about the importance of Bhatti Gate, WCLA Director Marketing and Tourism Tania Qureshi said that it was once known as the Chelsea of Lahore, as most affluent and literary personalities lived there.
“Bhatti Gate has been home to numerous notable figures from the past, including poets, singers, sportsmen, and artists. Among them were Allama Iqbal, Agha Hashr, Fasih Ul Mulk, Daag Dehlvi, Chaudhry Sir Shahab Ud Din, Faqir Syed Azizuddin, Indian singer Rafi, music composer Khawaja Khurshid Anwar, and many others,” she added.
Moreover, she explained that the name “Bhatti” is believed to have originated from the Bhutti warriors of Multan, who camped there before the Mughals arrived. “Over time, the name evolved to Bhatti; some sources suggest the gate was named after Emperor Raja Bhatti, while others believe it was due to the Bhatti Clan that settled in the area centuries ago,” she added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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