The Barah Dari of Kuri Shehar

Heritage By Hamzah Rifaat
The Barah Dari of Kuri Shehar  1 86
 A charpai is not something one expects to find in a historic and sacred place. Evidence of the quotidian, it interferes with the place's mystique, the sort of thing that makes archaeologists lick their lips and become overawed at what impends from the distance. The ruin of a temple situated on the top of a hill in Kuri Shehar is one such placeWhen I heard rumors from locals about the site harboring some amazing artifacts and relics, I knew I had to explore it. Luckily, barring the charpai inside the structure, I was not disappointed by what I found.   Baba Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardana   Guru Nanak had told Mardana to wait under a Banyan tree The prospect of this place being an overhyped, mundane old house haunted me as I was climbing the elevated staircase. Luckily, I found a well that was deeply entrenched underground and a dome-like exterior adorned with images of flowers. To consider this a magnificent structure would be a criminally bare assessment. This used to be a place of worship; and, adding to its charm, a Banyan tree still stands right next to the building. The tree's presence confirmed my speculation that this was not an abandoned house but an old temple. Sikh legend has it that the founder of the religion, Guru Nanak, had told Mardana, a longtime companion of his, to wait under a Banyan tree when the former asked why so many people were being slaughtered in the world. Hence the tree has a significance for Sikhs. The interior walls were damaged considerably. The faces of possible deities or sages on each of the four walls that constituted the structure had been defaced or blurred by time. For me, however, the illegible "Indian" script on the walls was most fascinating. It was either Gurumukhi, Bengali or Devanagri, and my lack of certainty prompted me to dig deeper and conduct a hands-on interview to unearth more details of this strange yet exciting place. I heard rumors about the site harboring some amazing artifacts and relics A retired government official by the name of Mr. Muhammad Azhar claimed to know the story of this monument and the locality of Kuri Shehar. I met him at his residence, which was near the complex. The official was apparently highly regarded by people in the area, who spoke of his strong ties with the Sikh and Hindu inhabitants of Kuri Shehar. This is what he told me: The monument is known as 'Barah Dari' or 'Twelve Doors'. It is mentioned in a book about the area, authored by Vikram Anand and Asha Dar. Mr. Azhar read out the history of the site to me from this book in his living room. With thanks : The Friday Times : LINK : for detailed story with pics. Must view.

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