TOMB OF SHAIKH IMAM UD DIN

AR Abdulhanan afridi

CECOS UNIVERSITY PESHAWAR PAKISTAN

HISTORY

EARLY LIFE

SHAIKH IMAM UD DIN SON OF SHAIKH KABIR (BETTER KNOWN AS PIR BALA/ BALA PIR) BELONGED TO KHALIL TRIBE OF THE AFGHANS.

HE WAS BORN ON WEDNESDAY 1ST MUHARRAM 1020H( 6 MARCH 1611 AD) AT BUDHNI NEAR PESHAWAR.

HIS MOTHER TAJ BIBI DAUGHTER OF MALIK DARWEZA, BELONGED TO A NOBLE FAMILY OF THE KHALILS.

NOTHING MUCH IS KNOWN ABOUT THE SHAIKH EARLY`S LIFE. NOR IS THERE ANY USEFUL PIECE OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE EDUCATIONAL INTITUTIONS HE ATTENDS OR ABOUT THE TEACHER HE BENIFITED FROM.

HE WAS PROBABLY BROUGHT UP BY HIS PARENTS IN THE SAINTLY ATMOSPHERE OF HIS OWN FAMILY. A CIRCUMSTANCE WHICH DETERMINED THE FUTURE COURSE OF HIS LIFE.

LIKE SOME OF HIS ANCESTORS RENOWED FOR PIETY AND LEARNING, THE SHAIKH ALSO SOON EARNED THE REPUTATION OF BEING A GREAT SCHOLER AND SAINT IN AND AROUND THE PESHAWAR.

THE SHAIKH DIED ON WEDNESDAY 23 MUHARRAM 1060 H(26 JAN 1650) AND WAS BURRIED NEAR PALOSI WHERE SUBSEQUENTLY A SMALL HAMLET GREW UP AND CAME TO BE KNOWN AS PALOSAI PIRAN.

TWO YEARS AFTER HIS DEATH WAS STARTED THE CONSTRUCTION OF A LOFTY DOMED STRUCTURE OVER HIS GRAVE IN 1063 H(1652-53 AD) BY THE SHAIKH DISIPLES KNOWN AS SHAIKH ABD AL-RAZZAQ, SHAIKH ABD AL-HAQ AND ANOTHER SHAIKH WHOSE NAME WAS NOT FOUND.

THE CONSTRUCTION WAS CARRIED OUT UNDER THE SUPERINTENDENCE OF A CERTAIN HAJI ISKHANDAR ( KHADIM) AND USTAD FATEH MUHAMMAD LAHORI AND COMPLETED ON TUESDAY 20 SHABAN 1069 H(13 MAY 1659).

MONUMENT

THE MONUMENT OF PALOSI PIRAN ARE SITUATED AT THE OLD MICHNI ROAD.

THE MUGHAL THOROUGHFARE WHICH CONNECTED KHYBER WITH PESHAWAR AT A POINT WHERE IT CROSSES THE NARAI KHOWAR.

THE MONUMENT IS MADE OF BURNT BRICKS OF SMALL SIZE SET IN LIME MORTER APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN ORIGINALLY EXTERNALLY FINISHED OFF WITH A THICK COAT OF YELLOWISH PLASTER PATCHES OF WHICH CAN STILL BE SEEN HERE AND THERE.

THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHEALOGY, GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN, HAS RECENTLY DONE SOME CONSERVATION WORK BUT, IN VIEW OF THE NOT VERY ENVIABLE STATE OF PRESERVATION OF THE MONUMENT A LOT MORE NEED TO B DONE.

THE BUILDING COMPRISE OF TOMB OF SHAIKH IMAM UD DIN, TOMB OF SHAIKH IMAM UD DIN WAFE AND MASJID.

Mosque TOMB OF SHAIKH IMAM UD

IT IS SAID THAT THE SHAIKH USED TO SIT UPON A LARGE STONE IN THE MIDDLE OF KHUWAR I.E DRY STREAM FOR MEDITATION.

THE WHOLE AREA AROUND THE TOMB NOW GIVEN UP TO AGRICULTURE ONCE HAD A BEAUTIFUL GARDEN LAID OUT IN THE CHARBAGH STYLE AND FORMED A BEFITTING MEMORIAL TO THE SHAIKH LOVE TO SOLITUDE,PEACE AND SERENITY.

ABOUT THE TOMB

SHAIKH IMAM UD DIN TOMB THE LOFTIEST BUILDING IN THE GROUP AND VISIBLE FROM A DISTANCE, STANDS IN THE MIDDLE OF A RAISED PLATFORM MEASURING 28.80 BY 28.80 M.

THE PLATFORM IS 2.20M HIGH FROM THE GROUND LEVEL AND SHOWS FOUR CORNER TURRETS NOW DEVOID OF THEIR TOPS.

IT IS SAID THAT THE PLATEFORM IS WAS ORIGINALLY TOPPED ON ALL THE FOUR SIDES BY A METRE HIGH CURTAIN WALL WHICH HAS NOW COMPLETLT DISAPPEARED.

THE SIDE OF THE PLATEFORM ARE PLAIN EXCEPT FOR A HORIZONTAL MOULDING WROUGHT IN LIME PLASTER WHICH, ON THE SOUTH SIDE, SHOWS TRACES OF FLOWER-POT DESIGN.

THERE ARE 5 HIDDEN WATER SHOOTS ON EACH SIDE.

THE PLATEFORM GENTLY SLOPES TO THE NORTH EXCEPT FOR THE MIDDLE PORTION WHICH CONTAIN THE GRAVE CHAMBER AND ITS VAULTED PASSAGE.

THE SOUTH WEST AND SOUTH EAST CORNERS OF THE PLATEFORM HAVE TWO SQUARE 3X3 M SIDE-CHAMBER WITH SQUAT DOMICAL ROOFS.

ACCESS TO THE GRAVE CHAMBER, IS PROVIDED THROUGH A GATEWAY WHICH OPEN ON THE SOUTH SIDE INTO A VAULTED PASSAGE 5.40X 2.57X 2.20 M THAT LEADS ON TO THE GRAVE CHAMBER LOCALLY KNOWN AS TAHKHANA.

FLANKING THE MOUTH OF THIS PASSAGE AND JUST INSIDE THE GATEWAY ARE TWO MASONRY FLIGHTS OF STEPS, EACH 8 TREADS IN HEIGHT, WHICH LEADS UP TO THE TOP OF THE PLATEFORM.

ON EACH LONGER SIDE OF THE PASSAGE IS A GROUP OF TWO INTERCONNECTED ROOMS OF UNEQUAL SIZE MEASURING 4X 3.50 M AND 4X2 M.

THE LARGER ROOMS OPEN DIRECTLY INTO THE PASSAGE.

THE TAHKHANA COMPRISES OF A SINGLE ROOM MEASURING 8.60 X 9 M INTERNALLY AND 14.25 X 14.25 M EXTERNALLY.

THE SIDE WALL REACHING A HEIGHT OF 8 M FROM THE PLATEFORM BUT NEARLLY 11 M FROM THE FLOOR OF TAHKHANA, SHOW A SLIGHT TAPER AND END IN A PROJECTED CORNICE MOULDING TOPPED BY A METRE HIGH PARAPET HAVING FALSE MERLONS.

EACH SIDE HAS A TALL SUNK ARCH WHICH CONTAINS TWO SUPERINPOSED WINDOWS OF VARRYING SIZE AND SHAPE SHOWING REMANTS OF POTTERY GRILLS OF THE TYPE .

IN THE SOUTH EAST CORNER OF THE GRAVE CHAMVER AND BUILT IN THE THICKNESS OF THE WALL IS A FLIGHT OF STEPS,23 TREADS IN HEIGHT THAT LEADS FROM THE PLATEFORM TO THE ROOF.

THE INNER FACE OF THE WALLS OF THE TAHKHANA SHOWS CUSPED ARCHES CORRESPONDIND TO SIMILAR ARCHES IN THE EXTERNAL FACE.

THE ARCHES ARE CARRIED TO A GREAT HEIGHT AND END UNDER A BOLDLY PROJECTED CORNICE.

THE INTERIOR HAS STILL PRESERVED ITS PLASTER COATING.

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROOM IS THE KACHA GRAVE OF THE SHAIKH SURROUNDED BY SIX OTHER GRAVES HAVING SMALL SIZE.

THE TAHKHANA IS PROFUSELY DECORATED WITH PAINTING WHICH TECHNICALLY CAN NEITHER BE DESCRIBED AS FRESCO NOR TEMPRA BUT MAY BE CALLED A LOCAL VARIETY OF THE LATTER.

MUCH OF THE PAINTING WORK IS FOUND ON THE FRONTAL SIDE OF THE ARCHES,DADOS,SPANDRELS,CORNICE AND SQUINCHES.

MOTIFS INCLUDE FLOWER-POT, FRUIT DISHES, CONTAINING MELONS AND APPLES, CUSPED ARCHES, SCROOLS, HANGING FLOWER, BIRDS,FISH AND NET PATTERNS ETC.

TEXTURE ON WALL

INTERIOR OF THE CELLS

TOMB OF SHAIKH IMAM UD DIN WIFE

SITUATED ON THE LEFT BANK OF THE KHUWAR IS A PAVILION TYPE OF STRUCTURE GENERALLY BELIEVED TO BE THE TOMB OF SHAIKH IMAM UD DIN WIFE.

UNFORTUNATELY THERE IS NO INSCRIPTIONAL RECORD TO GUIDE US ON THIS MATTER.

THE PRECISE DATE OF THE DEATH OF THE SHAIKH WIFE IS NOT KNOWN.

THE TOMB HAS ONE KACHA GRAVE WHICH SHOWS RECENT COATING OF MUD PLASTER.

THE TOMB, COMPRISING OF A SINGLE ROOM, ACCESSIBLE FROM ALL SIDES, IS A MODEST STRUCTURE MEASURING 5.82 X 5.18 M EXTERNALLY AND 4.7 X 3.32 M INTERNALLY.

HEIGHT IS ABOUT 4.35 M.

BRICKS OF SMALL SIZE FIXED IN LIME MORTER HAVE BEEN USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND THE BUILDING SHOWS COATING OF YELLOWISH LIME PLASTER.

THE WALL RELIEVED INTERNALLY AS WELL AS EXTERNALLY WITH SUNK RECTANGULAR PANELS, END IN A PROJECTED CORNICE TOPPED BY A STRAIGHT PARAPET SHOWING FALSE MERLONS IN THE FORM OF CONJOINED FLOWER-POTS AS SEEN ON THE TOMB OF SHAIKH IMAM UD DIN.

MASJID

NEXT TO THE TOMB OF SHAIKH TOMB, TO THE WEST, STANDS A THREE DOMED PLASTER PRAYER HALL FACED WITH A PAVED BUT UNWALLED PLATEFORM MEASURING ABOUT 17.40 X 14.40 M.

THE PRAYER HALL, 6.95 M DEPTH, IS A RECTANGULAR STRUCTURE AND COMPROMISES OF A 5.50 M WIDE TRANSEPT, WHICH HAS A MIHRAB ON THE WEST AND TWO SIDE BAYS EACH MEASURING 5.20 M IN WIDTH.

THE WHOLE FORMS A SINGLE HALL DIVIDED INTO ROOMS BY ARCHES SUPPORTED ON MASSIVE PIERS.

THE ROOF CONSISTS OF THREE DOMES OF WHICH THE ONE ABOVE THE TRANSEPT IS A LITTLE LARGER AND SITS PROMINENTLY UPON AN OCTAGONAL DRUM.

ITS PHASE OF TRANSITION SHOWS THE USE OF INTERMEDIATE AND SQUINCH ARCHES.

THE FAÇADE OF THE MASJID 5.70 M IN HEIGHT EXCEPT IN THE MIDDLE WHERE IT GAINS ANOTHER 0.67 M HAS THREE ARCHED ENTRANCES.

THE INTERIOR IS DECORATED WITH PAINTING.

INTERIOR OF MASJID