‘No unnecessary’ digging at Wazir Khan Mosque

The Punjab archeology department has dug up some 15 to 20 per cent of the courtyard of Wazir Khan Mosque to treat seepage and no unnecessary digging was done there, sources told Dawn. To some experts this kind of excessive digging was not required to treat the seepage. However, a department official, who wished not to be named, told Dawn that 80 per cent of the courtyard had not been touched. He said only that area had been touched which needed immediate treatment. The south-eastern corner of the mosque measuring 83×35 feet has subsided due to seepage caused by the drainage pipe and other moisture factors. Sources said the seepage had been eating into the subsoil of the courtyard`s corner for over two years which left the surface of the floor uneven with visible cracks appearing in it. They said one of the factors that caused the seepage was the construction of a platform meant for ablution near the courtyard by Aquaf department which ran the mosque`s affairs. However, on the intervention of Punjab archeology department, that platform was removed from the mosque`s premises, they added. Wazir Khan Mosque is protected under the Punjab Special Premises Preservation Ordinance 1995 and falls under Punjab archeology department. An official of the department, that commenced the restoration of the damaged area of the courtyard a week ago, told this reporter that the seepage problem was there for the last three years but it was not addressed. The official said that recently Auqaf department released Rs1.7 million for the restoration work that would be complete in a couple of months. The mosque is part of a complex that was built by Sheikh Hamid din Ansari entitled Wazir Khan, a native of Chiniot. The complex also includes Wazir Khan`s Hamam situated inside Dehli Gate near Chowk Wazir Khan. The Hamam is surrounded by shops from north, south and west, while the eastern side is occupied by the Dehli Gate. The interior structure of the Hamam is now utilised by the Lahore Municipal Corporation for housing a children school, dispensary and offices of health department. The Hamam is a single storey structure, of imposing extent, plan and proportion, covering a total area of 1,110 sft. It consists of only one structure of two blocks different in planning and separated by a passage. It is built of Mughal ear small-size bricks, with lime mixed with small pebbles and fragments of bricks used as bonding material. The northern half of the western façade, including the main entrance, shows the original exterior of the Hamam. The exterior has indeed a character peculiarly of its lawn, for it is made of cut-and-dressed bricks and with regular rectangular recessed panels. The north-eastern and north-western angles of the building still retain the semi-octagonal guldastas (bouquet). The Hamam has 12 domes and one semi-dome of the main entrance. The grouping of three small domes on each side of the high dome of the octagonal hall of the northern block is very effective. The dome of the octagonal hall of the northern block is raised on a high drum with small windows.