Accessibility:
The site is four Kilometers from the town of Chotiari.
GPS Coordinates:
26.045878 N, 69.182332 E
Project Duration:
Started: December 2021, On-Going.
Historical Background:
There once was a time when Makhi Lake Sanghar was among Sindh’s most beautiful regions. Over time, the exotic flora and fauna migrated from the great lake due to human activity. Once a region of bird calls and majestic animals, the region is now submerged in the water of Chotiari reservoir. Historically Makhi Lake was rich with the Hur struggle, the region hosted events that were to shape the whole province’s history. Many great historic events and stories revolved around the Lake. Near Makhi Lake, Chotiari is small towns situated in the district of Sanghar. Chotiari boasts a number of archaeological sites and historical structures. Some of the many include the mosques constructed under the order of a lady of the Kalhora Dynasty, Mai Jaman. Mai Jaman belonged to the Junejo tribe. She got married to Mian Noor Mohammad Kalhoro and bore two sons. Mian Abdul Nabi and Mian Ghulam Nabi, both of whom ruled Sindh. Six intricately designed mosques were built by Mai Jaman in the region. These mosques are in a precarious condition as they were abandoned. Abandonment of a place of worship is a rare phenomenon especially in a province as God-fearing as Sindh. The story that revolves around the abandonment of these beautiful structures is to do with the reservations of a religious figurehead of the time, Mian Mubeen. He argued that a mosque constructed by ill-gotten state money cannot serve the purpose of a house of worship. Some sources claimed that it was just the fact that the mosque was made by a woman that prayers could not be offered there. Subsequently, the mosques were abandoned never to host a congregation ever again. They still were sacred places and as it is frowned upon to ‘martyr’ a mosque, they were left alone to the mercy of time. Nearly three hundred years later, one of the mosques of Mai Jaman stands in the wilderness of Chotiari overlooking the region. The domes have collapsed and the structure has sustained heavy weathering. The condition it is in appears precarious but there is still hope
Project Brief:
Initial survey was done by technical team of EFT team on dated May-2021 , survey report was consist of following activities mentioned in work done column. During restoration work some additional items are identified mentioned in work to be done column. Amount required for completion of additional work is mentioned in above column