ghazi52
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Khairpur's unexplored marvels
......
Indeed there is a Sheesh Mahal in Khairpur Mirs which was built by then ruler Mir Faiz Mohammad Talpur.
The Kot Diji fort, built on top of a rock formation could be seen from far. A small road from Kot Diji fort led us through the fields ripe with rabi crops. I took a deep breath of relief in that quaint setting which was a welcome change after the city.
The road ended in front of a wooden gate which could barely keep intruders away. The red brick wall had eroded over time.
The interior of the corridor was breathtaking with the walls and roof heavily adorned with colourful patterns. The wood work was rather basic but still had a royal feel to them. We stepped inside the main hall and were taken by surprise with the exquisite craft on the walls and the roof. The glass and tiny pieces of mirror have been used expertly with the hand crafted patterns which probably gave the building its current name.
All doors at Sheesh Mahal are intricately carved.
The tiles on the ceilings were all hand-painted in contrast with wooden carved doors and tinted windows.
The most compelling part of the entire Sheesh Mahal adorned in hand painted tiles and mirror work.
A close up of the mirror work on the ceiling of Sheesh Mahal.
We walked around the main hall. The building was built in symmetrical fashion with smaller rooms on each side. There were washrooms built on the corners and a sole bathtub was lying in one of those.
Wooden carved doors leading to the main hall of Sheesh Mahal. Photo by Shameen Khan.
Light passing through the doors of Sheesh Mahal. Photo by Shameen Khan.
One of the caretaker's family members stands in front of the Sheesh Mahal.
I could not find the staircase to go to the top but according to one of people there it had been broken. Later someone told me that the owners had been reluctant to allow visitors inside the building as a lot of media channels have found it an ideal setting to shoot music videos and local drama shows.
The main entrance to Sheesh Mahal.
.
Mehrano
We stepped out and drove towards Mehrano which was a sanctuary built in 1790 by Mir Sohrab Khan Talpur, the founder of Talpur Kingdom.
It comprises a forest, agriculture land, lakes and desert habitat. The hunting free area is home to a diverse range of flora and fauna which have found survival outside the confinement of Mehrano. As we drove past vast wheat fields I noticed many sumbul trees budding with flowers of various shades of red and orange.
Our host took us to a fortified part where we found hundreds of hog deer and black bucks roaming freely. A priceless sight in the part of Sindh where both species were widely hunted!
The kind owners have taken the task of preserving these species which requires a lot of resources but indeed has resulted in burgeoning numbers of these animals in their confinement of Mehrano.
Afterwards we made a brief stop at a small guesthouse which was built at the top of a mound. From there we could get a view of the large span of acacia forest. They told me that a lake was nearby.
We immediately continued our journey there which was scenic and surreal. It looked as if we were stepping inside a jungle which would become alive any moment. Our host asked us to turn our mobiles silent as it could alert seasonal ducks which could be found in abundance around the lake.
There was a hide built near the lake which looked like the rabbit hole from Alice in wonderland. We stepped in and made our way using our hands as it was pitch dark inside.
There was a cloth hanging on the hide and we could catch glimpses of the lake only through small openings inside the cloth. The view from that tiny hole was worth a kingdom!
Hundreds of ducks were swimming through a rather small lake. I have never seen as many birds anywhere in my life. We stood there silently absorbing the surreal scene.
.
.
......
Indeed there is a Sheesh Mahal in Khairpur Mirs which was built by then ruler Mir Faiz Mohammad Talpur.
The Kot Diji fort, built on top of a rock formation could be seen from far. A small road from Kot Diji fort led us through the fields ripe with rabi crops. I took a deep breath of relief in that quaint setting which was a welcome change after the city.
The road ended in front of a wooden gate which could barely keep intruders away. The red brick wall had eroded over time.
The interior of the corridor was breathtaking with the walls and roof heavily adorned with colourful patterns. The wood work was rather basic but still had a royal feel to them. We stepped inside the main hall and were taken by surprise with the exquisite craft on the walls and the roof. The glass and tiny pieces of mirror have been used expertly with the hand crafted patterns which probably gave the building its current name.
All doors at Sheesh Mahal are intricately carved.
The tiles on the ceilings were all hand-painted in contrast with wooden carved doors and tinted windows.
The most compelling part of the entire Sheesh Mahal adorned in hand painted tiles and mirror work.
A close up of the mirror work on the ceiling of Sheesh Mahal.
We walked around the main hall. The building was built in symmetrical fashion with smaller rooms on each side. There were washrooms built on the corners and a sole bathtub was lying in one of those.
Wooden carved doors leading to the main hall of Sheesh Mahal. Photo by Shameen Khan.
Light passing through the doors of Sheesh Mahal. Photo by Shameen Khan.
One of the caretaker's family members stands in front of the Sheesh Mahal.
I could not find the staircase to go to the top but according to one of people there it had been broken. Later someone told me that the owners had been reluctant to allow visitors inside the building as a lot of media channels have found it an ideal setting to shoot music videos and local drama shows.
The main entrance to Sheesh Mahal.
.
Mehrano
We stepped out and drove towards Mehrano which was a sanctuary built in 1790 by Mir Sohrab Khan Talpur, the founder of Talpur Kingdom.
It comprises a forest, agriculture land, lakes and desert habitat. The hunting free area is home to a diverse range of flora and fauna which have found survival outside the confinement of Mehrano. As we drove past vast wheat fields I noticed many sumbul trees budding with flowers of various shades of red and orange.
Our host took us to a fortified part where we found hundreds of hog deer and black bucks roaming freely. A priceless sight in the part of Sindh where both species were widely hunted!
The kind owners have taken the task of preserving these species which requires a lot of resources but indeed has resulted in burgeoning numbers of these animals in their confinement of Mehrano.
Afterwards we made a brief stop at a small guesthouse which was built at the top of a mound. From there we could get a view of the large span of acacia forest. They told me that a lake was nearby.
We immediately continued our journey there which was scenic and surreal. It looked as if we were stepping inside a jungle which would become alive any moment. Our host asked us to turn our mobiles silent as it could alert seasonal ducks which could be found in abundance around the lake.
There was a hide built near the lake which looked like the rabbit hole from Alice in wonderland. We stepped in and made our way using our hands as it was pitch dark inside.
There was a cloth hanging on the hide and we could catch glimpses of the lake only through small openings inside the cloth. The view from that tiny hole was worth a kingdom!
Hundreds of ducks were swimming through a rather small lake. I have never seen as many birds anywhere in my life. We stood there silently absorbing the surreal scene.
.
.
