Jatt Mahal(Palace) and Bara Mandir(Big Temple) of Chinniot ; No one paying attention to these historical landmarks 😔

Greetings

Chinniot City is famous for wooden furniture and woodwork. I always heard from my homies and from others about Chinniot.

_{Jatt Mahal, Palace of Landlord of Chinniot from 19th century}

I used to think that Chinniot City has some sort of jungle or forest, that's why they have an extensive supply of woodwork and crafts.

The time when I got a chance to explore the city, it was much more than my imagination. It was an underrated city in my imagination and dreams. On exploration, i found out that Chinniot City is a complete legacy and complexity. This legacy is rooted in the history and ancestory of the city.

_{[//]:# (!worldmappin 31.72322 lat 72.97892 long d3scr)}

Before going to Chinniot, I searched for notable historical places in Chinniot, and i scrolled through the pictures of Jatt Mahal(Palace of Jatt).

We found almost little history about this palace. Moreover, this palace is turned into a private place, and visitors are not allowed to enter into the palace.

I know people have privacy concerns and many other issues, but at least they should keep such historical landmarks in good condition. My heart really felt bad after seeing the miserable condition of the palace.

I stared up, and my gaze stucked at the newly made purplish color Jharoka(wooden projecting window). This purple colored jharoka was sore thumb of the building. It wasn't fitting in the overall symmetry of the palace.

My eyes fell on the cracks that invaded the whole building. Building became more like plaza where you will find some shops too. I assume, rooms of the palace are converted into shops. This can be a perfect museum or tourist place if owners might have thought in a different way. Well, it's upto them.

If we talk about the architecture of the palace then the influence of Mughal, British colonial era is highly visible along with the local touch of craftsmanship of Chinniot.

A smile passed through my face after seeing intricate craftmanship of patterns, arches and ornamental motifs.

Desire of entering the palace remained just a desire. I talked to local shopkeeper and he told me that this palace used to be a lavish palace but now it is just a place.

On the opposite side of the palace, a shop with green wooden doors was open. In that shop, a person was busy with his daily work. Even this usual shop attracted my attention as there are no such shops in my area. Chinniot is really vibrant and exotic in terms of wooden craftmanship.

Keeping desire alive in the heart, we walked towards the next and last destination of the trip. The last destination of our trip was Laxmi Narayan Temple (Bara Mandir). We were walking and following google maps. I saw jalebi, samosas and other regional food items. I couldn't resist myself. Though Moazam was in so much hurry but the fragrance made him stand.
I ordered two samosa plates and jalebi of 40 ruppee.

I will recommend samosa chat to everyone who is going to explore Chinniot because it was out of the world but jalebi was sloppy.

We also bought one naan and two crunchy khatai. Khatais were also really crunchy tasty and fresh.

I was carrying a packet of naan and walking through the streets. One interesting thing about Chinniot trip was that we didn't use any rickshaw or any other vehicle to explore the city. We just walked the whole city within a day. I know, we skipped so many notable places but the places that we covered were enough.

On walk, I found many interesting wooden architectural buildings.

Surprisingly, we found an unexpected historical landmark. It was Lahori Gate that is may be leading to historical city of Lahore. May be it used to be the gateway to Lahore, but now it is occupied with homes of locals.

Lahori Gate is artist artistically built but it's beauty was somehow lost because of the wire that are hanged over it. Wires of electricity are the major disturbance and distraction in urban centers.

_{Here are we..... Laxami Narayan Temple(Bara Mandir), Chinniot}

Partition of Pakistan and India left so deep scars on the land and in the hearts of people that are not yet fully healed. Air of sadness and stillness rolled down my cheek when i saw the devastating condition of figures of Hinduism. Though, majority of Hindus moved to India during Partition but historical legacies like these structures and historical buildings should be kept intact and the government should work for renovation of such sites.

This Mandir(Temple) was built during Second Anglo-Sikh war and it is epitome of local architecture along with amazing blend of Hinduism and Sikhism. The intricate designs and patterns still holds power to captivate the eyes of seers.

My eyes were sliding down slowly slowly as i was into the spell of the temple. I saw an uncle who was busy in selling samosas.

Entry to this temple is permanently closed. I asked a shopkeeper about Entrance and he replied; It's no more a temple and it is now a government school of girls. This was really sad to hear. I hope government will think to preserve it or make it a tourist site.

After taking clicks from distance and having hopes in my heart, i walked towards bus stand. It was time to say good bye to Chinniot City. It was such a lovely tour and experience.

On the way, i found a large shop of clay pots. I suddenly rushed in and took some photos. Potter was happily looking at me. He asked;

Photographer?
I nodded in yes

We reached at bus stand. We waited for bus. We were tired but determined that whatever seat we will get we will just sit. It was crazy that we sat on the roof of the bus. At first i thought that it would be unsafe but it was crazy experience of my life. It was really full of craze.

---

See you next 💫
_{All these pictures are clicked by me through my mobile S21 Ultra}

Posted Using INLEO