00:00In today's review, we are going to talk about the evolutionary journey of a very beautiful and historical building of Karachi.
00:06are going to
00:07A building that holds within itself many layers of history, love and politics.
00:13Yes, we are talking about Mohta Palace.
00:15So let's start this wonderful journey without any delay.
00:20Now listen to this one tabaas carefully.
00:22Generally, when we talk about the great memories of love
00:25So the Taj Mahal immediately comes to mind, right?
00:28Isn't it so, but the Taj Mahal is a memorial of death.
00:31The surprising thing is that this Mohta Palace was built in 1927.
00:36Actually it was made to save a living human being.
00:39Shiva Ratan Chand Ratan Mahata, a very successful businessman from Rajasthan
00:45He built this magnificent palace of eighteen and a half thousand Murba feet.
00:48He built his wife to protect her from the deadly heat of Karachi.
00:53Meaning it was specifically designed as a summer house facing the cool ocean breeze.
00:58Was
00:58So the first part of our tajjiye is about the symbol of this love and the failure of Mahota Police.
01:05And you move on to the second part, i.e. how this masterpiece of Indo-Sarasnik architecture was created.
01:12what is its credibility
01:14This building was designed by the renowned Indian architect Agha Ahmed Hussain.
01:19But the real secret of its magical charm is a wonderful arrangement of two completely different stones.
01:25Imtijaaz is
01:26Just imagine, on one side, the beautiful pink Jotpur stone specially imported from Rajasthan.
01:32and mixed with it was the yellow Gujri stone obtained at the local Tor.
01:36When these two meet, the building takes on a unique, majestic and conflicting appearance.
01:42that soothes the eyes of the beholder
01:44This mix is really amazing
01:46So let's go inside this palace now.
01:49If we start from the swimming pool, there is a hot water pond there which controls the temperature.
01:55The entire system is in place
01:56Get up here to the ground floor
02:13And if you go to the top floor, there are nine magnificent domes that adorn the building.
02:19are adorned like a crown on the head of
02:22And yes, its beauty is not limited to the color of the stones only.
02:26The intricate work done on the outside gives it a vibrant character
02:31There are peacock designs around the domes and marigold flowers are carved on the doors.
02:36Apart from this, there are big pockets and armrest brackets below the chest.
02:41Blue windows on the front and stained-glass arches on the back
02:45All these details show the fine craftsmanship and diligence of the artisans of this era.
02:51Was
02:51This is not an ordinary building, it is a complete masterpiece.
02:54Our third part is a bit free
02:57It's about the secret tunnels and shadows of the palace that are often told stories.
03:02After independence, when this huge palace remained empty and deserted for many years
03:09So silence was bound to give birth to fascinating stories.
03:12One question that is asked a lot is whether the lush gardens of this palace really
03:19There is a hidden underground world below.
03:21Now see, history or science has not done any proper analysis of this till date.
03:26But this rumor is so powerful that even today people take great interest in it.
03:32Many scary and thrilling stories are popular among the local people here.
03:36It is said that there used to be a Sarang here.
03:39Which used to go to a sub-ground temple for the daily worship of Mahata's wife
03:44And that sarong is now buried
03:45The museum experts who do night duty have told about this many times.
03:50that things change their positions spontaneously
03:53Some even mention the wandering souls of the British Raj.
03:56But the interesting thing is that Mahafiz says
04:06Well, let's move ahead from these trivial matters towards our fourth part.
04:11Which is the era of Qasr-e-Fatima
04:13The political life of this palace and then its sudden closure
04:17If we move away from ghost stories and come to the real facts of history
04:22So the journey of ownership of this palace has been quite complicated.
04:24After the formation of Pakistan in 1947, Mohta Khandan had to leave this place.
04:30After this the government acquired it and it became the office of Bizrat Kharaja.
04:34Then in 1964 it was declared the residence of Mother Fatima Zina.
04:39And then it was named Qasr Fatima.
04:42This was the place from where his presidential election campaign was launched.
04:45After him, his sister Shiri Jina lived here.
04:48And after his death in 1980, this building was sealed.
04:52Meaning it has become a kind of time capsule.
04:54Then after a long time, in 1999, it was converted into a proper museum and opened to the public.
05:00By the way, during this political turmoil, another incident also occurred.
05:04In the mid-1960s, when political tensions were high and public sentiments were high,
05:09So, from the Muktalif Maqamad of Karachi, the descendants of the British Raj were removed to Mejass
05:13They included Queen Victoria and some British soldiers.
05:17All these were brought and kept in the same courtyard of the palace.
05:20This single step added another layer to the historical and cultural importance of this place.
05:25And now it's time for our last part.
05:28A new cultural centre, a new birth for this historic palace
05:33In 1995, the building was purchased by the government of Sinn.
05:37And Pakistani culture and art took up the task of establishing it as a centre of satire.
05:42If you come here today, it is a hub of wonderful cultural activities.
05:47The museum started in 1999 with just three galleries.
05:50And today it has expanded to 44 galleries.
05:54Till now more than 32 major exhibitions have been held here.
05:57Gandhara is eight, you are the great master of the famous and illustrious Sadiqeen.
06:01Be it the history of Mukli's graveyard, be it the art of our traditional tiles
06:05Or the treasures of the Talpur rulers of Sindh
06:08This museum has captured every aspect of our history.
06:12But the thing to think about here is how all this was possible.
06:16The new birth of this Tamirati wonder and its continuous maintenance did not happen only due to government power.
06:23A lot of credit for this goes to private grants, Atiyat and those common citizens.
06:28Who are passionate from the heart to preserve their sacred heritage
06:33This is a testament to the tireless hard work of those who raise funds.
06:37So that we and the coming generations can see this date as a special one before our eyes.
06:42So, as I bring this interesting study to a close, I want to leave a question in your mind.
06:48If only one Mohita Palace contained within itself so many captivating stories of love, politics, fun and such deep-rooted secrets.
06:56Is
06:56So just think about the shiny doors and old walls of these other historical buildings around us in our own cities.
07:04There must be many such dates behind this which we have probably forgotten.
07:08This is a question that makes those who are obsessed with history look for the legacy around them.
07:15It forces us because history is never silent, it just looks for people to listen to it attentively.
Comments