By Rimsha Ali Shah
Did you know that at the edge of the city of Mansehra in Khyber Pukhtonkhwa there lies a rock with inscriptions dating back to the 3rd Century, B.C? These inscriptions are significant in that they provide examples of early written language in South Asia in their descriptions of the fourteen edicts of Mauryan emperor Ashoka. The Hazara Region of Khyber Pukhtonkhwa has countless additional sites boasting equally enriching and historically significant. Unfortunately, appreciation for these heritage sites and their cultural relevance is severely lacking in the local surrounding areas.
Dr. Shakirullah, PhD, an alumnus of the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Heritage, has set out to challenge this and instill a sense of appreciation and sensitivity to the general public, and especially students, through his project initiative: “Campaign for protection of cultural heritage in and around Hazara University, Mansehra,” which was made possible with the help of the alumni small grant of up to $5,000 USD from the Pakistan-U.S. Alumni Network (PUAN). All alumni of various U.S. government sponsored exchange programs in Pakistan are eligible to apply for the grant to enable them to give back to their communities.
The event launched on October 16, 2015 at Department of Archaeology, Hazara University, Mansehra and was attended by twohundred participants, twenty of which were community representatives from the participating project areas. The remaining attendees were students, scholars, faculty, officials and officers of the University. Dr. Shakirullah explained the objectives of the two-month long project as, “Creating awareness among the community of the area, educating the students of different levels propagating the historical and architectural importance of the heritage sites and monuments through publication, seminars, lectures and counseling is of paramount importance for us to preserve our heritage.”
Through information and brochures, Dr. Shakirullah educated the local populace on the historical significance of many such sites in the Hazara region. Their initial research with the community showed that over 90% of people had no historical background of the heritage sites of Zar Dheri, Guli Bagh, Naukot Monuments, Asoka Rock Edicts, Siva Temple and the Abbottabad Museum.
Creating Awareness through Historical Anecdotes
“The history that people generally know about is what they have heard growing up. Take the Naukot Monument, for example. When we asked them what they knew about the monument, they replied ‘It’s a resting place of some saint.’ ‘But who?’ was my question which went unanswered. Little excerpts from history, if known, make the dull and dusty brick and mortar more alluring and that is what we also did through our outreach with the students, especially,” said Dr. Shakirullah. The Naukot Monument is among one of the earliest Muslim monument in Hazara and had been built in memory of the Saint Sayyid Ali Hamadani, famous for having travelled three times around the world.
“I used to pass the Zar Dheri on my way to work but I did not quite know much about what it was. I remember the Japanese excavating the location but I had no idea that this was a piece of Buddhist art that showed a new wave in the Gandharan art,” said one of the workshop participants.
Through such interesting historical anecdotes, Dr. Shakirullah created awareness among the students in schools, colleges and universities. Following the sessions, brochures were printed for wider dissemination among the residents, as well. Information boards were also placed outside each site with relevant information for the visitors.
The project concluded with a formal closing ceremony and a promise from the participants to continue promoting the historical and cultural significance of these site and the importance of preserving the architectural heritage in the Hazara belt.
