he ornate wooden doors of Shikarpur, found in mosques, Muslim mansions, and shrines, stand as a testament to the city’s cultural diversity. Adorned with a rich array of floral and geometric motifs, these doors showcase a variety of intricate designs.

In contrast, the doors of Hindu and Sikh mansions and religious structures are characterised by detailed depictions of Hindu deities, saints and Sikh gurus. However, not all doors feature religious figures; many are embellished with floral and geometric patterns.

The richly carved wooden doors of Shikarpur’s havelis, darbars, dharamshalas, mandirs (temples) and ashrams (refuges) stand as enduring testaments to the unparalleled skill and artistry of Shikarpur’s artisans, evoking awe and admiration.

Grand structures, adorned with magnificent wooden doors, symbolise the opulence and influence of the merchants who commissioned their construction, underscoring their historical significance.

The wooden doors of these buildings, with their intricate carvings, reflect the community’s deep religious and cultural importance, offering both continuity and a tangible connection to the past. These detailed carvings not only enhance the aesthetic beauty but also encapsulate the region’s rich history and traditions, providing a glimpse into the vibrant tapestry of Shikarpur’s heritage.

The affluent merchants of Shikarpur, particularly the Hindu builders and owners of havelis, mansions, temples and darbars, played a pivotal role in enhancing the city’s aesthetic appeal. They placed particular emphasis on the main door, which were adorned with themes reflecting the religious beliefs of the owners.

Wealthy Hindu merchants of Shikarpur hired skilled craftsmen from Sindh and the Punjab to embellish the doors to their homes, leaving a lasting legacy in the city’s architectural heritage. Many of these doors were crafted from teak wood known for its durability and elegance.

The Nanakpanthis, Hindu followers of Baba Guru Nanak, mostly adorned the tympanums of doors with intricate carvings featuring Baba Guru Nanak alongside his two companions, Bhai Bala and Bhai Mardana.

These carvings symbolise the strong influence of the Nanakpanthi faith in Shikarpur. Gracing the doors of residential dwellings and darbars, these detailed carvings serve as a visual testament to the occupants’ religious beliefs and the city’s rich cultural heritage.

In the depictions on the doors of houses and darbars, Baba Guru Nanak is often accompanied by his companions. In some instances, he is portrayed in solitary contemplation. In all these depictions, Baba Guru Nanak is consistently shown seated beneath a tree, wearing a turban and holding a rosary.

Bhai Bala is typically depicted playing the rabab and Bhai Mardana holding a peacock feathers fan. The artistic representations are realistic. In addition to doors, the three are also depicted on the platforms of many samadhis in Shikarpur.

A few samadhis at the Pooj Udasin Samadha Ashram have platforms adorned with woodcarvings of the trio.

Images of Vishnu and Shiva are depicted either alone or with their consorts on some doors. Two of Vishnu’s incarnations, Krishna and Rama, also appear in carvings. Krishna is often shown playing the flute, either alone or with his favourite gopi, Radha, or in the company of gopas (cow herders).

The divine trinity—Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva—is carved on the tympanums of some doors. In some instances, Krishna, as an incarnation of Vishnu, replaces Vishnu in the trinity. One such door, depicting Brahma, Krishna and Shiva, can be found at the Swami Shankar Anand Bharti temple.

The Gaja Lakshmi (Lakshmi with elephants) theme also appears on some doors in Shikarpur. In this depiction, Gaja Lakshmi sits, four-armed, on a lotus flower, symbolising purity. The brightly coloured petals of the lotus bloom above the muddy waters. The lotus also represents fertility. Lakshmi is sometimes shown carrying lotus blossoms or dressed in a garment made entirely from lotus petals.

Unfortunately, many doors featuring the Gaja Lakshmi theme were sold when the havelis were demolished. A few made their way to furniture markets in Islamabad and other cities of Pakistan.

The wooden doors of Shikarpur also depict Shiva and Parvati. Shiva is shown with dreadlocks and a snake as his garland, sitting on a lion pelt and carrying a trident in one hand and a rosary in the other. Ganesh is frequently depicted either alone or with his consorts, Siddhi and Buddhi, with his mount, a mouse, sometimes shown in the foreground.

He is typically portrayed with four hands, holding an elephant goad, axe, rosary and sweetmeats. I have seen 14 doors in Shikarpur featuring Ganesh. Many of these doors were sold in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2017.

Nanakpanthis, the Hindu followers of Baba Guru Nanak, mostly adorned the tympanums of doors with intricate carvings featuring Baba Guru Nanak alongside his two companions, Bhai Bala and Bhai Mardana.

Ganesh, along with his consorts, can also be found on wooden doors in temples across other towns in Sindh. One of the finest specimens was located at the marhi of Sadh Sawai Goswami Shiyam Gir in Shahdadpur, Sanghar.

In addition to Ganesh, the image of Jhulay Lal is often seen on wooden doors. Followers of Jhulay Lal, known as Daryapanthis, adorn their entrance doors with his likeness. Both windows and doors frequently feature depictions of Jhulay Lal, who is shown either sitting or standing on a palla fish, and in rare instances, riding a horse.

The image of Jhulay Lal is also carved on doors of some temples, darbars and ashrams. Notable examples of this are at Jugal Piyari Than and the Pooj Udasin Samadha Ashram.

In a narrow lane stands the famous Khatwari Dharamshala/ Darbar, founded by Bhai Gurdas, a disciple of Guru Gobind Singh and the founder of Sevapanth. This darbar is one of the most impressive structures in Shikarpur, distinguished by its paintings and intricate woodwork. Two main entrance doors are adorned with carvings and topped with marble images of Ganesh and Durga.

Three wooden doors lead into the main hall, where the Guru Granth Sahib and an image of Baba Sri Chand are housed. All three doors are richly carved, featuring images of Hindu deities and Sikh gurus.

The central door features ten panels depicting Sikh Gurus and saints. It is divided into two shutters, each containing five panels inscribed with Gurmukhi. The left shutter displays images of Guru Nanak, Guru Ram Das, Guru Hargobind, Guru Har Krishan and Guru Tegh Bahadur. The right shutter portrays Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das, Guru Arjan Dev, Guru Har Rai and two Sikh saints, Baba Sewa Das and Baba Kashi Das.

In addition to the Sikh gurus, the door has representations of some Hindu deities. The door jambs on either side of the central door are adorned with intricate woodcarvings of Vishnu and his mount, Garuda, enhancing the grandeur of this remarkable structure.

The door on the right side showcases the most impressive and refined wood carving of Anantashayana Vishnu, reclining on the serpent Ananta or Shesha, with Lakshmi at his side. In this depiction, Lakshmi is shown massaging Vishnu’s feet, a gesture symbolising her devotion.

The panel illustrates Vishnu resting on the coils of the cobra Ananta or Shesha, with his wife Lakshmi. In popular iconography, this form is known as Sheshai Vishnu. From Vishnu’s navel rises a lotus, upon which the god Brahma is seated. According to Hindu mythology, Brahma initiates creation.

Sheshai Vishnu, or Anantashayana Vishnu, was depicted on many wooden doors throughout Shikarpur. Most of these were sold off when the havelis were demolished.

The wooden door on the left side of the central wooden door of Khatwari Darbar depicts Krishna with cows and herders (gopas). It also has a very finely carved image of Krishna playing the flute under a tree, flanked by the gopas.

Many other temples and darbars in Shikarpur, such as the Pooj Udasin Samadha Ashram, Swami Shankar Anand Bharti Temple, Jugal Piyari Than, Balakram Ji Marhi and Masand Darbar, are adorned with exquisitely carved doors. The Darshani Darwazo in the Pooj Udasin Samadha Ashram is particularly magnificent, featuring six panels depicting Hindu deities and Baba Guru Nanak.

The carvings include representations of Shiva, Baba Guru Nanak, Vishnu, Krishna, Brahma and Ganpati (Ganesh). Some of the doors are further enhanced with intricate ivory inlay work that is truly impressive. Notably, the wooden doors in Swami Shankar Anand Bharti Temple and Masand Darbar are renowned for their fine ivory inlay, showcasing carvings of birds, fruit dishes, vases and flowers.

Jugal Piyari Than, the temple of Jhulay Lal, features an ornamental door depicting the Gadisars (custodians) of the temple along with Hindu deities. This temple has been recently rebuilt. A few Muslim houses in Shikarpur also have doors adorned with ivory inlay, reflecting the city’s rich artistic heritage.

Over the last three decades, many houses in Shikarpur have been demolished. Their wooden brackets, windows, doors and other architectural elements were sold off, stripping the city of its once-glorious heritage. The wooden doors of Hindu and Sikh havelis and mansions were often adorned with images of Sikh gurus and Hindu deities. In some instances, they also featured Baba Sri Chand, the elder son of Baba Guru Nanak and founder of the Udasi Panth.

Although Shikarpur is home to numerous Udasi darbars, regrettably, no doors remain in the havelis and darbars that depict Baba Sri Chand. However, carved images of Baba Sri Chand can still be found in Udasi darbars in various towns within the Shikarpur district.

The wooden doors of these darbars were removed during renovations and expansions. One such door at Baba Khushi Ram Darbar in Rohri depicts Baba Sri Chand, though the darbar has since been rebuilt. Additionally, a carved image of Baba Sri Chand can still be seen on the main entrance door of Baba Jairam Darbar in the Shahi Bazaar in Shikarpur’s Madeji Town.

In the past, some doors in Shikarpur featured images of Durga. None of those exist today. Additionally, doors depicting the Gajendra Moksha (the liberation of Gajendra, the elephant) were taken from Hindu havelis and sold. This theme can still be seen on wooden doors in temples and darbars in other towns and cities of Sindh. The finest examples are found at the Thanwar Das temple in Mehar in Dadu district.

The wooden door of the Thanwar Das temple boasts over a hundred panels, each depicting a different theme from Hindu and Sikh scriptures, making it a unique and unmatched example of refined craftsmanship in Sindh.

Beyond deities, gurus and saints, the door jambs of a few houses in Shikarpur depict women carrying pots on their heads. Other jambs feature lions devouring deer, Makara (a mythical sea creature) consuming fish and various other themes. A range of birds and animals are also represented on these door jambs, contributing to the rich visual storytelling embedded in Shikarpur’s architectural heritage.

The cultural heritage of Shikarpur is rapidly diminishing, posing a significant threat to the city’s historical identity. It is likely that within the next two decades, the remaining wooden doors adorning havelis and mansions will be lost. While the wooden doors of temples and darbars may endure for a few more years, those gracing the havelis and mansions are particularly vulnerable to commercial considerations.

The impending loss represents more than the disappearance of physical structures; it also signals the erasure of the cultural and historical narratives intricately woven into each door’s design and craftsmanship.

The writer is an anthropologist. He has authored 16 books on Pakistan’s cultural heritage and Anthropology. He tweets @kalhorozulfiqar