pon reaching the Uch Sharif-Alipur exit on Multan-Sukkur Motorway (M-5), one needs to turn left to reach Uch Sharif. There is a tiny stream running parallel to the road. It is difficult to imagine that this was once the confluence of the mighty Rivers Indus and Chenab.

Tractor-trolleys overloaded with sugarcane are a common sight on the road that was once the main route for travellers from the Punjab to access Sindh.

As one enters the narrow main bazaar of Uch Sharif, one ends up in Muhalla Khawajgan or the nearby graveyards. Mud graves, moringa trees, hot air and humid indoors are the inescapable and memorable features of the city.

The stop close to the exit from M-5 is called Muhanay Aali Mori. The legend goes that Alexander the Great founded Uch Sharif at the confluence of two mighty rivers. It is also said that he was struck a fatal blow by muhanay or fishermen in what is today’s Mian Channu area.

From Alexander the Great (circa 325 BCE) to the invasion of Muhammad Bin Qasim in 712 CE, the city was known for mystical wonders attributed to Buddist and Hindu monks.

Local people narrate their deeds as folklore.

According to these, two sisters, named Oocha and Sita Rani, used to live on the opposite banks of the River Indus. Uch Sharif was named after Oocha and Seetpur after Sita Rani. It is said that these sisters had arms long enough to share what they cooked, across the river, with each other. The river has now shifted to the edge of Seetpur.

Long after this, some Sufi adepts from Uch Sharif, influenced by Hazrat Bahauddin Zakariya, turned this city into a centre of spiritual guidance. This resulted in Muslim sufis from all over visiting the city. Hazrat Bahauddin Zakariya’s shrine in Multan too attracts people from all over the country.

So does the shrine of Jalaudin Surkh Posh. It especially attracts a large number of Naqvi Saadat to Uch Sharif. He is considered to be their common ancestor in the sub-continent. Their family tree or shajrah is still carried by Makhdoom Zumarad Sain, the custodian of the shrine. The mega event of the year in Uch is the three-day series of majaalis starting on Rajab 27. At this event, Naqvis and other Makhdooms from far-off areas visit the shrine and listen to the preachers. On the last day, historical ornaments attributed to the family of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) are shown to the audience. A similar majlis is held in nearby Muhallah Khawajgan. The custodians of these shrines have a large following in the area and elsewhere.

As one enters the narrow main bazaar of Uch Sharif, one ends up in Muhalla Khawajgan or the nearby graveyards. Mud graves, moringa trees, hot air and humid indoors are the inescapable but memorable features of the city.

To deal with the political power of these custodians or Makhdooms, these shrines were put under the Auqaf Department under the Ayub Khan government. A large donation box has been placed by the Auqaf Department at every prominent place at these shrines.

Lapses on the part of the Auqaf Department and city administration have allowed these shrines to become the dens of drug dealers. As a result, the number of families visiting these historical places has declined.

Also, land grabbers have been parcelling out the land dedicated for the upkeep of the shrines. As most of the shrines fall under the Shurkhposh influence, Makhdoom Zumarad Sain nominates the organisers of all events at the shrines. But land grabbers who have grown bold and influential have been threatening these organizers and trying to browbeat them. Land dedicated to the Shrine of Syed Ameeran Sain located in Alipur is one example, which has become a hub of violence as land grabbers have set eyes on it. The Makhdooms of Uch and Seetpur come from the same Surkhposh family.

All the Punjab rivers meet at the Punjnad Headworks located between these Ush and Seetput. Like Uch Sharif, Seetpur is a historic city rich in Hindu, Budh and Muslim heritage. However, not much effort has been made to preserve this heritage. During the PTI government, the Walled City of Lahore Authority was given charge of preserving some of the shrines and historic churches including the Data Darbar and the Baba Farid shrine in Pakpattan. A holistic approach to the preservation of the historic places in Uch Sharif and Seetpur is missing.

There is an impression that when powerful politicians revere some shrines public funds become available for their upkeep and provision of facilities to their visitors even as other shrines continue to be ignored.

Former prime minister Imran Khan used to visit the shrine of Baba Farid. His predecessor was known to be devoted to Data Darbar. Among other shrines, the late Benazir Bhutto would visit the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar. The shrines of Bahauddin Zakariya and Shah Shams have also been frequented by powerful people.

There is a need to preserve the shrines in Uch Sharif and nearby areas not only for the sake of preserving these sites but also for the sake of those devoted to them.

The writer teaches development support communication at the International Islamic University, Islamabad. He tweets @HassanShehzadZ and can be reached at Hassan.shehzad@iiu.edu.pk.