Places to Visit in Bahawalpur (Cholistan Desert) and the Salt Range: Things and History to Know Before Traveling

Bahawalpur is located in Southern Punjab, Pakistan, near the Cholistan Desert. This region experiences a hot desert climate, with summer temperatures surpassing 50°C (122°F) and little rainfall. The city is famous for its rich ancient history, impressive architecture, and centuries-old handicrafts. Numerous forts, palaces, and ancient settlements in Bahawalpur indicate its historical significance as an economic and cultural hub along the ancient trade route from the Middle East to India. The Sutlej, Indus, and Panjnad river have contributed to regional agriculture and trade, boosting the local economy.

Bahawalpur: During and After the British Raj

Bahawalpur was a significant Muslim political state during and after the British Raj(colonization). It was the second-largest and politically active state in the subcontinent and had its own postal service and military. Many Muslim nobles, religious scholars, and artists sought refuge here to escape the Sikhs and Marathas. In 1833, Nawab Mohammad Bahawal Khan III signed a friendship treaty with the British, ensuring Bahawalpur’s autonomy as a princely state. The Bahawalpur State Force played a significant role alongside the British Army in various conflicts such as WWI, WWII, Egypt, Palestine, East Africa, Mesopotamia, Baluchistan, and the North West Frontier of India, demonstrating their commitment and assistance to the British Army. After the annexation of Bahawalpur with Pakistan in 1956, the Bahawalpur State Forces were integrated into the Pakistan Army. These units became part of the Pakistan military as the 8th Abbasia Regiment.

Bahawalpur’s Integration with Pakistan Following Partition

Nawab Sir Sadiq Mohammad Khan V hired Mohammad Ali Jinnah to handle the state’s judiciary matters, including the Sutlej loan project. In 1924, Jinnah became the legal advisor for Nawab Sir Sadiq Mohammad Khan V.

The transitional period between Bahawalpur’s initial joining of Pakistan and its full integration into West Pakistan is an intriguing chapter in history. The state navigated a path of relative autonomy while being part of the newly formed Pakistan until it was fully merged in 1955.

In 1946, the British government awarded £52,000 as compensation for World War II to Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan V. He generously donated all of it to Quaid-e-Azam for the Pakistan independence movement. After Pakistan was established, the government of Pakistan withdrew one month’s salary of government employees from the treasury of the Bahawalpur state, which amounted to roughly 70 million rupees. Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan V established a bank linked to a bank in Karachi. This bank provided the requisite amount of gold to the British central bank, guaranteeing the gold reserve for Pakistan’s currency.

Places to Visit in Bahawalpur

Bahawalpur and its vicinity are home to royal heritage, historical forts, grand palaces, desert landscapes, protected biodiverse national parks, and UNESCO heritage sites.

Derawar Fort

Since the Cholistan region was a trade and pilgrimage route between the Middle East and India, locals built forts to protect and provide watering points, food and lodging to travelers.  The most notable are Kalah Sardargarh, Meergarh, Jaangarh, Kalah Maror, Deengarh, Khairgarh, and Derawar. While many of these forts no longer exist, their names remain in the local people’s linguistic memory. Derawar Fort is one of those that has survived in its original form.

Derawar Fort, also known as Qila Derawar, is a large square fortress in the Cholistan Desert, Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan. It’s famous for its forty towers, which are visible from far away. The walls’ perimeter stretches for about 1500 meters (nearly a mile) and are up to thirty meters (around 98 feet) high.

Originally, the fort was named Dera Rawal, but it was later shortened to Derawar. According to UNESCO, the fort was first built in the 9th century by a Hindu king from the Bhatti clan in tribute to king Rawal Deoraj or Devraj of Lodhran. He was the king of Jaisalmer (in the Indian Rajasthan) and Bahawalpur. The Singh(Bhatti) family claims that they are directly descended from Yadu, a legendary Hindu king. Jaisal Singh started building the fort in honor of Deoraj or Devraj in 1156, and it was completed in 1171, three years after he died.

Note: Another similar fort, Jaisalmer Fort, also known as Sonar Quila or the Golden Fort, was built by Rawal Jaisal in the city of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. Inside the fort, there is a portrait of Rawal Jaisal, the founder of the fort.

The fort has a dynamic and contested history. In the 18th century, it came under the control of the Shahotra tribe, a Punjabi and Siraiki-speaking Muslim Jat clan. Later, the Abbasid ruler Nawab Sadeq Mohammad Khan took over the fort and renovated it in 1732. The Abbasid temporarily lost the fort in 1747 but they regained control in 1804. Nawab Sadeq Mohammad Khan Abbasi V, the last ruler of Bahawalpur state, was born in the fort in 1904.

Abbasi Jamia Mosque and Jamia Masjid al-Sadiq, Bahawalpur, Pakistan

The “Moti Mosque,” also known as the Abbasi Mosque in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, is a stunning white marble replica of the Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque) located in the Red Fort, Delhi. The Nawab of Bahawalpur constructed this beautiful structure in 1843 adjacent to the fort.

Abbasi Mosque

Another attraction is the Masjid al-Sadiq at Chowk Bazaar, which is the last significant monument built by the Nawabs of Bahawalpur before the princely state’s dissolution in 1955. Its elegant structure is known for its “incomplete” status, with construction spanning centuries. Initially, the foundation stone was laid by Hazrat Noor Muhammad Mahravi, a Sufi saint, in 1791. Much of the construction occurred after 1935, sponsored by Ameer Sadiq Muhammad Khan V. The mosque’s design reflects late-Mughal architecture, featuring a high platform, a white marble facade, and a seven-part prayer hall. Shaikh Rashed Bin Saeed al-Makhtoum of Dubai recently contributed a new entrance pavilion with four minarets. The style and architecture of this mosque remind us of Mughaljamia mosques, Musjid Wazir Khan, and Central Asian architecture.

The Royal Graveyard

Next to the Abbasi mosque, there is a royal graveyard reminiscent of the Makli necropolis. The tombs in Cholistan are a blend of historical and cultural vibes. The architecture reflects influences from the Gandhara civilization, the Indus Valley Civilization, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Muslim Sufi traditions from Persia, Iraq, and Central Asia. The blue tiles and dye from the indigo plant, which are also used in local ajraks (a very traditional regional style of weaving and dying cotton fabric), add to their unique charm.

A royal Tomb in the Royal Cemetery

The Places of Bahawalpur -Noor Mahal

Bahawalpur is known as the city of palaces. Various nawabs constructed Noor Mahal, Darbar Mahal, Sadiqgarh Palace, and many more, with Noor Mahal being the most famous due to its intriguing story.

Noor Mahal, an Italian (Florence) architecture-inspired palace in Bahawalpur, was built in 1875 by a British engineer for the Nawab’s British-born queen, Noor (light). The palace was named after her, symbolizing her importance. However, the queen spent only one night there and refused to live there because the view from her balcony overlooked the royal graveyard. They later moved to Darbar Mahal.

Illuminating Noor Mahal

The Noor palace became a state guest house, hosting important visitors like viceroys, commanders-in-chief, prime ministers, and presidents. Now a UNESCO-protected monument, Noor Mahal is a top tourist attraction primarily known for its stunning nighttime illumination and laser light show.

Interesting facts about the palace

A map and coins were buried in the palace’s foundation for good luck. Most of the construction materials and furniture were imported from England and Italy. The palace was completed in 1875 at a cost of Rs. 1.2 million. It hosted Queen Victoria’s 60th birthday celebration on May 11, 1897.

Lal Suhanra National Park

Lal Suhanra National Park is a top spot for nature lovers and those keen to experience more than just history and archaeology. About 35 kilometers east of Bahawalpur, this 162,568-acre park is a haven for diverse wildlife. It’s one of South Asia’s largest national parks and has also been recognized as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Balckbuck and Deer in Lal Suharna National Park

With the help of international agencies, the provincial government plans to plant indigenous trees like Indian rosewood and Acacia karroo over more than 2000 acres. Thanks to similar efforts, the population of  Blackbuck (Indian antelope) has already started to increase in Pakistan for the first time in 53 years. The joint project with the help of the Netherlands and the USA to revive these indigenous rare black deer began in 2002 to bring back the population that became extinct in 1967.

The Cholistan Desert: An Overlooked Ancient History

The Cholistan Desert also known as Rohi desert, once a flourishing region, was home to the Hakra-Ghaggar River, which played a crucial role in supporting settlements. Ancient settlers knew how to utilize rainwater for irrigation, making this seasonal river a great resource for growing crops. The river was part of an ancient fluvial system that connected to the Indus Valley Civilization and provided water to urban centers like Ganweriwala, a major Harappan city.

Just imagine the time before the advent of artificial irrigation systems. Agriculture relied entirely on rainwater. A year of good rainfall meant abundant harvests and food security, while droughts could spell disaster. It was a time when understanding and predicting the whims of nature was crucial for survival.

Archaeological Significance of Cholistan

Over time, climate changes led to the drying up of the Hakra River, resulting in desertification and the decline of settlements in Cholistan. Anthropologists and archaeologists have discovered hundreds of pieces of evidence of these early settlers through excavation sites, either revealed by flood erosion or uncovered accidentally while farming or building homes.

Historical and Cultural Implications of the Hakra River on Later Harappan Civilizations

The region contains over 500 documented sites, some of which date back to the Hakra Wares Culture (4th millennium BCE) and later phases of the Indus Civilization. These sites provide evidence of early agriculture, pottery, and trade, indicating that the river system was vital for sustaining civilization and that Cholistan region played a crucial role in the prehistoric agricultural economy before becoming a desert and pushing civilizations toward other water sources circa 1000 BCE.

The lost river remains still visible in some depressions across Bikaner (India), Bahawalpur, and Sindh (Pakistan). The river originated from the Siwalik foothills and flowed through Bahawalpur before reaching the Rann of Kutch.

While not directly linked to the Hakra-Ghaggar River, the Salt Range to the north was also shaped by these ancient water systems, which once connected parts of the Indus Basin and contributed minerals and resources to nearby civilizations, possibly including the Harappan trade networks.

Here’s a brief timeline of The Hakra River, aka the Ghaggar-Hakra River:

• Pre-Holocene Era: The Ghaggar was a tributary of the Sutlej River.
• 8,000-10,000 years ago: The Sutlej changed its course, leaving the Ghaggar-Hakra as a system of monsoon-fed rivers.
• 5,000 years ago: The Indus Valley Civilization prospered along the Ghaggar-Hakra River when the monsoons that fed the rivers diminished.
• 4,000 years ago: The Ghaggar-Hakra dried up, becoming a small seasonal river, leading to the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization

References:

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• Jaisal Singh.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, link. Accessed 8 Mar. 2025.
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