Traveling From Bahawalpur to Uch Sharif

Representing Pakistan

China has the Great Wall, America has the Statue of Liberty, France has the Effiel Tower. Pakistan, on the other hand, has few monuments that they can slap across a poster to act as an emblem for their country. Some of the silhouettes that you may find plastered on tourist advertisements throughout Pakistan are the Miner-e Pakistan, Faisal Mosque, and Uch Sharif.

The name of the town Uch Sharif is often used in place of The Tomb of Bibi Jawindi. It is this ornate dome that kicked off the trend in Pakistan of housing the remains of Sufi saints in massive mausoleums. Uch Sharif is ranked as one of the top contenders to act as a representation of Pakistan’s cultural heritage. Therefore, you would think that traveling to the ruins of Uch Sharif would be a breeze. But like many things in Pakistan, it is never as easy as you’d think it would be.

Wanting more historic Sufi tombs? You can read about traveling to the neighboring city of Multan here!

Escaping Bahawalpur

The closest major city from Uch Sharif is Bahawalpur, located 80 km away from the ruins. Multan is also quite accessible to the Tomb of Bibi Jawindi, being only 130 km away. This guide, however, focuses on traveling from Bahawalpur to Uch Sharif.

The first hurdle you will have to jump across is, much like neighboring Multan, foreign tourists can not travel freely in Bahawalpur. If you check into a local hotel, you will have a guard or a police officer trailing you everywhere you go. Even when staying with a couchsurfer, the secret service will call in to make sure that your host is always by your side. A common way to avoid this is to arrive in Bahawalpur on the morning bus and leave that evening.

Next, you will have to try and find the bus which goes to Uch Sharif. Although Bahawalpur’s main bus station is located on Circular Road, the plain coach vans which run to Uch Sharif are located more towards the center of the city. You will be looking for a bus company called Hiace. These plain coaches can be found just a little down the road from the Shikarpuri Gate. Costing only around 180 PKR (1.15), it will take around 2 hours to get to Uch Sharif.

If you are looking for more tradition, check out traditional Punjabi wrestling or Kushti here!

Traveling Through Rural Punjab

When on a bus from Lahore to Islamabad, the Pakistani country looks quite desolate. With few farms and signs of life, the landscape seems quite barren with only bits of low shrubbery to add a splash of green to the countryside. The road to Uch Sharif, however, couldn’t be any more different.

The brown dust and sand lay in stunning contrast to the lush oasis’ throwing shade over the Punjabi villages and farms. In the city, women dress extremely modestly and are mainly kept in their homes. But in rural Punjab, you can find these women donning red kurtas and working alongside men in the fields. With the dots of color moving amongst the green fields of Pakistan, you will not be left twiddling your thumbs on the two-hour ride to Uch Sharif.

Even after arriving in the town of Uch you will still have to take another microbus to get to the Tomb of Bibi Jawindi. I plain coach will cost another 180 PKR. Being only 5 km away from Uch Sharif, you can also hire a rickshaw to the ruins for around 300 PKR (2 USD).

Planning on heading to Swat Valley in Pakistan? You won’t want to miss the largest waterfall in the country, Jarogo!

Tomb And Mosque of Makhdum Jahania

Even though you will be hopping out of the crowded bus, filled with excitement to climb up and down the crumbling turquoise adorned ruins of Uch Sharif. You are bound to make the mistake of walking into the darbar first. Located in a massive walled structure in front of the parking lot, all the shops and signs point to the entrance of the Tomb of Makhdum Jahania.

After traveling to Multan, this darbar can’t hold a candle to the City of Saints. Although the elaborate wood carvings and hand-painted floral murals are breathtaking in their own right, you will be scratching your head as to where the ruins of Bibi Jawindi are. Your feet, still being driven with excitement, will half-heartedly wander the halls of the mosque and darbar, before finally exiting the shrine altogether to search for the actual entrance to the ruins of Uch Sharif.

Crossing the border from India to Pakistan? You can read about how to get from Amritsar to Lahore here!

Hidden in the Bushes

One of the most famous and iconic sites in all of Pakistan is hidden behind the bushes along a weed-covered dirt path. The Tomb of Bibi Jawindi and the rest of the ruins would be walked right past for those who don’t know what they are looking for. The fact that the shrines and tombs of Uch Sharif are so neglected, makes one fear for the historical sites’ future. It is not only the elements that wear down the dilapidated mausoleums, but questionable methods of restorations have added further damage to the already crumbling tombs.

The city of Uch was originally founded by no other than Alexander the Great during his conquest of the East. Throughout Uch’s history, the city has had various periods of prosperity and decline. Despite being the site of battles with the notorious Genghis Khan and various ambitious Sultans, Uch remained a hub for religious scholars throughout the world. Bringing together academics from places as far as Persia and Uzbekistan.

Today, Uch Sharif stands as nothing but a hollow shell of what it once was. The population of Uch dwindled down to only about 2,500 people and the tombs which inspired architects throughout the region are left to collapse in on itself.

While in Amritsar you are bound to go to the Golden Temple. Read more about the Golden Temple here!

Photogenic Uch Sharif

Uch Sharif and the Tomb of Bibi Jawindi is one of the most photogenic places in all of Pakistan. With the waves of earthen tombs surrounding the base of the intricate tiles and mural of the mausoleum, it is hard to get a bad photo of the ruins. What the pictures don’t show you, however, is how small Uch really is. With a mere three structures surviving, many of the tombs and mausoleums have been washed away by flash floods.

The photos are also misleading due to the fact that each of the tombs is basically cut down the middle. Due to decades of deterioration and neglect, you literally walk through the threshold of any of the mausoleums and find yourself still standing outside. If something is not done, time and the elements will have their way and topple this ornate ruins.

The question then should be asked, is traveling to Uch Sharif worth it? Those who travel to Pakistan for the natural beauty of Swat and Gilgit may find the small crumbling ruins of Uch not worth the hassle. Travelers who have a deep love for history and Sufism may not find the tombs living up to their expectations, but will not regret making the journey off of the beaten path to Uch Sharif.