Kothari Parade; heritage well preserved via Bagh Ibn e Qasim

If Taj Mahal is a magnum opus of love built by Mughal Emperor Shahjhan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Begum, the Jahangir Kothari Parade in Karachi is also no less than an architectural wonder of dedication to one’ better half.

It was desire of Lady Lloyd, wife of then Governor of Bombay Lord George Lloyd, to be able to walk up to the sea, without getting her feet wet. So, on a personal wish of her a Parade leading to the Arabian Sea was initiated in 1919 and completed a year later. It was financed by a Parsi philanthropist, Jehangir Kothari and named after him. The Bagh-e-Ibne Qasim has been developed around the Jehangir Kothari Parade and was inaugurated by President Pervez Musharraf on February 27, 2007 as the Pakistan’s biggest park.

Mr. Jehangir gifted the monument along with a handsome donation Rs. 300,000 to the Municipality for the development of recreational facilities. Supervised by the top British architect of the times, E. B. Hoare, the Kothari Parade is so called because it consists of a main promenade that serves as a gathering platform, through which a number of wide steps descend to a walkway, which stretches some half a kilometer towards a covered pavilion. This pavilion at the time of its construction was built right above the crashing waves of the Clifton beach. These interconnected structures allow a visitor to view the sea from different heights and angle.

The Kiosk at one end of the parade, with its elliptical roof structure, built in Jodhpur stone, has an octagonal seat in the center and was used as a Bandstand in yester-years. The pier is 1300 ft long, 15 ft (4.6 m) wide and ends in a 70 ft (21 m) by 50 ft (15 m) sea-side Pavilion constructed on piles. The whole monument was constructed by an amalgamation of Jodhpur sandstone and Gizri limestone (Jodhpur is a location in current-day India, while Gizri, then was part of the outer region of Karachi)

However, the most striking part of the whole monument is the bandstand or cupola of pink Jodhpur stone. Built at the western part of the grand monument, it is defined by four tall pillars at each end, topped by carved motifs, while carved balustrade and podium walls add a unique charm to the structure.

The development of the Bagh Ibn e Qasim, was also an attempt to preserve the heritage of Kothari Parade. The Parade is indeed in better condition at the moment compared to the time of the old Toyland Theme Park, when it was used to be occupied and stained with various encroachments.

Well maintained, more prominent and glittering and ever cleaned by the efficient and dedicated workforce associated with the Bagh Ibn e Qasim, the elegance of the monument has enhanced in multiple times. The Yellow Stone work just looks embellished on the lush greenery of the Park and the serenity of Bagh Ibn e Qasim extends it a touch of class. A phenomenal attraction for tourists of Karachi, indeed.

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Bagh e Ibn e Qasim; Karachi’ modern identity

Alongside the Arabian Sea at Clifton, the Bagh Ibn e Qasim holds perhaps the most significant attention for tourists arrived in Karachi. Royal architecture, amazing aura, serene sceneries and countless attractions, the Bagh symbolizes the socio recreational identity of the city. Truly Karachi has a royal distinction, and Bagh Ibne Qasim is the jewel in the crown of the city indeed.

The Bagh-e-Ibne Qasim has been developed around the Jehangir Kothari Parade and was inaugurated on February 27, 2007. It is the Pakistan’s biggest park constructed under Clifton Beach Development Project on 130 acres (0.53 km²) of land, replacing the old Toyland Theme Park. Before the project was launched, more than half of the park area was encroached with nearly 450 various encroachment sites.

The CDGK contributed Rs500 million on the 130-acre garden. The Bagh cost Rs. 600 million in total and has been completed in 300 working days. Ten thousand eight hundred trees have been transplanted in the garden. Over 3,000 stone benches and twenty canopies erected. There are 1,500 dustbins to keep the lawns clean. One hopes visitors to the park use them and keep this garden clean.

To keep the premises lively at night, 30 lighting towers — each carrying 24 powerful bulbs — twenty arena vision floodlights and over 1,000 footlights are installed. One hundred twenty acres are used for lawns and paths, walking and other structures have been built on the remaining 10 acres.

More than 10 million people visited the park per year while it is so enormous it can accommodate at least 300,000 people at a time.

While visiting the beautiful and well-maintained park provides one with a sense of ease and tranquility but it is the historical monuments in foreground that gives it a greater degree of significance. The Jahangir Kotahri Parade, the Bagh e Ibn e Qasim Mosque, the Bandstand of pink Jodhpur stone, Hindu temple of Lord Shiva and obviously the lush green as well as flowering capacity of the Park itself are just few things to name.    
As a whole Bagh-e-Ibne Qasim together with adjacent monuments and sea view create such a fine setting that it surely will cast a spell on anyone who relishes a combination of history and nature.

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