Umar Hayat — the owner of the haveli — was a member of the Vohra Sheikh clan, and had settled in Calcutta where he successfully developed a large business, and created a fortune for himself.
He dealt in hides and ship breaking, with innumerable investments in various other ventures. Umar Hayat Mahal, a five story edifice, hints at the riches of its successful former owner. According to local versions of history, Umar Hayat had married against the will of his family and had to face a social boycott. This ostracism pushed him to leave his hometown and settle in Calcutta.
At the time, Calcutta was a major trade hub of the Indian subcontinent, where a large number of Chinioti Sheikhs had settled down in the early decades of the 20th century.
By the time his son Gulzar was born in 1920, Umar Hayat had already established himself as a distinguished businessman. But the pull he felt towards his birthplace never faltered. Therefore wealth, combined with his love for Chiniot, and pride, made him return — he decided to build a house that was incomparable in beauty and grandeur.
He commissioned over the house's construction to his confidant, Syed Hassan Shah, who hired leading artisans of the time to build and embellish the haveli with elaborate designs carved in wood, marble and glass.
Two of these craftsmen were Rahim Baksh Pirjah and Elahi Baksh Pirjah, whose skill and mastery of woodcraft were acclaimed and celebrated from the darbars of Indian rulers to the Buckingham Palace.
Other skilled workers included mistri Ahmad Din who completed the brick work, Niaz Ahmad Jalandri, a celebrated artist, worked on stucco, and Jan Muhammad completed the frescoes.
The construction of the house began in 1923, and it was a challenge for artisans to build a haveli that could captivate its beholders.
Thus after seven years of continuous work and a cost of over Rs 200,000, the imposing Umar Hayat Mahal was finally ready in 1930.
Its dazzling exteriors astonished the people of Chiniot who had never known that a building of bricks and mortar could be crafted like an ornament...
At the time, Calcutta was a major trade hub of the Indian subcontinent, where a large number of Chinioti Sheikhs had settled down in the early decades of the 20th century.
By the time his son Gulzar was born in 1920, Umar Hayat had already established himself as a distinguished businessman. But the pull he felt towards his birthplace never faltered. Therefore wealth, combined with his love for Chiniot, and pride, made him return — he decided to build a house that was incomparable in beauty and grandeur.
He commissioned over the house's construction to his confidant, Syed Hassan Shah, who hired leading artisans of the time to build and embellish the haveli with elaborate designs carved in wood, marble and glass.
Two of these craftsmen were Rahim Baksh Pirjah and Elahi Baksh Pirjah, whose skill and mastery of woodcraft were acclaimed and celebrated from the darbars of Indian rulers to the Buckingham Palace.
Other skilled workers included mistri Ahmad Din who completed the brick work, Niaz Ahmad Jalandri, a celebrated artist, worked on stucco, and Jan Muhammad completed the frescoes.
The construction of the house began in 1923, and it was a challenge for artisans to build a haveli that could captivate its beholders.
Thus after seven years of continuous work and a cost of over Rs 200,000, the imposing Umar Hayat Mahal was finally ready in 1930.
Its dazzling exteriors astonished the people of Chiniot who had never known that a building of bricks and mortar could be crafted like an ornament...
https://www.dawn.com/news/1221723
Photo curtesy: ZaheerChaudhry
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