Shikarpur came into being around 1617 AD,Shikarpur is a typical market town in the Sindh. It's a bit off the beaten track, but it used to be an important trade town and still has some nice old buildings, although they are pretty rundown. The old city has narrow streets, and some of the old houses still have the intricate woodwork on jharokas and bay windows the city was once famed for. The Shahi Bagh, a public garden, is pretty neglected as well. At one time Shahi Bagh had a zoo with large population of lions, cheetahs, bears and wild boars. These animals were later shifted to Karachi Zoo. The garden had a wooden pavilion that was designed by Perston Phel and constructed by Sir W. Merewether in September 1871. There are 8 gates (called Dar in sindhi) 1-Hathi dar, 2-Hazari dar, 3-Lakhi dar,4- Karan dar, 5-Siwi dar,6-Sadar,7- Wagna dar 8-Khan Puri Dar and one window Sidique marri. The City, once filled with a populace full of mirth and gaity, garden abounding with breathtaking flowers and sceneries, bunglows boasting of bath tanks and what not, has become lack lustre today. The aura of the yesteyears has been lost. Be it the Dhak Bazar, an architectural marvel being the longest bazar shaded by woodwork of pure teak which gave a cooling effect comparable to air-conditioning even in the hottest of summers, of the Shahi Baugh, one of the biggest and most beautiful garden complete with a variety of thousands of flowers and a pavilion built on Geothic lines, today everythingstands in shambles and ruins. Lakhi Dar used to be the a place and a social venue for the Shikarpuris. A roam, a stroll, soft drinks like thadal,lassi or milk were considered to be an ideal outing in the evinings. Lakhi Dar was to Shikarpur what Kashmir is to India. If you haven't seen Kashmir, you haven't seen India and if you haven't seen Lakhi Dar, you haven't seen Shikarpur. And for a city of such stature, having a rich culture was only quite natural. Their fondness and knowledge of classical music was quite legendary. It is said that during the days of 'holi' they used to organise the 'hando of holi' for a full seven days in the Natak Sabha theatre on the bank of the Begary Canal. Renowned artistes both local and from across the border used to be invited to perform during these events. Stalwarts like Waman Rao, Patwardhan, Pandit Vyas, Onkarnath, Khan Sahib Mubarak Ali, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Kajan Inayat Bai, Mukhtar Begum and many others have graced this city by their august performances for which they used to be duly respected and heaped with costly gifts. In fact, oneof the foremost dramatic society, the Dharamupkars Amateurs Society,was founded here in Shikarpur by Thakurdas Nagrani, Aga Sufi, Maharaj Tejbhandas and others. On the literature front Shikarpur earns the distinct credit for producing a vedantic titan like Saami who along with Shah and Sachal formed the 'trimurti' of Sindhi poetry. Another legendary poet of Sindh, Sheikh Ayaz is also a contribution of Shikarpur andonal. Another figure, Lokumal Dodeja, who wrote the Ramayan and his son Girdharilal Dodeja, who followed in his father's footsteps, also find their roots in this city. In days when finding a well-educated person was like landing yourself a chest of treasure, Shikarpur boasted of having 70 graduates as compared to 7 in the who established in Shikarpur.

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