The Lost Glory Of The Sethis - The Sethi House

All of us keep on singing praises of the Sethi House but when it comes to finding out about the owners of it, many of us fall silent. Much is known about the beautiful pieces of architecture built by the Sethis, but little is known about why they left these enormous and extravagant mansions.

Diving into the history of The Sethi Family, the Sethis were a very well-known wealthy Hindu trader family from Punjab living in the subcontinent. They migrated from Jhelum to Peshawar in the early 19th century. They had local as well as international business. The Sethis mainly traded in wood which they bought at subsidized rates. The Sethi Family’s very close friendly ties with The British triggered the success of their business and they gave them trading licenses and landed them profitable business deals.

The Sethis were highly skilled in two fields; business and creative architecture. Many buildings serve as proof of the latter. Tourists come from far-flung areas to enjoy its marvels, even wedding photoshoots take place at The Sethi House.

Life was all cherries and roses for the Sethis but then it took a very steep and rough turn. It was the time when they lost everything, the houses were there but the money to run them was gone. The skill of architecture was there but the money to put it to use was gone.

In the start of the twentieth century, the Bolshevik Revolution ruined them; it led them to bankruptcy. It is said that when the new Soviet Union adopted a new currency, The Sethis had millions of Russian currency in their underground vault which became useless.

Today, The Sethis still live in the same city, Peshawar, but not in The Sethi House. The Sethi Houses were sold to the government which now looks after their preservation.

The House with The Directorate of Archaeology consists of three portions: The Tehkhana (basement), Dalan (courtyard) and Balakhana (first floor).

At the moment, The Balakhana is closed for tourists as it is under repair. Once the repair work has been completed, it will be open for visitors enabling them to have a look at the upper rooms and enjoy looking at the courtyard from the balcony, reminiscing the lifestyle of the once Peshawari elites.

The Sethi House is a blend of the art and architecture of Gandhara and Central Asia.

All the windows of the rooms face the courtyard from the same angle. The red and green glass pieces in the windows were imported especially from Belgium.

The ceiling is an epitome of Islamic architecture; unity going into infinity and infinity converging to unity express the glory of the Divine and the philosophy of the Universe.

In the Tehkhana, holes in the wooden ventilators are angled at a specific level that allows ample lighting and cooling throughout the day.

The infamous vault which marked the misfortune of the Sethis is also situated in the Tehkhana.

Indeed, the beauty of the Sethi House is such that it clouds the darkness that resides in it.

Today, the fountain that once welcomed the cream of the Peshawari elite remains dead and dry.

The Mohalla Sethian which once bustled with the Sethis is now home to strangers who are least bothered about the family’s legacy; the mud on the board serves as ample proof of it.

Sadly, the most we can do for The Sethi family who put their hearts into the construction of this house, is to bring it into the limelight.