Every individual who has ever lived in Bahrain, even for a few days, looked at Pearl roundabout with a sense of pride. The monument, majestic with the six sails, representing the countries of the GCC lifting up the Pearl of Bahrain, was close to every resident’s heart. Now as it is demolished to pave way for infrastructural development, current and former residents, Bahrainis and expats, of all ages and nationalities come together to say a fond farewell.
Personally, I don’t have many memories of anything specifically related to the Pearl except maybe how my siblings and I walked from Dana Mall to the Pearl and then from there to City Centre, cuz it was impossible to cross the highway to get to the other side.
And the ever continuing jokes of our childhood days, of how the ball (Pearl) reached the top, which inevitably was “Mr. X, whoever was popular with us at the moment, kicked the ball hard and it landed on top, cuz they had Y drink [usually a particular brand of chocolate milk] and is the strongest.”
Ofcourse, how can I forget, the complete nightmare of driving across the roundabout. During my driving lessons, my instructor decided to take me there during my 3rd or 4th day of class. I broke out into a sweat and my heart raced. But I did get across. But each time I had to drive by that, even after getting my license and under the supervision of my dad, crossing that roundabout was always a challenge. I remember the sheer excitement of victory and jubilance I felt the one single time I got across without supervision. But alas, I never realized that would be the first and last time.
Every project we did about Bahrain had to have the picture of the Pearl in it, every drawing competition with the topic of anything remotely related to it, had to have the Pearl in it. Like my friend told me, it was the face of cosmopolitan Bahrain, built on the string foundations of Bahrain’s rich traditions and culture.
And all of us have enjoyed the beauty of the majestic Pearl and have even taken it for granted. Now, even though we wouldn’t have ever considered it even in our wildest dreams, it is gone. Now the only tangible object we have with the Pearl is the 500 coins which have been discontinues [some last year I think].
It feels like a part of Bahrain is cut off, and it hurts as well ‘cuz Bahrain is our home. I remember that during the five years I was in India for my higher studies, when I used to be back in Bahrain for my holidays, driving by the Pearl gave a sense of belonging, of having arrived home; possibly because I, like many of my friends, grew up seeing it.
For many people here, there are bits and pieces of their life and childhood attached to it. One lady told me how she and her then future husband had taken their first picture together at the Pearl. Another spoke of how they had run through it when the fountain was on. Everyone seemed to have some cherished memory connected to it.
It I’m not wrong, it was constructed in 1982, so when my dad came to Bahrain they had just started constructing it. Back then, when Bahrain did not have its share of fancy buildings and landmarks, the Pearl lit up the Bahrain skyline.
Even recently, during Eid, National Day and other such occasions, the spectacular Pearl in all its glory and splendor, with the multi coloured lights on it and the fountains underneath it, always managed to take my breath away.
As much as my heart bleeds for it, I must say that at some level, I think it’s better gone. I don’t think the attempts at revolution or the protests will come to an end because the monument is not there. But at least the sight of it on an everyday basis will not hinder the process of healing. The wound will deepen every time one passes by it. It was a sign of Bahrain for the longest time, but after the protests, it has become a symbol of Bahrain’s darkest time and that will not help the cause of moving forward, of unity and development. So I guess the demolition of the Pearl is for infrastructural development [which is the official reason], at more levels than what meets the eye.
Our generation will always always remember the legacy of the Pearl. For us, it represented the Bahrain of our childhood, of happiness, joy and multicultural unity. Let’s hope that someday we can make those have not seen it understand what it meant to us and to the country we call home.
Goodbye Pearl Roundabout. You will be cherished and missed, but I pray that with your demolition, Bahrain can see a new dawn of unity and development.
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