Walled City Of Lahore

The Walled City of Lahore (Roshnai Gate) Last Part

king-of-lahore — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:59:00 GMT

The last gate on our list and the 13th gate of Old Lahore is The Roshnai Gate, (the Gate of Lights), located between the Lahore Fort and the Badshahi Mosque. As the gate was one of the main entrances into the city, it was constantly visited by Omerahs (elite), courtiers, royal servants and retinues. In the evenings, the gate was lit up, hence its name. The gate was also referred to as the ‘Gate of Splendour’. It is the only gate which is in good condition and retains its original look. Roshnai Gate has extraordinary height and width because it was designed for the passage of the Emperor’s caravan of elephants.

Hazuri Bagh is a garden bounded by the Lahore Fort (East side), Badshahi Mosque (West side), the Samadhi of Ranjit Singh (North side) and the Roshnai Gate (South side). In the center stands the Hazuri Bagh Baradari, built by Ranjit Singh. This garden is a small enclosed space between the Alamgiri Gate of the Fort and the Eastern gate of Badshahi Mosque. This garden was planted by Maharajah Ranjit Singh in 1813 to celebrate the capture of the famous Koh-i-Noor Diamond from Shah Shujah of Afghanistan. The garden was planned and built under the supervision of Faqir Azizuddin.

After the completion of this garden, Maharajah Ranjit Singh, at the suggestion of Jamadar Khushhal Singh, ordered that marble be removed from various mausoleums of Lahore to assemble a baradari (pavilion) here. This mission was given to Khalifa Nooruddin. Elegant carved marble pillars support the baradari’s delicate cusped arches. The central area, where Ranjit Singh held court, has a mirrored ceiling. Both the garden and the baradari —- originally 45 feet suffered extensive damage during the fratricidal Sikh wars and was only reclaimed and laid out according to the original plan during the British period. On 19 July 1932, the uppermost story collapsed and was never reconstructed, (thanks to our authorities). In the early ‘90s, every Sunday afternoon people gathered in this garden to hear the recitation of traditional Punjabi Qaffi (poetry), such as Heer Ranjha and Sassi Punnun, and other Punjabi Sufi poetry. However, now the government has fenced the garden just to preserve the remains of this historical place. However they have failed to preserve the culture. It’s like my theory; a mad dog can bite only the pedestrian not the cars.

Within the garden, on the right is the grave of Sir Sikandar Hayat and on the left is the tomb of Doctor Allama Muhammad Iqbal. And my friends! We all know this great man; our national poet, a man who mastered the magic of instilling life into dead hearts through his words. Today ‘our blind garden’ needs this magician more than ever.

The Badshahi Mosque or the ‘Emperor’s Mosque’, was built in 1673 by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. It is one of the city’s best known landmarks, and a major tourist attraction, epitomising the beauty and grandeur of the Mughal era. Capable of accommodating over 55,000 worshippers, it is the second biggest mosque in Pakistan, after the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad. The architecture and design of the Badshahi mosque is closely related to the Jamaih Masjid in Delhi, which was built in 1648 by Aurangzeb’s father and Shah Jahan.

The mosque was built under the patronage of the sixth Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb Alamgir. It was completed in 1673 under the supervision of Aurangzeb’s foster brother Muzaffar Hussain (also known as Fidaie Khan Koka) who was appointed Governor of Lahore in May 1671 and held this post until 1675. He was also Master of Ordinance to the Emperor. The construction of the mosque took about two years from May 1671 to April 1673. The mosque was built opposite the Lahore Fort, illustrating its stature in the Mughal Empire. In conjunction with the building of the mosque, a new gate was built at the fort, named Alamgiri Gate after the Emperor.

From 1852 onwards, piecemeal repairs were carried out under the supervision of the Badshahi Mosque Authority. Extensive repairs were carried out from 1939 to 1960 at a cost of about 4.8 million rupees, which brought the mosque to its original shape and condition. The blueprint for the repairs was prepared by the late architect Nawab Zen Yar Jang Bahadur.

On the occasion of the second Islamic Summit held at Lahore on February 22, 1974, thirty-nine heads of Muslim states offered their Friday prayers in the Badshahi Masjid, led by Maulana Abdul Qadir Azad, the ‘Khatib’ of the mosque.

Recently a small museum has also been added to the mosque complex. It contains relics of the Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH), his cousin Hazrat Ali (RA) and grand sons of the Prophet, Hazrat Imam-e-Hussain and Hassan and his daughter, Hazrat Fatima Zahra.

Gurdawara Dera Saab:

When one visits a Sikh Temple or Gurdwara the Granth Saab, forms the main part of the Deera Saab. Their Holy Book is placed on a raised platform and covered in finery. The platform is always covered by an ornate canopy. The original text of the Granth is written in the Gurmukhi script and contains many languages including Punjabi, Sanskrit and Persian. The text comprises over 5000 Shabhads or hymns which are poetically constructed and set to the classical form of music of Ragas and the beat of talas (the beats of classical music) and according to Sikh belief it has a definite message for the whole of humanity. Every month of April, Deera Saab becomes active in organising the Besakhi festival. Deera Saab is the third biggest gurdwara in Pakistan and a place of great religious significance. It was here at that the fifth Guru of the Sikh religion, Guru Arjan Dev, was martyred in 1606 AD. Deera saab is also famous for the Samadhi of Ranjit Singh, (the mausoleum of the Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh). The mausoleum was initiated by his son Kharak Singh on the spot where he was cremated, and was completed by Dalip Singh in 1848. The tomb is a splendid example of Sikh architecture, with gilded fluted domes and cupolas and an ornate balustrade round the top. The marble inside was taken from various Mughul monuments in Lahore. Ranjit Singh’s ashes are contained in a marble urn in the shape of a lotus, sheltered under a marble pavilion inlaid with pietra dura in the centre of the tomb. Other tiny urns contain the ashes of his four wives and seven concubines who threw themselves on his funeral pyre. These urns were removed from the marble pavilion and were replaced by a simple slab around 1999. This desecration of the mausoleum was part of the preparations for the Khalsa Tricentenary and the visit of Sikh dignitaries from India. The Samadhi was damaged by the earthquake in October 2005. Two small monuments to the west of the main mausoleum commemorate Ranjit Singh’s son Kharak Singh and grandson Nau Nihal Singh, and their wives.

The Lahore Fort, locally known as Shahi Qila, the majestic edifice is the result of many centuries’ work. Historically speaking, the earliest reference to the Fort comes in the history of Lahur (Lahore) compiled by Al-Biruni, which refers to a fort constructed in the early 11th century. Munshi Sujan Rae Bhandar, author of the Khulasa-tut-Tawarikh records that Malik Ayaz, a deputy of Sultan Mahmud, built a masonry fort at Lahore and reestablished the city. It is generally believed that present Lahore Fort is the same fort, which was damaged by the Mongols in 1241 and again in 1398 it was ravaged by Timur’s army, then rebuilt in 1421 by Sayyid, son of Khizr Khan. The Fort was extensively refurbished, extended and upgraded during the Mughal era. This is why it is rightly certified as one of the gems of the Mughal civilization. Emperor Jalal ud Din, Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, and Aurangzeb all added to it. During Sikh Period, Ranjit Singh added several pavilions on the upper ramparts. Some modifications to the Fort were made during the British period beginning in 1846 for housing facilities for colonial functions. Those modifications have been reverted and efforts made to bring the Fort back in its pre-1846 appearance. However, now we have reserved the Fort for musical performances, fashion shows and self proclaimed cultural promotional shows.

I would like to end this tour with a line from TS Eliot:

‘I will show you fear in a handful of dust.’

Walled City of Lahore, Pakistan (Taxali Gate - Heera Mandi) Part12

king-of-lahore — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 07:14:00 GMT

Taxali Gate is also known as the red light area (Heera Mandi). It is the only opening of the Walled City to the West. Once it was also called Lakhi Gate. Behind this gate is the single arterial route of the Walled City which runs from East to West and connects Taxali Gate with Delhi Gate. Starting from the West this very route is called the main bazaar Taxali Gate and as we head east it connects with Kashmiri Bazaar and this bazaar ends up at the start of Akbari Mandi. Now, the ancient gate has vanished but the route still persists. It is believed that behind this gate and close to the Lahore fort once lay the royal mint (Taxal) —- hence the name Taxali Gate. It was pulled down during the early British regime-The name, however, continues.

There is a bazaar in Taxali Gate called Heera Mandi. Most of the people have the misconception and call it the Diamond (heera) Market because of the beautiful girls there, inimitably like diamonds. However, that is not the real meaning or origin of the name. Actually this mandi is named after Heera Singh, who was the son of a minister of Ranjit Singh’s royal court. Heera Singh was also a minister of Sher Singh’s court during the Sikh period. A few decades ago this place was famous for dancing and music. People used to go there to give there eyes and ears a treat. Beautiful girls (kanjiries) used to sit in a stall shaped balconies called kootha and ply their trade of the oldest profession in the world. But basically the place was more famous for singing and dancing. However, slowly the aesthetic pursuit became less arty and more tarty and became the centre of prostitution of the city. During the Zia-ul-Haq era a rigorous operation was conducted against these vendors of pleasure, because these so called musicians were actually running brothel houses in the guise of music and dance. Of course, the operation didn’t root out this iniquity and instead it scattered all over the city, The Mughals were the founders of that trend of dancing and singing, but as far as I have read about them they never promoted the prostitution publicly. These brothel houses were first developed by the British in old Anarkali Bazaar for the recreation of the British soldiers. After that these were shifted to Lohari Gate and then to Taxali gate. They seemed to have spent more time at Taxali Gate than other places. Thus they settled in Heera Mandi. One can still find the traces of that at Heera Mandi.

There is a dark galli (street) where every naughty boy wonders to go and every gentleman fears to go. We can call it Sinner’s Street, and please don’t go there because not only is it sordid but very dirty. When we were passing through the street, please don’t get me wrong I was there on a journalistic survey; there were prostitutes were standing in the dark corners of that street and calling customers, strange isn’t it? We saw two motorbike riders enter the street. They accosted a prostitute. She asked them where they had got the bike. One of them replied, ‘I just lifted it, now its mine.’

This street is full of filth, with no proper sewerage system. It’s like you are walking in a drain. In a way it is the most poignant loss of heritage, as once prostitutes were hired by wealthy families to teach their children culture and social behavior. All that it left of a colorful, gay street with music and the sound of ghoongros coming out of the carved wooden porticos is some old prostitutes lurking in corners, lots of lots of filth, a rotten smell and last but not least some drug addicts —- we call them ‘jahaz’.

The story is not finished yet. Taxali gate was not famous for its brothel houses in the beginning. Some very noble people and historical figures used to live there. Mualana Altaf Hussain Haali and Allama Mohammad Iqbal were some very eminent residents. Still some noble people are living here, like Main Yousaf Sala-ud-din, the renowned socialite and grand son of Allama Mohammad Iqbal, in a beautiful and well preserved haveli one of the finest examples of the architecture of the Mughal Dynasty. Well, my friends the bottom line is that, this place is not worth living any more. Pardon me for being blunt, I don’t want to hurt anybody’s feeling, but the truth is that there is an awful smell here. Yet some of the best delicacies of Lahore are sold here. Strange! Well not that strange, we can imagine that our authorities are more interested in the monkey business here than civic amenities. In the same way as these women are the cast-offs of our society, it seems this place has also been cast off. There are a lot of respectable people living here as well, and they too have to share this neglect. We mustn’t forget that these are humans living here and we should treat them as humans.

Walled City of Lahore, Pakistan (Bhatti Gate) Part11

king-of-lahore — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:31:00 GMT

Technically speaking there are thirteen gates encompassing the ‘inner city’ each having their own history and specific life styles, they are thirteen different but complete worlds surrounded by a wall in a universe named Lahore. So far we have been through ten of these different worlds one by one. Today we are going to enter one such world which is slightly different but more affluent with our cultural and architectural heritage than those discussed previously.

Bhatti Gate, is named after the Bhattis —- an ancient Rajput clan —- which marched into these quarters in old times. The most popular bazaar here is the Hakimanwala bazar, as the name suggests there were a number of Hakim (local medicine) shops here, and you can still find a few of them. There is a mosque named Unchi Masjid which the locals say is the mosque of Baba Anayat Shah, the Murashad (the teacher) of Baba Bhulay Shah. There is also a museum located inside Bhatti gate, where there are a number of ancient remains of different times which we’ll come to later. The ancestral home of famous poet and philosopher (Allama Mohammad Iqbal ) is also located in Bhatti gate.

The people of Bhatti gate are lively and they love to eat rich and good food, mainly sri pai, halva puri and lassi. They may come from different walks of life and be engaged in various different businesses but they all have some things in common; a lively attitude, a good sense of humor and their Urdu is of a special quality —- being more Punjabi than Urdu. You will often hear people talking and commenting, ‘O pai jan! Ki ho reaa hai?’ or sometimes, ‘Hor suna, maamma!’ I met an old man there, sitting on a tharaa (a small platform outside a house beside the street. People often sit on them in the narrow lanes to gossip together or just watch the world go by). I greeted him and he replied, ‘Ki haal eea putar ea (How are you son)?’ We got talking and I asked him about friendships in today’s life and about how people are discarding their culture. He said those who are discarding their culture are not one of us and this is not their culture. He became quite emotional and stated that today only a few are sincere to their soil, and the rest are imposters. I asked him if he wasn’t being too judgmental and he replied with some Punjabi verses. They moved me so much that I must share them, though I am unable to do justice to them in the translation:

Joothay yaar kaddi sachey nai hondey

Pavien lakh chatiyie, zubana layie

(Lying friends can never speak the truth,

Even if they lick a hundred thousand times)

Sapaan dey putar kadi miitar nai hondey

Pavien choriyan par par doodh piayie

(Baby snakes can never be your friends

Though you may keep feeding them handfuls of milk)

Kharaay khoo kadii methaay nai hondey

Pavien manna gurr paayie

(A salty well can never be sweet,

Though you may pour tons of sugar therein).

Tumbey kadi tarbozz nai hondey

Pavien Makkeyon mor lieayie.

(Grapefruits can never be watermelons,

Though they be grown on the soil of Mecca)

Faqir Khana museum

About 500 meters inside Bhatti gate on the right hand side, there is a small mansion that houses the treasures of the Fakir family, who have lived in Lahore since the 18th century. It is said to be the largest private collection in South Asia, with over 13,000 objects d’ art.

The head of the Lahore branch of the family was Fakir Syed Imam-ud-din, who came from from Bukhara. There were three brothers who achieved prominence in the court of the Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh, despite being Muslims, Fakir Syed Imam-ud-din was a royal physician and his other brother Fakir Syed Noor-ud-din the foreign minister and the third one Fakir Syed Aziz-ud-din was the finance minister under the Sikh ruler. Largely as a result of their ties with Ranjit Singh, they amassed many valuable artefacts, by direct purchases or hand-me-down gifts. Latter generations preserved these artifacts and added to the collection from their travels abroad. Among the items is an early handwritten Quran with some beautiful gold work on it. Then there are other illuminated manuscripts, miniature paintings, porcelain pieces, old coins, Islamic artwork carvings, clothes worn by the Mughal Emperors, a small armoury of Sikh weapons and carpets from the royal courts, etc.

The items also include holy relics of the Prophet Mohammed (SAW). These are put on public display for one day during the Islamic month of Muharam.

Right now, this treasure is in the possession of the sixth generation of the Fakir Family, Fakir Syed Saif-ud-din. His son Fakir Syed Zain-ul-Abidin was our hospitable guide on our tour through the wealth of art and beauty in the Fakir Khana Museum.

Walled City of Lahore, Pakistan (Mori the Gate) Part10

king-of-lahore — Mon, 3 Oct 2011 09:31:00 GMT

We have now come to the famous Mori Gate in our journey through the inner city of Lahore. It is located between the two main gates to the south, Bhati and Lohari Gate, in front of Urdu bazaar. The people of Lahore have a strange sense of humour. If you ever ask anyone living inside the Walled City as to how many gates the ancient city has, they will invariably say 12 and a mori (a hole). There is a brief history behind why it has been named so. It served as the preferred escape route for Emperors on the run, and it also served as a secret entry point for many. It was also the gateway through which the Hindu and Sikh dead were taken for their last rites. Once the Ravi River flowed on one side of the entrance and nearby, on the other side of the moat the dead were cremated

Almost 1,000 years ago the city walls--- then made of huge mud blocks slightly baked and still muddy in color--- had just six gates and a hole of a gateway. According to one account, a man riding on a donkey had to dismount and could barely walk through. It was, definitely, a hole like passage mostly used by the under-privileged. There are some different views regarding why such a small hole of a gate was built in the first place. One view is that the Hindu upper class did not want the untouchables (Shoodars; their lowest cast) to pass the same way that they did. Thus the Mori was built for them to pass through. Another theory is that it was essentially meant for the dead to be taken out and cremated on the riverside, though no solid reason for the dead taking this route has been put forward. The river outside soon became a moat. When the Ravi cut its way westwards, it remained just a sluggish pool of water, which then dried and then, was filled by the British, who finally levelled it into a garden as part of a defence plan.

After partition, the area was encroached upon and now the government just does not have the power to clear the place. However the British while levelling out the spaces outside, also tore down the original Mori Gate and built a much larger gate, which as an official document states was large enough to ensure that a camel cart can pass through with ease, instead of the five-foot six-inch hole in the wall.

I found what I learnt about this place in my history class very interesting and thrilling, so I want to share this knowledge with you. Mori Gate gained prominence when Mahmud of Ghazni laid siege to the city. The ruler, Raja Jaipal, resisted for a number of days, and then decided to escape, fleeing through Mori Gate. However his flight did not hold back the people from resisting the foreign invasion and Mahmud was shocked at the fierce resistance they put up. His spies informed him that Raja Jaipal had escaped through a small hole in the wall and he stood outside to see the mori for himself. One can imagine him standing just outside at the crossing of Urdu Bazaar and Circular Road. Then at night Mahmud and his men sneaked into the city after managing to break down the door of the Gate, paving the way for the conquest of Lahore. For seven days and seven nights, as several accounts tell us, the crazed Afghans burnt, raped and looted the city till all its inhabitants either lay dead or fled into the forests to the East. Lahore lay empty and desolate for a good five years.

This gate appears to have been the preferred entrance to Delhi for invaders from the West. When Emperor Babar invaded the Punjab from the West, he also met with resistance. Babar in a fit of rage decided to burn down Lahore, more out of his hatred of the Bhat Rajputs who lived inside Bhati Gate. The pillage that followed again emptied the city. From that point onwards as every time Lahore was pillaged, the population fled and the city remained empty for years on end.

Enough of this history lesson, lets talk about present. Today, its 2011 when the world has moved towards the Space Age from the Stone Age, but unfortunately we are progressing only on official documents or statements. These documents state prosperity, but the ground realty is quite opposite to the imaginary progressive picture presented by our authorities.

At the entrence of Mori gate there is a small very stinky fish market. On the left of the gate is a garden and a school along with a khara on the right, and not to forget the token Ganda Naala (open sewage drainage), at every gate. Here at Mori Gate this open drain turns into a little stream of disposal and waste, which is quite dangerous for the natives. We walk through the Mori Gate Bazaar which ends on Chowk Jhanda, which then connects it with Lohari Gate. You can see the condition of those streets through the pictures.

Mori Gate has the honour of having one of our greatest architectural heritage in its lap, the Haveli of Naunihal Singh at Paaiyan Wala Maidaan which has been converted into the Victoria Girls Higher Secondry School. I am quite surprised to see that this haveli is in good shape and colour. During the Ranjit Singh era this haveli was owned by his grand son, Prince Nuanihal Singh, the son of Kharak Singh. Maharaja Ranjit Singh was fond of great pomp and show. His durbars were imposing and he loved his valuable possessions, especially the’Koh-i-Noor’. The history of this diamond would have been different, but for the faithful and loyal officer Dewan Beli Ram who saved it for the royal successors of Ranjit Singh. Maharaja Kharak Singh was imprisoned and died while in custody and Naunihal Singh was assassinated by his Prime Minister, Raja Dhian Singh, by having his head crushed in the door at the Hazori Bagh while returning from his father’s cremation in 1840. Another haveli in a sad state is that of the loyal Dewan Beli Ram, and its meager remains can be seen under a huge mountain of debris.

So far I have covered ten gates of the walled city and after all that research I believe that poverty and illetracy are the two monsters which are sucking the blood of the people of this historical city. I don’t know who is going to correct the situation. However it is clear that nothing better can be expected for our doomed heritage without a collective effort.

Walled City of Lahore, Pakistan (Lahori Gate) Part9

king-of-lahore — Sat, 1 Oct 2011 05:05:00 GMT

Lohari Gate is one of the thirteen gates of Lahore. Being your guide to the walled city, today I will take you to Lohari Gate. In Urdu loha means iron and the gate is named Lohari because many lohars (blacksmiths) had their workshops just outside this gate. Lohari and the bazaar behind it comprise the oldest arterial route in the Walled City built by Akbar the Great. Caravans and travellers coming from Multan used to enter the city from this gate. Behind Lohari Gate also, once stood a brick fort called Kacha Kot that was probably the first fortified city of Lahore rebuilt by Malik Ayyaz. Among the few city gates which British Government cared to reconstruct, only Lohari Gate has retained its original form, and when I say original form I mean original form, because nobody has ever tried to reconstruct or preserve this unfortunate gate since British rule.

When I was a kid I used to read the history of this ancient city of Lahore. Because I born here and being a true citizen of the old city, I feel a deep association with it. I have read many stories about invasions and renovations of this historical soil. In the very beginning when I was 10, I had an imaginary vision of the walled city. I thought there would be some old havelies, the rich old culture and narrow but clean lanes. This is all because of the anecdotes my grandparents related to me.

Now I am 26 after sixteen long years, and I still hear people saying that the times are changing and quoting the common cliche of local news channel: “we are moving towards a bright future.” Today when I enter the narrow lanes of Lohari Gate, I am stunned to see that self proclaimed ‘bright future’ of ours. Maybe people living here, within the walled city are not considered as human beings or maybe they don’t have their share in that bright future. Whatever it is, it’s sad.

You don’t need to go further inside the gate; the present condition of the gate will tell you its painful story. Cracks in the huge walls, people living inside the structure of the gate, which was first, used as military barracks in the Mughal era; now it is occupied by some gypsies.

Okay, let’s walk into the gate; on either sides of Lahori bazaar you can see some outstanding ancient architecture, wooden balconies, beautiful wood-carving on doors and windows but how brutally this architectural heritage has been defaced is atrocious. This looks like some forgotten or neglected place where people are living --- just living --- no matter how. Now how can I describe the glorious past of this city, when I am beholding the sight in front of me. This is all that is left of those splendid times of yore.

I have tried to show you the current condition of the Walled City, in-front of you. Almost everybody knows the past of the Walled City but how many of us know, about its present. What is happening to these ancient buildings? We all claim that we are a developing country, how can a nation develop forward, when nothing is left behind. In fact, are we developing in any direction when we are so negligent and disrespectful towards our culture and heritage.

Forgive me if I use some harsh words. Poverty and ignorance are two major curses on our society just because of the insensitivity of higher authorities. I am not doing this just to criticize our system. I am not a philosopher not even a scholar. However, I am just an ordinary citizen of Pakistan who cares. Being a citizen I would like to make a few suggestions. Firstly if we all be little more sincere to our soil that will help a lot. Secondly we all should take our responsibilities towards our country a little more seriously, just like we do for our families, then slowly it may bring about a change of attiude amongst us. This is not our enemy’s land this is our own motherland if we destroy or show disrespect to it like this, we can’t be successful in the world as a nation. Last but not least, it’s for our authorities to actually spend at least a little of the money for which millions of dollars have been allocated in the budget. All the foreign aid we get for the preservation for this architectural heritage should be used for the right cause. These are not slums, this place is our fountainhead!!

Walled City of Lahore, Pakistan (Mochi Gate) Part7

king-of-lahore — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 05:47:00 GMT

Mochi Gate is another one of the thirteenth gates of Old Lahore, built by Akbar the great, and the name Mochi is in fact a corruption of the word moti or pearl. It was so called after the name of a Hindu employee, Moti Ram, who was an officer for Emperor Akbar and resided at the gate as in charge for security. The corruption in the name occurred during the Sikh period when it came to be called Mochi as the gate was in bad shape during that era. It was demolished early during the British period and its bricks were sold.

The entrance to Mochi Gate has now become heavily congested and impinged by all sorts of permanent and temporary shops, shacks and shanties, doing boisterous business, of course. The encroachments have eradicated the entrance so that coming by the ‘Circular Road’, in a car or rickshaw; one is likely to be stuck in traffic for two to three hours, easily.

The entry point is swamped by shops selling nuts, grams, sweets and dry fruit. Immediately adjoining is the police station building, with its office on the right side and the residential quarters on the left. This leads into the land directly in front of the mosque of Muhammad Salah Kamboh. Muhammad Saleh Kamboh was a diwan in the Punjab province during Shah Jahan’s era. This is a three domed mosque built in 1659 A.D; its five steps lead from the bazaar to the mosque courtyard and two at the back lead down to Kucha Chaughtayian, which means the abode of the Chughtai family. Before entering the bazaar itself, one sees on the right hand side the huge structure of a haveli which is typical of old big houses of Mughal era; wooden gate and large entrance, etc. At the entrance of the Mochi Gate Bazaar, actually at the convergence of Bazaar Lal Khoo and Bazaar Sadakaran, is perched this small beautiful mosque atop shops. Since the level of the road that runs through the bazaar has been raised, it is now higher than the level of the shops located under the mosque.

From here, on the right is the Mochi Baagh (garden), with its famous stage. At Mochi Baagh prior to partition was a beautiful park where the residents of the city could seek recreation and many pahlwans had their wrestling bouts here as well. The wide garden became historically famous for being the venue of huge political gatherings. Famous political leaders of their times since the start of the Pakistan movement to the present day, have delivered speeches to the masses here including Allama Iqbal, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Liaqut Ali Khan, and ZA Bhutto. Unless a politician has not addressed a rally in Mochi Baagh he/she is not considered important. Some politicians have had to hire people to come to their speeches to make an impression at Mochi Gate.

All along the bazaar, which is nothing but a narrow street, through which not more than three or four persons can pass at a time, are shops on either sides selling firecrackers, spices, toffees, sweets and utensils? This narrow route leads one past a place called Lal Khoo where at one time there used to be a well and onto the Chowk Nawab Sahib that includes a neighbourhood known as Mohala Sheeyan, perhaps so called because of the many Imam Bargahs here. Across the Lal Khoo there are kabab shops and in front a very famous sweetmeat shop called Rafiq sweets. These two shops still provide the traditional old Lahori tastes, and are maintained and prepared with well-guarded recipes.

Lal Khoo is now abandoned; somebody filled up the well and built a shop on it. However half of that well is still extant and out of reverence to a Saint, who is supposed to have been associated with it, people light candles and oil lamps at the perch. In front of the Lal Khoo is the Qazi Khana, which is partially covered by overhanging balconies, arches and other structures, leads to the main mohallahs (communities) of the Mochi Gate. At the turn of century the poet Maulana Muhammad Hussain Azad, the author of the book ‘Aab-I-Hayat’ and a teacher of Oriental Studies at the Government College Lahore, used to live in Qazi Khana. He was also one of the initiators of free style verse in Urdu. This laureate lies buried in the famous Shia cemetery Karbala Gamay Shah area, a stone’s throw from Government College.

Walking through the Lal Khoo bazaar is like passing through an uncovered tunnel where sunlight hardly seeps in due to the huge buildings on either side. I feel it is reminiscent of old Arab bazaars. The shopkeepers are seen squatting amongst their overflowing wares, doing roaring whole-sale businesses. The Lal Khoo bazaar ends at Chowk Nawab Sahib from which on the right one detours to Akbari Mandi and on the left to the main mohallah and streets of Mochi Gate, and then straight on towards Chotta Mufti Baqar. On the left are two historic buildings the Mubarak Haveli and the Nisar Haveli. Mubarak Haveli is the place where Ranjit Singh is said to have tricked Shah Shuja, (the deposed ruler of Kabul) into parting with the ‘Koh-I-Noor’ which now forms part of the crown jewels stacked away in the tower of London. There are also many Imam Bargahs here. During the month of Moharam this gate becomes a very sensitive area from the security point of view, due to a rise in sectarian violence.

Now I have done with seven gates of Old Lahore, I noticed one feature that is common in all of them. That is that there is no system of waste disposal and sewerage. Though alongside Circular Road there is a huge drain that runs around the city, however it is uncovered and there is no proper system of drains emptying into this dirty channel. There is a lot that needs to be preserved from our heritage to our next generation’s future.

Walled City of Lahore, Pakistan (Shah Alam Gate) Part8

king-of-lahore — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 05:47:00 GMT

The ‘Shah Alam Gate’ is named after one of the sons of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, Shah Alam I, a gentle and generous Prince, who died at Lahore in 1712. However, before his death, the gate was called the ‘Baherwala Gate’. During independence, the gate was burnt and only its name exists today. One of the biggest commercial markets, named ‘Shah Alam Market’, exists in this gate. Let me be your guide on this slightly historical and primarily contemporary saga of the Shah Alam Gate. Coming from Waassahwala Bazaar (bamboo market) on Circular Road, the main entrance of the gate is called Shahalmi Chowk. Though no gate exists, the Ganda naala (canal water drainage system, now historically used for sewage disposal) still exists due to our national penchant for preserving the bad and eradicating the good. For example most of the architectural heritage is destroyed but unfortunately the Ganda naala (open sewage drain) flows abundantly. On the very left of the Ganda naala is a big market of optical goods, and on the right there is a huge market for cable wires.

Moving inside the gate there is a gigantic market for everything, and I mean everything, from cosmetics products to all kinds of electronic home appliances. Just think of a product and you’ll find it here, believe me. I am sure that in the very near future they will also be selling F-16 parts or even the complete jet in that market. Famously known as Bara market, it is a wholesale market for mostly smuggled products. Who said we are not prospering, whether in the right direction or wrong seems irrelevent. Another great thing about this gate is the traffic jams. All over the inner city, Shahalmi Gate is famous for its traffic jams along with the broken down roads and streets. You will be stunned to hear that every day people do business worth millions and billions of rupees, but they don’t have a single penny to spend on repairs just outside their shops on the messy streets.

As you move in, the main road ends on another chowk, called the Rang Mahal Chowk and boasts chand garies (motorcycle rickshaws) our equivalent of spaceage technology, only for our streets and local passengers. The tomb of Malik Ayaz can still be seen in the Rang Mahal commercial area. Now for a little history during our tour; Malik Ayaz was a Turkmen slave who rose to the rank of officer and general in the army of Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni (also known as Mahmud Ghaznavi). His rise to power was a reward for the devotion and love he had for his master. In 1021 the Sultan raised Ayaz to kingship, awarding him the throne of Lahore, which the Sultan had taken after a long siege and a fierce battle in which the city was torched and depopulated. As the first Muslim governor of Lahore, he rebuilt and repopulated the city. He also added many important features, i.e. a masonry fort which he built in 1037-1040 on the ruins of the previous one, demolished in the fighting, and city gates (as recorded by Munshi Sujan Rae Bhandari, author of the Khulasatut Tawarikh). The present Lahore Fort is built in the same location. Under his reign the city became a cultural and academic centre, renowned for poetry. The poetry and culture is still there, but in a very different shape.

Walk a little further and you will come upon the Suha Bazaar (gold market), and opposite is Kasaira Bazaar in which pots, pans and utensils are sold. The display of utensils, previously of brass and now of aluminum scrap plastic and steel; provide a decorative attraction just like the gold jewelry in Suha Bazaar. At places you might hear noises emanating from the craftsmen’s hammers and anvils, shaping utensils. Craftsmen working in their traditional way are part of the scene of these lanes and gullies. Rounding to the left through Kucha Chabok Sawaraan, one finds oneself in the wider premises of Chowk Rang Mahal after the narrowness of the streets and bazaars that one has traversed from Mochi Gate onwards. There is Haveli Mian Khan. The Eastern side of the haveli was converted into Rang Mahal Mission High School, now, Rang Mahal Christian High School, where once great teachers like K.L. Rulia-Ram, Kahna Singh and Khadim Rizvi taught. This centenarian school building is in a state of dilapidation and decay as is generally the case with our education system. Alas! The rest of the haveli exists only in old books found on the Lahore’s history. It has turned into a huge plaza. Again we can see how keenly our authorities are taking interest in the preservation and conversation of our dying heritage.

As we walk through the Kashmiri Bazar towards Delhi Gate, we reach the Suneri Mosque or Golden Mosque. This mosque is located in the centre of Lahore city, and was originally known as Tilayee Masjid the founder of the mosque was Nawab Syed Bhikari Khan, son of Raushan-ud-Daula Turrabaz Khan, deputy governor of Lahore during the reign of Muhammad Shah and the viceroyalty of Mir Noin-ul-Malik. The Golden Mosque is situated in the Kashmiri Bazaar, and was built in 1753 AD. It features three beautiful golden domes. The mosque is elevated on a higher plinth, surrounded by old bazaars. It has a beautiful gateway and a courtyard; the marble domes cover seven prayer chambers. Four lofty minarets stand at the four corners of the mosque, each with an outer circumference of 20 meters, soaring up to 54 meters.

It dismays me to paint such a gloomy picture of a once magnificent place, but I cannot bring myself to gloss over the harsh realities. My aim is to awaken the authorities to do something for this precious treasure. It’s beautiful architecture and the culture is worth us helping collectively to preserve. Thank you.

Walled City of Lahore, Pakistan (Akbari Gate) Part6

king-of-lahore — Sun, 4 Sep 2011 08:28:00 GMT

Akbari gate is named after the Mughal emperor Jala-Ud-Din Muhammad Akbar‘, who rebuilt the town and the citadel. Close to this gate the emperor also founded a market, which was named Akbari Mandi. It is the biggest retail market of Lahore, in which food grains of all kinds are available. The unfortunate story of this gate is that it is one of those that were demolished by the British during the Raj. I am not feeling very proud while telling you about this very gate. Now it is just a trash yard and not a cultural heritage. Sadly there is no trace of monuments and our old heritage; all that is left for us is only the mess scattered there by the materialistic greed of humanity. When you walk through this gate it seems like it’s some kind of hell, filled with dust and animal waste in the air that even covers all the edibles sold there. Surprisingly people are living there, doing their businesses and very proudly contributing in increasing to the vast waste of garbage lying there.

The walled city covers an area of around 256 hectares and has a population of around 200,000. The area is dotted with mosques, havelis (enclosed mansions with courtyards) and British colonial buildings, many dilapidated. Until now, much of the restoration and demolition work in the old city has been piecemeal, unregulated, and often privately funded. Three years ago the Norwegian government gave $1.6 million to Unesco to begin restoration work and to draw up a master plan for the Punjab government to follow.

The World Bank has committed to give $10 million towards the conservation and restoration of the infrastructure of the walled city of Lahore, which despite its historical significance, has been crumbling for decades. The announcement of the new funding was made by Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, the chief minister of the Punjab, at the end of January. He also announced that, in a separate project, the Punjab government would spend $5 million each on the Lahore Fort and the Shalimar Gardens. This total of $20 million should prove a significant boost towards preserving the cultural heritage of the decaying walled city. I am sorry to say that Akbari Gate is the part of the Walled City that our respected Chief Minister was talking about. Politically speaking the funds will go towards a range of improvements on the cultural and structural fabric of the ancient Walled City, which along with the fort and mosque is envisioned as one of Pakistan’s biggest tourist attractions. Apart from architectural restorations, the project will include the widening of roads, the installation of traffic lights, the removal of illegal encroachments, improvements to the water supply and sanitation, control of pollution, and the promotion of traditional skills and handicrafts. Implementation is not expected to be carried out for at least a year. Please! I am not trying to compliment the authorities. As a resident of the Old City I feel this will just prove to be another spoof. I will put the picture in-front of you —- now you decide: will something concrete be done now or not?

Walled City of Lahore, Pakistan (Delhi Gate) Part5

king-of-lahore — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 03:13:00 GMT

Delhi gate is one of the thirteen gates of old Lahore, built by Akbar the great- third Mughal Emperor- who enclosed the city of Lahore within red brick walls during the sixteenth century. This gate is an opening towards Delhi, which was the capital of the mughal dynasty. Right before the entrance of the gate there is the Shahi Hammam, built by Hakim Ilmud-din, who had the title of Wazir Khan, Subidar, and Punjab during the regime of Emperor Shah Jahan in 1634 AD. Covering an area of 1110sq.m, the single story building was built in Mughal style and it is a unique specimen of that era, as a public ‘hammam’ in Pakistan. Since 1991, the tourist information centre of the Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab Ltd is rendering information services for the convenience of tourists. Renovation work is being carried out by the ministry of tourism, but one thing which is noticed commonly is that this monument is also being used as a banquet hall by some influential people, which is an adversity to this beautiful heritage.

After the Shahi Hammam, as you walk through the bazaar you can see the old buildings (havelies) on either sides in very abysmal circumstances, until you reach the gate of the Masjid Wazir Khan. This mosque was built in 1634- 35 AD during the regime of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, by Ilam-ud-dinAnisari commonly known as Nawab Wazir Khan, who was the governor of Lahore till 1639 AD. The mosque was completed in about seven years.

The entire mosque is built with small bricks laid in ‘kankerlime’, sparkling due to red sandstone, and even the grills are made of terracotta. Its outstanding architecture features are its octagonal four corner minarets, which are 107 feet high and decorated with mosaic tiles. A bazaar consisting of twenty two shops forms an integral part of the plan of the mosque, which was the first time such facilities were added to a mosque. The shops are in two parallel rows with a brick-paved passage in between.

The mosque covers an area of 279.5 feet x 159 feet out of which the prayer hall occupies an area of 131 feet 3 inches x 42 feet and is divided into five compartments by means of four arches on massive piers, measuring 19 feet 3 inches x 11 feet 3 inches. The prayer hall bears five squat, turnip shaped domes. Frescos, kashi kari, brick-imitation (tazakari) vivid colors, large numbers of inscriptions with geometrical patterns and floral designs, arabesque and calligraphy have been used for its embellishment. The entire floor is built on cuts and dressed with small brick work, laid in 13 patterns. The open area on the East of the mosque complex, measuring 150 feet x 102 feet, is known as Chowk Wazir Khan. Its original floor still exists about five feet below the present ground level. The drainage during the Mughal period was by means of ‘Gharkies’ (wells). The chowk had four big gates from which two still exist.

Then we move inside the area towards Jhotta Mufti Bakir, famous for its wooden balconies and many big Havalies, built in some very narrow lanes. Kucha Kharadiyan and Siryan Ojriyan Wala Bazar are also located within Dehli Gate. The most amazing thing I came across during my adventures within this gate is an unknown Haveli with the most beautiful wood work on its windows and balconies. The natives call it Haveli Jamil Soda Water and I was stunned no body knew its original name especially since it has been there since before Masjid Wazir Khan, and because it is far more magnificent than the Haveli Asif Jaah in the Kashmiri Gate!

Life within this gate is based on middle class people. Like all other gates, the Katrii System (common dwelling place) by the name of Katrii Dina Naat, prevails here too. Mostly people used to live here in joint families, and because of these narrow lanes the whole mohala (community) was like a family. As a resident of Kashmiri gate, I know for a fact that people genuinely used to care about each others welfare, but as times are changing and money reins supreme over relations, people are limiting themselves to their immediate families and really don’t care about the mohala. As I conversed with them, I realised that they feel very insecure in their own country.

An old man there told me with tears in his eyes that this is the same holy land of Pakistan for which his father sacrificed his family, land and all his wealth. “Now look at us”, he said, “Is this the reward we deserve; that our children have no future in this country and that we don’t even have enough money for food? Is this the Pakistan we sacrificed everything for?”

The vampire of poverty is sucking the blood off the common man. It is so amusing that people living in the big Havelies- once the symbol of wealth- have not enough money to buy food. I am surprised that if we turn on any news channel, they keep saying Pakistan is progressing… that much increase in GDP… that much profit in this and that…blah, blah. I want you to walk with me through these narrow lanes in one of the oldest and biggest city of our country, and see how miserable life is within these walls.

Walled City of Lahore, Pakistan (Yakki Gate) Part4

king-of-lahore — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 15:23:00 GMT

Right after Sheranwala Gate in clockwise order there is Yakki Gate; this gate is famous for its havelies and temples. Join me for a walk through this gloroius gate. All I want is for you to comprehend the present situation of this historical city by understanding its past, and through that, help contribute to a better future.

The Yakki gate, originally known as Zaki Gate, is said to be named after a martyred saint, who according to legend, fell fighting against the Tataraies who once invaded Lahore. Zaki Pir fought them with great courage and bravery. During the battle he got decapitated near the gate but his body kept on fighting for some time even without the head and finally fell in a quarter of the city some distance away from the gate. One tomb of this great saint is said to be built where his head fell and the other tomb where his body collapsed. Both are revered by the faithful of this soil. People from all over the country come here and pays tribute to this brave man.

Apart from this brave saint Yakki Gate is famous for its beautiful but semi-demolished havelies and temples. Unlike the last three gates this very one was primarily a residential area. There are small shops, mostly run by the immigrants from the Frontier Province and Afghanistan (Pathans). Historically speaking, the people from the royal courts of the Mughals used to live here in their beautiful havelies. Now, most of these havelies have vanished from the face of the Walled City. Along with the old style buildings and small, tiled houses, there are modern abodes too and there is the sky high building of Nawaz Sharif Hospital. On the face of it would seem that this hospital, like Mayo Hospital, is a blessing for the residents of the Walled City after Mayo Hospital but Waste Disposal is the biggest problem over here. We are the kind of people who only want to move forward by hook or by crook. We progress at the cost of leaving a trail of mountains of garbage. In short we might say that we produce the source to spread diseases and after that we make hospitals and receive a round of applause from the patients and locality.

Let’s get back to our Yakki Gate. I was talking about the havelies. Haveli Mian Sultan, Haveli Alf Shah, Haveli Nadir Wali, Lal Haveli and Haveli Raja Endar Naat are the remaining havelies of the Walled City situated in Yakki Gate. Most of these havelies are turned into the katries (a common dwelling place of more then one family). Haveli Mian Sultan was owned by Mian Sultan the founder of Lahore Railway station. Nowadays this haveli is being used as a residence by a family. Haveli Alf Shah of the Mughal era is now an Imam Bargha. A big part of the Haveli Nadir Wali has been demolished and the remaining section has been turned into a house with a little modification. Lal Haveli is a beautiful piece of architecture which was gifted by Raja Ranjit Singh to his munshi Gulab Chand. Currently the once magnificent Lal Haveli is in a particularly deplorable condition. It is still standing, but it’s hard to imagine that a building can deteriorate to this condition, with walls cracked and semi-blackened, broken stucco and portions collapsed. Haveli Raja Endar Naat is now called the Katri Raja Endar Naat.

The temples of the area have now vanished from the scene or maybe have been turned into houses. Luckily I found one but I failed to be able to trace its whole history because of the hostile welcome I received from the resident. He did not want to talk to me because he thought I was from the revenue department. So I tactfully moved on. Further I was quite stunned to see a building just like the leaning tower of Pisa. Italy is lucky to have a wonder of the world, but we’ll be very unlucky if we do not remove this dangerous structure from there. All I want to say is that the situation in these narrow lanes and streets is quite dangerous. They are open invitations to hazards like fire or short circuits of the electrical wires overhead and there is always the threat of some venerable old building falling down.

Yakki Gate, like all the other gates, needs our attention, not only to make it safe to live in but also worth looking at. This is one of the heritages of the world. We should preserve it. It is very strange that hundred years ago when people did not have modern devices and a consciousness of preserving our historical character, they managed to run such a big city fairly satisfactorily, but we with all our scientific and space age technology have failed to maintain it?

Walled City of Lahore, Pakistan (Shernawala Gate or Lion's Gate) Part3

king-of-lahore — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 07:30:00 GMT

In the walled city of Lahore, Sheranwala is one of the twelve gates. It is also known as ‘Khiziri gate’, and in olden times the River Ravi followed by the city walls and the ferry was near this part. The gate was, therefore, named as Khiziri after the name of Khizzr Elias, the patron saint according to the Mohammedan belief, of running waters and streams, and the discoverer of the water of immortality.

Ranjit Singh kept here two domesticated lions in a cage, and the gate came to be called as ‘Sheranwala gate’ or ‘Lion’s gate’. It is an old crowded area with all the needful facilities including markets and schools. There are two major schools, Government Islamia High School Sheranwala Gate for boys, which is the oldest school and the best training centre for the youth of the vicinity. Then there is the Government School for the Deaf and Dumb Khizri Mohala, which is a mannequin school and also and a banquet hall. There is a Madrassa (an institution for religious studies) established by Moulana Ahmed Ali Lahori, and the Anjuman Khudamu-ud-Din (a great name in the Islamic religious revolution in the sub-continent). There are also many higher secondary private schools in the area to educate the coming generation of this historical soil.

This is the same hinterland where people used to live in joint families sharing their happiness and sorrows. The whole mohala was like a family, and everyone was close to each other and respected each other. However everything has changed now, there is no mohala, people have migrated to other places. Now, you go there and you’ll find a big market of Press Calendars (a heavy machine to iron unstitched cloth). I am not saying that people don’t live there; they do, but the way they are living is worse than anything. Poverty is a big ugly vampire sucking the blood of dwellers.

The rich are getting richer and poor poorer. People don’t want to talk about culture, the poor man wants shelter and the rich man wants to invest his money, buy land and make sky high plazas with two or three basements (where parking is virtually impossible) and consequently destroy heritage. They don’t care about the heritage and architecture; they want money to eat food or on the other hand to make a huge plaza, which is an open invitation to the investors, to come there, earn money and destroy the heritage. The biggest example of their negligence is when a rich resident planned to build a plaza on the ‘Bangla Ayub Shah’ site where a monument was found when workers were digging to make a basement for the intended building. The owner had to pay a fine for violating building laws, which require permission before digging a basement inside the Walled City. The Archaeology Department has disallowed digging or construction in the area without permission and owners of residential plots need the department’s permission to commercialize their land.

Concerned residents protested against building plazas in the Walled City, ‘at the cost of the national heritage’ and said that most commercial site owners did not get a No Objection Certificate from the Archaeology Department.

The discovery triggered a debate over the monument’s importance. An Archaeology Department report said that the mehrabs, paka kali plaster and paintings hanging ten feet above the floor suggested the building was from the Mogul or Sikh era. Now, you decide whose fault it is that we have lost another architectural heritage just because of our greed and negligence.

The Ravi Town Municipal Administration (TMA) has earmarked 506 buildings and 1056 basements as dangerous premises, and the lives of the people residing or working in these buildings are perpetually in danger. 485 out of the marked 506 buildings and all the dangerous basements are located in the Walled City, which could cause a tragic mishap during the coming rainy season.

I have no words to explain my grief regarding the current situation of my historical neighborhood; this place seems like a haunted citadel, preoccupied by human phantoms. It is my humble request to all of you to preserve this heritage as well as the humanity that remains in our souls!

Walled City of Lahore, Pakistan (Kashmiri Gate) Part2

king-of-lahore — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 07:47:00 GMT

There are thirteen gates around the inner city of Lahore, and as I mentioned previously in my article; all these gates have their own history and specific lifestyles. There are thirteen different but complete worlds surrounded by a wall in a universe named Lahore. Right after Masti Gate in clockwise order there is Kashmiri Gate...It is so named because it faces the direction of Kashmir and in the olden day’s caravans leaving for Kashmir left by this gate. This gate is one of the seven gates of the Walled City that are still standing. Join me for a walk through this glorious gate, but keep in mind that today will not be a typically historical journey. I want you to comprehend the present situation of this historical city by understanding its past, and through that, maybe help create a better future. Towards that end, allow this humble wordsmith to be your guide beyond the historical picture of the Walled City.

As you enter the Kashmiri gate, on your very right is a school named Government Islamia High School for girls, ChunaMandi. This school is the only source of secondary education for the female population of the area, and is a blessing for the locality. Sadly it looks more like a trash yard than a high school, thanks to our local government. Don’t go far I have another thing to show you: a fine model of our current ‘illegal architecture’ —- an eight story high plaza right on the boundry wall of the old city, between Kashmiri Gate and Sheranawala Gate, which can be seen all the way from Badami Bagh. This very Gate has become mini Manhattan because of Asia’s biggest cloth market, Azam Cloth Market, the pride of Pakistan. This mini-Manhattan has lots of high rise plazas which are all illegal, but owned by some influencial people, so the law can’t do them any harm. Here you have ‘survival of the fittest’. Rarra Telliyan is the victimized area of this destructive construction. People are building plazas just to earn money without thinking about the land laws and its effects on the architectural heritage.

Another beautiful thing about this gate is the amazing combination of the rich and poor people living together. There are many small katriis (common dwelling places), where people live a single room with their whole families. This is the kind of place where even poverty cries on behalf of the people and alongside the katriis runs the boundary of a huge plaza within which money runs like water. A noisome mixture of poverty and callous wealth is destroying the beautiful architectural heritage of the old city. Haveli Kabli Mal is a living example of the ignorance of our authorities.

Kucha Kudi Garanh holds the priveldge of containing the last standing historic house but I am afraid that it too will soon be demolished. Chowk Chuna Mandi is one of the oldest mandies (markets) of the Walled City, now in the centre of Azam Cloth Market, and I am sad to report that it has become a junk yard, around which people are comfortably eating or transacting business. Dirt, garbage and trash, these are the things which can also be found along with tasty food, lively people and architectural heritage, within the walled city. It pains me to say that the future of the walled city is endangered. We claim that we are preserving this heritage and raising funds from the world, but there are no results. Whatever that actually gets done is only the done because of selfishness and greed. The reason behind telling you all this and bringing the truth in front of you, is to preserve our heritage and to wake our authorities. If we let this happen, our future generations will never see our rich culture. All we will be left with are some trash yards and pseudo-skyscrapers. Please do not commercialize this world vestige of our past. Preserve it as you promised to do...

The Walled City of Lahore (Masti Gate) Part 1

king-of-lahore — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 01:25:00 GMT

There are thirteen gates around the inner city of Lahore, all these gates have their own history and specific lifestyles. These are thirteen different but complete worlds surrounded by a wall in a universe named Lahore.

Let’s visit the first world in clockwise order: ‘Masti Gate’, located just behind the Lahore Fort. The name ‘Masti’ is a corruption of the word ‘Masjidi’ (mosque). A few steps from the entrance is located what is said to be the oldest surviving mosque in the city, the Mosque of Mariyam Zamani Begum, who was the sister of Raja Bhagwan Das, the mother of the fourth Mughal ruler Jahangir. Her mosque was completed in 1614. This brick structure is celebrated for two very important features: the double domes with which the prayer chamber is crowned and the exquisite fresco paintings on the interior surface. The mosque’s dimensions are 135.5 by 127.5 feet, and it is compared with paradise in a Persian inscription on its northern gateway. Like other Mughal mosques in Lahore, it has no garden courtyard, but it does have exquisite floral fresco decorations that remind one of the vegetal imagery associated with the gardens of paradise. This mosque is also known as the Masjid Begum Shahi.

The unfortunate story of this gate is that it is one of those that were demolished by the British, during the Raj. The remaining wall of the gate can still be seen right before the police station of ‘Masti Gate’. At the entrance there is a big shoe market called ‘Motti Bazaar’. This huge wholesale shoe market connects ‘Masti Gate’ with ‘Kashmiri Bazaar’. The one most important thing about ‘Masti Gate’ is the Havali of Asif Jah, brother of Noor Jahan and brother-in-law of Emperor Jehangir,. This Havali was used as a jail during the colonial rule, but now it is a college for women, established by the Ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and sometimes also an exclusive party venue for the elite, apart from being a major tourist attraction. A little ahead of it is a temple called ‘Mai Ka Mandar,’ which is now used as a dwelling place by a score of homeless families.

Once you have entered the gate, it’ll be an injustice not to meet its residents. One can never feel the true essence of a place, without getting to know the people there. Do try the special recipe for ‘murgh chaanay’ in this area, from anyone of the innumerable and various dhaabas scattered around ‘Motti Bazaar’.

On one side of the gate there are huge six to seven story high plazas with people earning tons of both black and white money, and at the same time just around the corner are people who don’t have enough to buy a decent meal. For example, in the shadow of a grotesque plaza there lies a poor man’s home which consists of just three walls. Right before the entrance of that ragged gate you can see cars costing millions of Rupees parked. People from all over Pakistan come here to invest money in dubious ventures that can instantly double their money, because of the poor law and order situation... However if you point out this disparity to the natives there, they will give you a rather brave and nonchalant answer; “Happiness and sorrows walk hand in hand together in life.”

The rich tradition of the Walled City is still there, but has been tainted by our confused modernized western culture. Few boys now go to watch Dangal (wrestling matches), preferring gyms instead. Men no longer wear the traditional lacha kurta, preferring jeans and shirts. The women too have begun preferring scarves or duppatas to the traditional burkhas. It’s not just the dressing that has changed, but also the language too, like merging English with Punjabi

On a brighter side, the education level has improved, providing equal opportunities for women, which was a phenomenon unheard of before. It is evident that competing with the global economy has influenced the culture and tradition of these people’s way of life. Hopefully once they are more aware and equipped to deal with a world light years ahead of them, they will be able to strike a better balance between the old and the new and the good and the bad. For now, we all know that one has to crawl before one can walk, and sadly the once glorious gate is currently at that stage. However with the stout hearted attitude its people show towards life, it seems it might not be too late for them and those concerned about them, to reduce the deterioration while preserving their heritage.

Photos: from the eye of my iphone

king-of-lahore — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 07:34:00 GMT

My beloved city Lahore

My Video scholarship 2010 entry (edited)

king-of-lahore — Wed, 2 Jun 2010 10:17:00 GMT

I am a young journalist from Pakistan.Being a responsible citizen of the walled city of Lahore, I have produecd this short documentary on Walled city of Lahore. here is a brief introduction of my city and the subject of my documentaries. A fortified area of around 256 hectares and with population of more than 200,000 in the middle of the Lahore city is called The Walled City of Lahore or Androon Sher which is almost 4,000 years old. The area is full of mosques, havelis (enclosed mansions with courtyards) and British colonial buildings, many dilapidated. Until now, much of the restoration and demolition work in the old city has been piecemeal, unregulated, and often privately funded. Walled City of Lahore is the epitome of local human art and culture. Life within the Walled City, even today gives us glimpses of the old traditions and essence of true Punjab. The Walled City of Lahore is a section that was fortified by a city wall during the Mughal era. Much of the wall is still standing along with the thirteen fabled gates which are: Akbari Gate, Bhatti Gate, Dehli Gate, Kashmiri Gate, Lahori Gate, Masti Gate, Mochi Gate, Mori Gate, Roshnai Gate, Shahalmi Gate, Shairanwala Gate, Taxali Gate and Yakki Gate. Every gate has its own story and the people there have their own specific ways of living. Its like twelve different worlds, timelessly enclosed in a universe called Lahore. hope you will like the idea and it will be helpful for people to know a world's rich architectural and cultural heritage. and i will love to make these reports in detail for NGC in future, if you like the idea.