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.
