Punjab Public Library in Lahore [Old Pic]

 

 

Photograph of the Punjab Public Library in Lahore from the ‘Bellew Collection: Photograph album of Surgeon-General Henry Walter Bellew’ taken by George Craddock in the 1870s.  The Punjab Public Library was established in the late 19th century

 

Posted by:  Shiraz Hassan

Lahore restoration project aims to revive old city’s lustre

The project hopes to restore the area around the Wazir Khan mosque in the walled city of old Lahore. Photograph: Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images

Like a precious old treasure, lost and almost forgotten, Lahore’s medieval walled city, a labyrinth of alleyways and bazaars, has suffered so much neglect that decay has nearly consumed it.

Now the first serious conservation project is about to begin, to restore a tiny portion of a once grandiose metropolis and seat of power, where Mughal princes, poets and courtesans mingled in the shadow of the royal fort and colossal Badshahi mosque just beyond its walls.

The Royal Trail, a route through the old city used by the former Mughal rulers of India to reach their palatial citadel, will be restored under a project starting this summer, backed by the Punjab provincial government and the World Bank.

The one-mile route winds by some of the city’s greatest riches, including the beautifully adorned Shahi Hammam baths and the early 17th-century Wazir Khan mosque, covered in brilliantly colourful fresco and tile decoration.

Modernity has been the real vandal, with deterioration especially rapid over the past 30 years, when many of the old city’s wealthy families fled its narrow, congested streets and architectural riches were turned into warehouses and cottage factories, as the area descended into squalor and low-rent commerce.Read the remaining article

Shalimar Gardens

By Ambreen Salman

Located in the heart of the district,east of Lahore,Shalimar Garden is surrounded by acres of manicured, superb gardens for your enjoyment and relaxation. Emperor Jehangir built this beautiful Garden for his beloved wife Nur Jehan,thus preserving his love forever and making way for future lovers.The word “Shalimar” means, the purest of human pleasures. It was completed between 1639 and 1641 in the reign of Emperor Shah Jehan.The gardens are an excellent place to escape the noise and the hussle bustle of the city .

This has every touch you can imagine to make your stay a romantic one. Renowned for beauty and magnificance you will be treated to unrivalled attentiveness to make your time extra special. Enjoy romantic strolls through our Farah Baksh meaning bestower of pleasure ,Faiz Baksh meaning bestower of goodness ,Hayat Baksh meaning bestower of life.
Relax in the colonnade around the lake and take in the country air and enjoy the cascades of fountains all around, more than 400 fountains cover this vast garden .Its triple-terraced gardens decorated with marble pavilions, ornamental pools, water falls and fountains, make it one of the world’s finest Persian gardens.

The garden is distributed in sections :

Sawan Bhadum pavilions
Naqar Khana and its buildings
Khwabgah or Sleeping chambers
Hammam or Royal bath
The Aiwan or Grand hall
Aramgah or Resting place
Khawabgah of Begum Sahib or Dream place of the emperor’s wife Baradaries or summer pavilions to enjoy the coolness created by the Gardens’ fountains
Diwan-e-Khas-o-Aam or Hall of special & ordinary audience with the emperor
Two gateways and minarets in the corners of the Gardens.

YUM

On my way back from university with my mother we made a coincidental stop at a Chinese restaurant that has just joined the many eating places Lahore boasts of. My mother is a loyal customer of the same Chinese restaurant for years, in fact decades. Making her accompany me to the nearest possible restaurant forced by hunger pangs was a Herculean task. Restaurant named ‘Yum’ and that too a Chinese restaurant, left my mother bewildered no less than me. ‘Kong’ seems like the official surname of the Chinese eating places punctuating different boulevards in Lahore. Think of any and you will be forced to agree! But once you have eaten at this cozy eatery right opposite the Ather Shahzad Studio, just around the corner to Generation, you will realize it breaks free of many stereotypes.

Lahore for incentives

By Ambreen Salman

What better place to inspire your team than in one of the world’s most dreamed destinations and cosmopolitan cities? You will find stylish shopping, delicious cuisine, stunning natural beauty, dazzling beaches and the friendliest people on earth.
The incentive possibilities are endless. Choose from an impressive range of sophisticated venues that can accommodate groups from 100 to 5,000 and which suit every style and budget. Of course the most famous of Lahore’s landmarks are its gardens with their granduer full of romantic tales espeicially in moonlit nights- a unique venue for anyone. Shalimar garden is amongst the many lusious green gardens relaxing you after a hard days work and are a feast in themselves watching people play cricket, volleyball, golf with an elite sportsperson or the opportunity to watch the sun set over the city as you move far from the madding crowd. An outstanding range of touring options are available such as the beauty of the Old city gates covering the city from all sides and giving you a glimpse into history also hiding historical events in them silently looking over every passerby. Lahore is jam-packed with things to see and do. It generates a sense of excitement for first time and repeat visitors because of its raw energy and exuberance. Where else but in Lahore can you enjoy cocktails while cruising magnificent streets or dine with ghosts at thr foodstreets.Entertainment options include everything from Puppet festivals and marathons to great coffee shops and live shows.The roads are full of incredible array of restaurants and thousands of boutiques and stores where you can shop to your heart’s content, pick up the latest designer fashion or a unique handcrafted memento .

Jahangir’s Tomb, 1870s Pic.

This view shows the tomb and surrounding gardens of the Mughal emperor Jahangir (1605-1627) at Shahdara in the 1870s. Mughal royalty and their courtiers built pleasure gardens and palaces on the right bank of the River Ravi at Shahdara opposite the major city of Lahore. At the outset of the reign of Jahangir’s son, Shah Jahan, in 1627 the emphasis changed to funerary architectural projects of which this is one. Set in formal gardens originally built by Jahangir’s wife, Nur Jahan, the tomb is faced in red sandstone inlaid with coloured marbles whilst inside the mausoleum walls are covered in colourful floral murals. The surviving marble cenotaph of Jahangir is decorated with inlaid gemstones in floral motifs and calligraphic passages giving the ninety-nine names of Allah.

Posted by: Shiraz Hassan

Janam Asthan Guru Ram Das Ji

Gurudawara, Janam Asthan [Birthplace] of fourth Guru of Sikh Religion Guru Ram Das ji, Interior Delhi Gate Lahore

Photo by: Shiraz Hassan

Samadhi Maharaja Ranjit Singh

Photograph of the Samadhi of Ranjit Singh at Lahore, Pakistan, taken by George Craddock in the 1880s, part of the Bellew Collection of Architectural Views.  Lahore is the capital of Punjab province, is considered the cultural centre of Pakistan.

Posted by:  Shiraz Hassan

Dai Angah’s Tomb, Lahore

This photograph of the tomb of Dai Angah in Lahore was taken by H H Cole in 1884 for the Archaeological Survey of India. Wife of a magistrate in Bikaner in Rajasthan, Dai Angah was wet nurse to the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (r. 1628-57). Inscriptions give the date of construction as 1671. The single-storey tomb is brick built and faced in painted plaster and tile mosaics in colourful floral and geometric motifs. Its square plan comprises a central domed chamber with eight further chambers surrounding it. There is a domed kiosk at each of the building’s four corners.

Recent picture of Dai Angah’s tomb.

Posted by:  Shiraz Hassan

From Baradari to a Madrasa

By Haroon Khalid 

On the Bedian road, around 35 kilometers from the city of Lahore, there is a village known as Hair. As one crosses this village a road appears on the right hand side, if one is coming from the direction of the city. Taking a right on this turn, one would reach a Baradari after a distance of about half a kilometer. This Baradari, which was earlier outside of the village, now falls right in the middle of it.

The Baradari was summoned by Emperor Shah Jahan for the royal travelers. Since Shah Jahan ordered the construction of this Baradari¸ it is highly probable that he too some time stayed here. The Bedian road at that time was an important route, connecting many important villages. This village of Hair was one such village. It became famous for its immense population and market. At this important stop, Shah Jahan decided to build this edifice.

Anarkali Church, Lahore

Photograph of the Tomb of Anarkali in Lahore from the ‘Bellew Collection: Photograph album of Surgeon-General Henry Walter Bellew’ taken by George Craddock in the 1870s. Lahore is the capital of the Punjab province in Pakistan. This region has been ruled by the Ghaznavids, the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughals, the Sikhs and the British. The Tomb of Anarkali probably dates from the rule of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir (1605-1627). In 1851, it was converted into a church by the British. In this view, we can see that there is a Christian cross surmounting the dome of the structure.

Posted by:  Shiraz Hassan

Babe ki chidyian

By Haroon Khalid 
The South Asian culture is rich because of its various hues and diversities that characterize its idiosyncrasy. Bright colors, rituals and superstitions for practically every action, and numerous festivals all give a distinct flavor to the South Asian life. There is a saying that in Pre-Partition Lahore there were 30 days in a month and 31 festivals. Most of these rituals and practices are not as obvious as they were a few decades ago, however if one is willing to dig beneath the surface and explore the rich heritage of Pakistan’s unexplored rural and sub-urban life, one would end up unearthing celebrations that would leave one surprised and asking for more.

The annual festival to mark the urs celebration of Syed Akbar Ali Shah at a small village near the historical city of Chunian is one such tale of the fascinating life in India and Pakistan. The Saint had 4 sons viz. Khwaja Abdul Aziz Mast, Ghulam Mustafa, Muhammad Ashraf and Khalil Ahmad. Khwaja Abdul Aziz Mast was the eldest of them all and the heir of the Sainthood (Kadi Nasheen). He was a colorful character, who gave a unique blend to his father’s annual urs. He started calling eunuchs each year to take part in the festivities. He would treat them with a lot of love, an act which no one else was willing to extend to them, not even his own brothers. He would say that those whom no one loves, I would, which also endeared him to the eunuchs. Every year they would come to the 9 day and night celebration of the urs, dance and sing all night, collect money from their adorers and sleep all day. His brothers, in particular, Ghulam Mustafa, was more puritanical in his approach and condemned the ‘disrespect’, these eunuchs brought to the final resting place of his father. He gave his brother an ultimatum to end this ‘un-Islamic’ act. Baba Mast, as Khwaja Abdul Aziz Mast is popularly known was a man of love, who did not want to hurt anyone’s feelings. He left the spot, where the Kadi Nasheen used to sit, and moved a few kilometers towards the Chunian city, next to the Balloki canal. The eunuchs also accompanied them. Gradually the pomp and splendor of the tomb also shifted to where Baba Mast had established himself, so much so that after a little while, his brother was left with no other option but to call Baba Mast back.