The City
Monuments
Gurdawara Shaheed
Ganj
An important Sikh
monument Gurdwara
Shaheed Ganj (the
Place of Martyrs),
which includes the
samadh of Bhai Taru
Singh, is located in
Naulakha Bazaar, in
the Naulakha area,
west of the Railway
Station, in Birun
(outside) Dehli
Darwaza (Gate) of
the Walled City.
Shaheed Ganj was
originally known as
Nakkhas (horse
market), an
appellation dating
to the Mughal
emperor Shahjahan's
reign. This area is
the original Dara
Shikoh Chowk, where
prince Dara Shikoh
had built his
palaces, a garden, a
two-storied katra or
bazaar along with a
nakkhas.
During the middle of
18th century, the
area witnessed much
destruction, and
whatever was left,
such as the north
gate of Nakkhas,
patterned after
entrance gate of
Wazir Khan Mosque,
was destroyed after
British annexation
when the contractor
Muhammad Sultan was
permitted to
demolish Mughal
structures for the
value of their
bricks.
Accessed from the
crowded Naulakha
Bazaar, the entrance
to the gurdwara is
easy to miss since
it is sandwiched
between cabins and
shops. It is a
narrow street which
leads off from the
crossing, north of
Shaheed Ganj Bazaar
and northeast of
Lunda Bazaar, and in
the area still
remembered as
Sultan's Serai—the
same Sultan
mentioned above in
connection with
destruction of
historic buildings.
If you are on foot
you could follow the
slightly curving
Naulakha Bazaar from
the crossing and
keep a look out for
a small, two-leaf
door on your right,
above which a plaque
declares "Gurdwara
Shaheed Ganj, Bhai
Taru Singh Ji,
Naulakha Bazaar,
Lahore," in Gurmukhi,
Urdu and English.
However, if you have
a car, it is best to
park it at the
beginning of Shaheed
Ganj Road and walk
through an amazing
series of workshops
of steel parts
stretched out on the
street. Shaheed Ganj
Road curves and
joins with Naulakha
Bazaar on the right
in the form of a'U'.
If you follow this
route, you will find
the gurdwara on your
left.
Entering the
gurdwara door leads
you into a courtyard
which as is the case
of religious places,
presents a hushed
world of its own.
The architectural
treatment of
structures inside
the courtyard
consists of Sikh
adaptation of the
Late-Mughal style.
The main courtyard
is bordered on the
left by a
rectangular
structure punctured
by multifoil
openings, likely to
be the place where
the Holy Garanth
would be kept, but
presently in use by
the attendant and
his family.
The centre of the
courtyard is
dominated by the
Samadh of Taru
Singh, a square
structure with low
corner towers, the
walls terminated
with a variation of
the Mughal bangladar
(drooping) chajja
decorated with a
multitude of small
cupolas, and topped
by a dome with a
tall three-level
sakhara or finial.
This is the place
where, during the
rule of the Mughal
viceroy Yahya Khan,
in 1746 insurgent
Sikhs were brought
and beheaded by
Diwan Lakhpat Rai to
avenge the death of
his brother.
It is in the memory
of those
assassinated and
buried here that the
area became known as
Shaheed Ganj and the
samadh named after
the most famous of
them, Bhai Taru
Singh Ji.
On the right (east)
of the gurdawara, is
an extended
courtyard, where
another square
structure is
located.
Comparatively simple
in character, and
topped by a dome on
an octagonal drum is
the samadh of Bhai
Dhanna Singh. The
enclosure is said to
have contained also
the samadh of Bhai
Mani Singh and Bhai
Gulzar Singh. They
were both followers
of Guru Cobind
Singh, while Mani
Singh, a poet of
repute, had composed
the Garanth of Guru
Gobind Singh in
Punjabi verse. The
gurus were publicly
executed in 1727 by
Mir Mannu, or Mir
Muinul Mulk—a Mughal
governor much
disliked by Sikhs
because of his harsh
treatment to their
leaders during his
viceroyalty.
Historian Latif
informs that a room
by the roadside
contained a large
copper pot filled
with liquid prepared
from bhang, which
was distributed
gratis to those
belonging to Sikh
religion. Ranjit
Singh who was a
regular visitor,
allocated a daily
grant for supply of
bhang and aim house,
as well as grants of
land in Lahore and
Amritsar for the
upkeep of the
shrines. According
to Kanahhiya Lal, a
well was also
located here which
was a source of
water supply for the
people of the area.
Kuri Bagh Tomb
On Edwardes Road,
close to the
Mausoleum of Mauj
Darya Bukhari, where
once Kapurthala
House was located,
was a garden known
as Kuri Bagh, or
'daughter's garden.'
The garden was sold
by Maharaja of
Kapurthala before
Independence and
converted into a
group of flats.
According to
historian Baqir,
even after the
construction of
flats, the name of
the garden was
popular among old
inhabitants.
Today, the name Kuri
Bagh is unknown;
however, there is a
building known as
Munshi Chambers,
which provides
access in its rear
to a yard containing
a tomb of Allard and
his daughter Marie
Charlotte. The
structure with its
distinctive Sikh
styled fluted cupola
is an important
monument of the
period, having been
built by a French
general in the army
of Maharaja Ranjit
Singh. According to
Latif, the tomb was
built by Allard for
his daughter in the
garden attached to
his house, which on
that account came to
be called Kuri Bagh
(Punjabi 'kuri'
means girl or
daughter). The tomb,
dating to 1827
carries the
inscription: "Cettc
tombe a cte
construite en 1827
sur I ordre du
chevalier general
Allard sahib bahadur
pour sa fille Marie
Charlotte auc dieu
lui aporte sa
benediction an
paradis."
Jean Francois Allard
(1785-1839) was one
of the European
adventurers employed
by Ranjit Singh to
train the Sikh
troops against the
growing threat of
the British East
India Company. He
had arrived at the
court of Ranjit
Singh in 1822 along
with Ventura, and
received a command
in the cavalry with
an annual fixed
salary of Rs.
50,000. Allard,
together with
Ventura, Court and
Avitabile, is
credited with
instilling a high
level of discipline
in Ranjit Singh's
troops—the brigades
commanded by them
were considered the
elite force of the
Khalsa (Sikh) army.
Always a favorite of
Ranjit Singh, on his
death Allard's body,
was brought with
full ceremonial from
Peshawar, with
salutes being fired
at every principal
station through
which the cortege
passed on its route.
On arrival at
Lahore, the three
mile stretch from
Shahdara to Anarkali
was lined with
troops who fired
minute guns during
the progress of the
body to its last
destination.
Chatti (Sixth)
Badshahi
Coming south from
Upper Mall on Temple
Road, just a little
beyond Safanwala
Chowk (the crossing
of Mozang Road and
Temple road) lies
this important Sikh
monument, for it is
here that the Sixth
Guru Hari Gobind,
the Chatawan Badshah
(the Sixth Badshah)
would occasionally
reside.
Temple Road is in
fact named after
this Sikh temple,
known also as Chatti
(Sixth) Badshahi in
local parlance. You
will need to make a
'U' turn if you are
traveling by car.
Temple road is quite
crowded and it may
be best to park the
car and walk across
to the doorway,
which is
distinguishable only
because there is a
flight of steps
leading up to it.
The Durbar Sahib (as
it is also referred
to by the Sikhs) can
be easily missed in
view of its being
hemmed in by shops
and lack of signage;
you will be well
advised to ask
somebody for the
exact location of
the Sikh Gurdwara
(temple). The niazar
of saint Shah Abu
lshaq Qadri
(popularly known as
Shah Abu) is in
close proximity, a
few steps south off
Temple Road, on the
same side as the
gurdwara.
A flight of steps
leads you up to a
platform,
approximately 6'
above the street
level, which
provides access into
a verandah and a
courtyard.
Across the courtyard
is a single storey
elongated concrete
structure which
houses the central
platform on which
the Holy Garanth is
placed during
prayers.
Although well
maintained, it
normally presents a
rather forlorn
appearance with only
a couple of
attendants on duty.
In the late 19th
century, Latif had
recorded the
festivity associated
with this temple
when on the sixth of
every month Sikhs
would assemble in
large numbers in
this
well-illuminated
building to
commemorate the
memory of the Sixth
Badshah, and Karah
Parshad (a kind of
sweetmeat) would be
distributed.
No doubt a similar
scene is witnessed
when a festival is
held from June 15 to
July 15, and the
Durbar Sahib is
visited by Sikhs
from all over the
world.
A tree, known
locally as 'Jandi'
can be seen on the
edge of the
courtyard where the
Sixth Badshah is
reputed to have
tethered his horse
whenever he resided
here.
Bhairon ka Than
Bhairon ka Than or
simply Mandir
Bhairostan, as it is
referred to locally,
was once an
important temple,
built during the
Sikh period.
Unfortunately, at
the time that Baburi
Masjid was
demolished in India,
enraged crowds in
Lahore did much
damage to this
temple. Today it is
somewhat difficult
to locate since it
is hidden behind
shops and new
constructions.
The temple is
located in the south
of Mozang. Although
it is approachable
from Multan Road
through Samanabad
there are too many
twists and turns,
and you might be
better off traveling
south on Temple Road
which connects
directly with
Ferozepur Road. You
will need to turn
right on Ferozepur
Road on a road known
as Shama Road (named
after Shama Cinema)
which leads to New
Mozang. From Shama
Road turn left on
Pir Ghazi Road
traveling towards
Icchra. Keep a
lookout for the
elongated pyramid
roof form of the
mandir, which will
appear on your left.
Although you can
climb the steps
leading up to the
roof of the mandir
from Pir Ghazi Road,
there is little to
see since the temple
is blocked from all
sides. If you wish
to experience some
of the original
environment of the
approach to the
mandir, you are
advised to alight at
the entrance to a
street, a little
before the conical
tower of the temple,
which leads into
Nishat Colony. A few
steps into the
street and you will
notice on your right
an impressive
Mughal-style gateway
which leads into a
courtyard through
which the mandir is
accessible.
This is likely to be
the Targe arched
gateway' which was
built, along with
some other
structures—which no
longer seem to be
extant—by Raja Lal
Singh, who had a
liaison with
Maharani Jindan, the
mother of the last
Sikh Maharaja Dulip
Singh.
Latif informs us
that the mandir was
a place of great
worship during the
Sikh Period. Huge
crowds would travel
to it myekkas and
carriages, many also
on foot, to pay
their respects to
the goddess Bhairon
Ji seeking her
blessings.
The temple had
acquired great
repute, when Moran,
Maharaja Ranjit
Singh's courtesan,
"being affected by
the shadow of a
demon, or evil
spirit, [and] Jawala
Nath, the Mahant of
the sacred Mandar,
the successor of
Vasti Ram, worked an
incantation or charm
upon her, and she
was cured."
In gratitude, Moran
(the same Moran who
built Masjid Moran
in the Walled City)
supplied cartloads
of bricks and
financed the
construction of many
'beautiful chambers'
here. However, the
building of the
mandir itself is
credited to Ram
Chand, brother of
Sanwan Mal, the
Nazim of Multan.
In the dilapidated
condition that the
mandir is found
today, where the
imposing gateway is
the only sign of its
earlier splendor, we
can only conjure up
the original temple
cluster in our
imagination. From
the description
provided by
historian Latif, the
place abounded in
imposing buildings:
a langar khana or
alms house, rooms
for pujaris, cells
for fakirs, houses
for the mahant,
along with houses
for grinding corn
and scores of other
structures. The
Bhairon Ji lamp was
lit day and night
and a large copper
bell, suspended from
the outer roof, was
continuously rung by
a string of devotees
arriving to pay
their respects.
The most exuberant
display of devotion
was during the month
of Bhadon, when a
great fair was
attended by
thousands of Hindu
disciples. A
whole-night vigil
was kept, singing
bhajans (sacred
songs) reciting the
sayings of the
pious, or narrating
the valorous deeds
of departed heroes.
Unfortunately, today
the rundown
buildings are under
multiple families'
occupation, and
encroachments have
taken place even
within the temple
buildings.
Old Gate in
Icchra
If you wish to see
an old gate in one
of the lanes of
Icchra, you will
need to travel south
on Pir Ghazi Road.
On Sri Naq Street, a
narrow lane on the
left (the same side
as Mandir Bairostan)
off Pir Ghazi
Street, and close to
Azam Chowk, is
located an old
gateway spanning the
street. Although the
gateway probably
belongs to the
late-Mughal or the
Sikh period, Icchra
itself is of great
antiquity. Latif
informs us that
tradition accords
the neighborhood of
Icchra with the
distinction of being
the site of
original, ancient
Lahore. The village
was then called
Icchra-Lahore, which
name appeared on old
documents and
sometimes on hundis
(local bills of
exchange).
Today, however,
there are few traces
to prove the
antiquity of the
area, most of the
structures being of
recent origin.Fort Monuments
The Walled City Monuments
The City Monuments
|
