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The Walled City Rahguzar
Places to Visit >> Major Cities & Towns >> Lahore
Kashmiri & Masti Gates Guzargah

Kashmiri & Masti GateThis route has been devised to take you past the monuments and bazaars related to Kashmir! and Masti Gates.

Traveling west from Sheranwala Gate you will arrive at Kashmir! Gate, which is also approachable from Circular Road skirting the northern periphery of the Walled City. This gateway also dates from the British Period and has a similar architectural character as the Bhati Gate. A lofty pointed archway is flanked by solid portions on either side which are divided into panels in the Mughal manner. Although constructed with brick masonry, it has been painted.

Kashmiri & Masti Gates

Traversing Kashmiri Gate Bazaar, composed of a variety of small shops, you arrive at Chuna Mandi Chowk—an area consisting mainly of contemporary buildings.

The streets radiating from the chowk lead in five different directions. If you take the narrow Kotwali Walla Bazaar in a southeasterly direction, you will find on the right (west) a Sikh holy place 'Gurdwara Janam Asthan Sri Guru Ram Das jee'. If you wish to go to Azam Cloth Market in search of a variety of fabrics, you could take any of the turnings to the right (southwest) from Kotwali Walla Bazaar.

From Kotwali Walla Bazaar if you turn left (north) before Mohallah Buzurg Shah, you will be in Wehrah Tellian. If you would like to go to Pakistan Cloth Market, another large market for fabrics, for shopping (this is also mentioned in Sheranwala Gate Guzargah), you should turn right (east) after Mohallah Buzurg Shah. Going past the wazoar of Baba Shaikh NabiBukhsh, Wehrah Tellian leads to a street known as Bangia Ayub Shah, at the junction of which stands Jamia Masjid Muhammadi. Turning left (west) into Bangia Ayub Shah, you will be able to return to Chuna Mandi Chowk.

The fourth street leading northwest from the chowk is named Chuna Mandi Bazaar and leads via Undroon Masti Gate Bazaar to Masti Gate. You might find a more interesting route to Masti Gate if you follow the street leading west from Chuna Mandi Chowk known as Shisha Moti Bazaar (also known as Jamadar Gali), on which is located the Government Fatima Jinnah College for Women (sometimes known as Nawaz Sharif College), and leads to Chowk Moti Bazaar. The college is actually the largest of a cluster of havelis known as Chuna Mandi Havelis, a significant group of historic buildings in the Walled City.

The College building, with its spacious courtyard and Sikh imagery, sometime thought to be the famous haveli or Palace of Raja Dhian Singh, the young Rajput chamberlain of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, but is more likely to be the Palace of Jamadar Khushal Singh (d. 1844). Khushal Singh was a humble doorkeeper who later rose to the exalted position of Lord Chamberlain of Ranjit Singh. Khushal Singh may well have built upon earlier Mughal remains. The large expanse of the compound and existence of a garden, along with some other pre-Sikh remains, indicates the existence of a large Mughal mansion. This could be the palace of Asaf Khan, brother of Empress Nur Jahan and father-in-law of Shahjahan. Yaminuddawla, the title bestowed by Shahjahan, was an arbiter of taste, and historical sources credit him with building a luxurious palace in Lahore which had cost an exorbitant 20 lakhs at the time. Another haveli in the group, located in the north, also sports a courtyard. It was built by Teja Singh, nephew of Jamadar Khushal Singh. The third extant structure, located on the east of the cluster is considerably smaller in size.

Not long after British annexation, the palace was fitted up as the first place of public worship for the Christian garrison stationed in the fort, and continued to be utilized as such until the tomb of Anarkali began to be employed for divine service in 1851. At this time the palace served as Government District School. Later, as is well known. Government College made its beginning in this building when classes were begun by the first principal of the College, Dr. G. Leitner on January 1,1864.

It was in 1877, when the new college campus was constructed that the palace was vacated.

From the chowk if you turn left (south) into Moti Bazaar, going past the mazars of Hazrat Khizr Shah Bukhari and Lal Shah Wall tucked into a narrow street on the right (west) it will lead you to the famous Chowk Surjan Singh, mentioned under Guzargah 5, Shahalmi Gate II. However, going straight (west) from the chowk you are led into Bazaar Barood Khana.

Just before the City Cinema, to the left (south) of the street is situated today the most famous haveli of all—Haveli Mian Muhammad Yousuf Salahuddin The haveli has been lovingly restored by the owners and has been instrumental in promoting the celebration of basant, the festival of spring, and related feverish activity of kite flying for which Lahore has become a regional centre. It is a haveli worth visiting.

If you continue on the same street you will be able to reach Shahi Mohallah Bazaar which leads directly to Roshnai Gate.

However, in order to see one of the most spectacular and the earliest extant mosque of Mughal Period, located near Masti Gate, you should retrace your footsteps into Bazar Barood Khana, and from Chowk Moti Bazaar turn left (north) into Masti Gate Bazaar.

The bazaar is among the most interesting, displaying a multitude of articles—from bangles to shoes, bags, apparel and all kinds of items of daily use. To the left (west) of the bazaar is situated the stunning Begam Shahi or Maryam Zamani Mosque (for details see Mughal Rahguzar). Although there is no gateway, the area is known as Masti Gate, and the road leads to Circular Road.

Taksalee & Bhati Gates Guzargah

Mori & Lohari Gates Guzargah

Shahalmi Gate 1 & 2 Guzargah

Mochi & Akbari Gates Guzargah

Dehli & Yakki Gates Guzargah

Sheranwala Gate Guzargah

Kashmiri & Masti Gates Guzargah

Roshni Gate Guzargah

 
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