Kashmiri & Masti Gates
Guzargah
This 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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