Mochi & Akbari
Gates Guzargah
 The route linking
Mochi and Akbari
gates has been
developed for the
ease of traversing
the bazaars related
to the two gates.
You can begin your
tour from Mochi Gate
and continue through
the area known as
Undroon Akbari Gate,
exiting through
Akbari Gate to
Circular Road.
Mochi & Akbari
Gates
From the previous
route, Guzargah 5,
Shahalmi Gate II, if
you proceed further
on Bazaar Sadakaran,
it leads you to
Mochi Gate, a gate
in name only. Just
before reaching
Mochi Gate, on the
right (west) a
street known as
Bazaar Kamangaran
leads you to
Shahalmi Bazaar.
Another street from
the same junction
provides access to
Dhal Mohallah, a
residential area,
where Masjid Bakkan
Khan is located,
while another narrow
street leads to a
cul-de-sac where the
shrine of Hazrat
Shah Hasan Wall
Shaheed is located.
Returning to Bazaar
Sadakaran in the
direction of Mochi
Gate, at the
junction with Mochi
Gate Bazaar, and
opposite Masjid/
Madrassah Bilal, is
situated the famous
Masjid Muhammad
Saleh Kamboh.
You may wish to
proceed south to
view the beginning
of Mochi Gate, where
the shrine of Pir
Murad Shah is
located on the east.
The journey to the
gate may however, be
disappointing—a
congested and
overcrowded area
full of all manner
of encroachments. As
mentioned earlier,
in the absence of a
gateway, the name
signifies the
location where the
gate once was. The
gate is reported to
have been in a
decrepit state
during the Sikh
Period and was
demolished when the
fortification wall
was scaled down by
the British.
However, unlike some
other gateways, it
was never rebuilt.
As mentioned earlier
Mochi itself is a
corruption of 'moti'
(pearl), and the
gate is named after
a mansabdar of Akbar
named Moti Ram, who,
being incharge of
security, resided at
the gate.
Mochi Gate, once
reputed to harbour
the toughs of the
area, is now a
special place for
its speaciality
offerings—khatai
cookies made of
semolina and flour,
paithay ki mithai (sweatmeat
made of pumpkin) and
the legendary sweet
barfi.
Returning once again
to the crossing you
should take the
turning northeast
which is a
continuation of
Mochi Gate Bazaar.
This stretch of
Mochi Gate Bazaar
houses one of the
most interesting
bazaars, and a
reminiscent of the
fascinating wares
that were once
displayed in almost
all the bazaars of
the Walled City.
This is the place
containing an
abundant display of
colourful kites,
reels of kite string
(dor) and
firecrackers,
promoting a pastime
that has made Lahore
famous. The kite
festival draws
visitors from
Pakistan and abroad
alike to relish the
festivities of
kite-flying, nowhere
better witnessed
than the Walled City
itself.
Mochi Gate Bazaar
winds its way into
Bazaar Lal Khoo (Red
Well Bazaar)—named
after the well
associated with the
fifth Sikh Guru
Arjun Mal mentioned in Guzargah Shahalmi
Gate II. At
the junction of
Bazaar Lal Khoo and
Mochi Gate Bazaar,
on the left (west)
is found the famous
sweetmeat shop
called Rafiq Sweet
House, as well as
kabab shops offering
traditional Lahore
fare.
As you proceed
northeast you will
find yourself in Lal
Khoo/Baili Walli. On
your right (east) is
located the
interesting red
decorative
structure, known as
Mai Baili
Wall!—although not a
grave but a sitting
place of Mai Baili—much
revered by people of
the area.
At Masjid Lal Khoo,
if you take a
turning to the left
(north-west) you
will arrive in
Mughal Haveli
Mohallah. When you
reach the junction
known as Qazi Khana
Street, you have
arrived at one of
the most important
localities of the
area. This is the
focus of all
activity during the
month ofMoharram. A
turning to the left
(south-west) at
Ghulam Ali Khan
Imambarah will lead
you to a small open
courtyard which
contains the shrine
of Pir Aziz Shah,
defined by an
enclosure. Jamia
Masjid Qazi Khana,
after which the
crossing is known,
is located a little
further down. If you
proceed southwest on
Qazi Khana Street,
you will arrive once
again at Bazaar
Sadakaran that you
earlier traversed as
part of Guzargah 5,
Shahalmi Gate II.
Returning to Qazi
Khana junction, on
your left (northwest
& northeast) is
situated Mohallah
Shian, which
contains several
institution
buildings owned and
managed by community
members belonging to
Shiite sect: e.g.
Hussainiya Hall,
Jamia Fazlia Hayat
ul Quran, Jamia
Masjid Shian
Kashmirian.
It is from Qazi
Khana junction that
Zul-Jinnah, during
the night of 9th and
10th of Muharram, is
taken out in a
procession. Along
with beautiful,
decorative
structures called
tazias, the
procession
consisting of large
numbers of young and
old mourners,
zigzags through the
streets of Mohallah
Shian, proceeding
towards Chowk Nawab
Sahib (southeast),
and traverses across
almost the entire
Walled City. It
moves north
proceeding via Wazir
Khan mosque, takes
east west route via
Chowk Kotwal,
Kashmir! and Dabbi
Bazaars, past
Sonehri Masjid,
Hatta Bazaar, Chowk
Surjan Singh, Pani
Walla Talab, Kali
Beri Lange Mandi
Bazaar and Shahi
Mohallah Bazaar. It
turns south at
Novelty Chowk on
Tehsil Road and
proceeds south on
Tibbi Bazaar, past
Fakir Khana on
Bazaar Hakiman and
Bhati Gate Bazaar,
terminating on the
evening of 10th
Muharram outside
Bhati Gate, across
Circular Road at
Karbala Gamay Shah.
Chowk Nawab Sahib is
a place which still
carries the flavour
of the historic
quarter, and it is
worth spending a
little time here to
examine historic
structures, which
are still extant.
If you turn left
(west) into a small
lane, it will lead
you to Kucha Pir
Gilanian, named
after a family of
Gilani Syeds that
resided there. A
small haveli which
belonged to a
descendant, Pir
Asharaf Ali, still
survives and is said
to be the venue at
which after the
celebrations at the
shrine of Lal
Hussain and Madho
(see Sufi Rahguzar), musical
gatherings used to
take place, and
where in 1920s, the
world-famous
vocalist Nur Jahan,
when still a young
girl and named Allah
Wasai, was
discovered.
Chowk Nawab Sahib is
also the place where
streets radiate in
different
directions: to the
southwest a street
leads to Mochi Gate
via Lal Khoo Bazaar;
to the west the
street connects with
Mohallah Shian (on
which you have just
traversed); in the
north is the
Lakarmandi Bazaar on
which important
extant havelis
Mubarak Haveli &
Nisar Haveli, two
adjacent havelis are
located.
Mubarak Haveli is of
significance as the
residence of the
deposed Afghan ruler
Shah Shuja when in
exile. This is the
mansion that
Maharaja Ranjit
Singh visited and
where Shah Shuja was
forced to give up
the famed Kohinoor
diamond. The
diamond, as part of
the booty
surrendered to the
British crown, was
sent to Queen
Victoria, and now,
although much
reduced in size,
forms part of the
British Crown
Jewels. No doubt
this area, along
with Mughal Haveli
Mohallah was once
the locality where
the elite of the
city resided.
Close to Mubarak
Haveli, as you
proceed north along
Lakarmandi Bazaar
through a street
leading west to
Mohallah Chillah
Bibian, is situated
the shrine of a
famous 13th century
saint of the
Naqshbandi silsila,
Syed Ahmad Tokhta
Tirmizi.
Take a turning right
(east) from Lakar
Mandi Bazaar into
Mohallah Chauhattan,
and you will arrive
at Nurian Bazaar,
where a 'U' turn
will take you in a
southerly direction.
This Mohallah
Chauhattan or Pour
Big-shops (chan=4
hatta=b\g shops),
has several brick
structures with
extended platforms
for sitting,
providing generous
spaces for the
interaction of
people. In this
narrow bazaar you
will find several
mosques and shrines
along the way,
demonstrating the
significance of
religious ritual in
the everyday life of
the residents— the
mosques are
well-used, and at
the shrines candles
are lit regularly,
and flower petals
showered, along with
offerings of quiet
prayer. As you
travel south you
will notice Bilal
Masjid on your right
(west), past which
on your left (east)
is situated Akbari
Gate Bazaar. This
bazaar leads you to
Akbari Gate and the
Circular Road. No
gate now exists at
the entrance and the
bazaar itself is
wide enough for
tongas to
enter—carrying not
only passengers but
also loads to the
mandi (market).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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