The Upper Mall
Heritage
After viewing the
Town Hall, you could
drive east on the
Upper Mall, but in
view of the close
proximity of
buildings in this
group National
College of Arts
(Mayo School of
Art), Punjab Museum,
and Punjab
University (old
campus)—it might be
more enjoyable if
you parked your
vehicle near the
Town Hall or in
front of the
National College of
Arts and walked,
which would provide
a better feel of
these impressive
19th century
structures.
Zamzama or Kirn's
Gun
As you walk east on
the Upper Mall (Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam)
towards the National
College of Arts, an
object of much
historical interest
is the Zamzama—immortalized
by Rudyard Kipling
as Kirn's Gun—which
is placed on an
island in the middle
of the thoroughfare.
Cast in Lahore in
1757, the gun was
considered "terrible
as a dragon and huge
as a mountain," and
was "a destroyer
even of the
strongholds of
heaven." It was
fabricated on the
orders of the
'Conqueror of
Thrones' Ahmed Shah
Durrani (Abdali) by
prime minister Shah
Wali Khan, who
"called together a
number of master
workmen" until, as
the Persian
inscription notes,
with their
consummate skill,
"was cast this
wondrous gun
Zamzamah". Made out
of metal vessels
extracted from the
local Hindu
population of Lahore
as tribute, Ahmed
Shah employed it to
win the battle of
Panipat in 1761.
When returning to
Kabul, because of
its cumbersome size
and transportation
problems, Ahmed Shah
had to leave the
Zamzama gun in
Lahore in the
custody of his
Afghan governor,
Khwaja Ubaid. A year
later (in 1762),
along with other war
booty, the gun was
captured from Khwaja
Ubaid by Hari Singh
Bhangi—and was named
Bhangi Top after the
victor. First
quartered in the
Shah Burj in Lahore
fort until 1762, it
was taken to
Gujranwala Fort by
the Sukerchakia
chief Charat Singh,
who had claimed it
as his share in the
conquest of Lahore
from the other two
Sikh triumvirate
members. Several
wars later, and
after having done
the rounds of Ahmed
Nagar, Gujrat, Rasul
Nagar and Amritsar,
in 1802 the gun was
captured by Ranjit
Singh after he had
expelled the Bhangis
from Amritsar.
Considered a good
luck talisman by the
Sikh ruler, he
utilized it to win
many campaigns until
the gun was
seriously damaged in
the siege of Multan
in 1818. Declared
unfit for service it
was placed at the
Delhi Gate of
Lahore's Walled
City. According to
the 19th century
historian Latif, it
was moved to the
present location on
the occasion of the
visit of the Duke of
Edinburgh in
February 1870.
The present platform
was erected almost a
century later, when
the refurbished gun
was placed here in
1978, along with a
plaque which relates
its history compiled
by historian Dr. M.
Baqir.
National College
of Arts (Mayo School
of Art)
Opposite (south) of
Kirn's Gun and
framed by the
foliage of enormous
trees are located
two of the most
important
institutions that
the Punjab has to
offer—the National
College of Arts or
NCA, rated by some
as the finest art
institution in
Pakistan, and Lahore
Museum, ranked among
the most interesting
museums of the
country. These
buildings,
contiguous to each
other, house
institutions which,
for over a century
have admirably
served the province
indeed the
country—in the
promotion of culture
and the arts.
The first structure
of the cluster is
NCA with
architectural
contributions by
John Lockwood
Kipling, a strong
proponent of
Anglo-Mughal
architecture. They
are constructed in
attractive Lahori
red brick, and set
the architectural
direction for later
additions that the
college acquired
over the 20th
century.
The art school was
named Mayo School of
Art, since the cost
of its construction
was met by
subscriptions to the
Mayo Memorial in
memory of Viceroy
Lord Mayo (1869-72),
who was stabbed to
death by a prisoner
in the Andamans.
The school was
established as part
of the policy of the
Government to
promote education in
arts and crafts in
the subcontinent,
the first art
schools having been
established in the
presidency capitals
of Calcutta, Madras
and Bombay. Lockwood
Kipling, father of
the famous author
Rudyard, had taught
architectural
sculpture at Bombay
School of Art for
ten years before
arriving as
principal of the
Lahore School in
April 1875. Kipling,
considered the
father of Indian
arts and crafts, was
followed by Bhai Ram
Singh, another
eminent personality.
After independence
many dedicated
principals have
served this
institution but the
most outstanding was
Shakir Ali, whose
name is synonymous
with contemporary
art in Pakistan.
The original courses
followed the general
art curriculum of
European art schools
with the inclusion
of examples of
oriental
architecture, and
'principles of the
Indian design'.
Within a decade the
school earned a
well-deserved
reputation for the
promotion and
training of local
craft persons. In
the Gazetteer of
1884 Kipling noted,
"The Mayo School has
had a decided
influence on the
carpentry as well as
on other branches of
manufacture, such as
cotton prints, metal
work etc. This is
partly due to
objects actually
made in the school,
to designs and
suggestions given to
bazaar craftsmen,
and to its
connection with
exhibitions held in
Paris, Melbourne,
Lahore and Calcutta,
for which it has
acted as an agent.
Its aim is to recur
as much as possible
to the best types of
indigenous design,
and to make more
widely known the
actual state and
capabilities of the
arts of the
province."
The foundation stone
of the Kipling Block
(now the
administration
block) was laid on
January 3,1880 by
Prince Albert
Victor, and presents
an early example of
the utilization of
Mughal imagery.
Referred to as 'late
Mughal' style in
contemporary
accounts, its
construction was
supervised by a
famous engineer of
Lahore, Khan Bahadur
Ganga Ram, who later
became well known
for his
philanthropy. The
fountain in the
front of the main
entrance was
designed by Sirdar
Bahadur Bhai Ram
Singh, much admired
as a designer and
craftsman when
selected to decorate
a section of Queen
Victoria's Osborne
House. Kipling
utilized his crafts
and sculpture
background to
construct a
comparatively simple
but elegantly
detailed structure.
The beautifully laid
brick masonry of the
walls is terminated
at the roof with an
outer cornice of red
sand- stone, which,
historian Latif
informs, had been
obtained from Delhi.
If you wish to
experience a magical
world, you will need
to enter the lofty
fliwon-like Mughal
portal of the
college. Worth the
experience are the
administration
block, Zahoorul
Akhlaq Gallery,
(named after one of
the most brilliant
sons of the college,
who, along with his
gifted young
daughter, met an
untimely death in
recent times through
the hands of a mad
assassin), the
printmaking studio,
workshops and the
architectural block.
Some of the early
works of architect
Nayyar Ali Dada,
another famous
alumnus of the
college, are also
located in the
campus and are worth
visiting
The interlinked
spaces of the
college create a
world of their own,
a world of charm and
creativity, as if
Kipling had achieved
his goal of
insulating the
creative urges of
the future artists
from the harsh
reality of the outer
world. The ambiance
of the internal
courts with their
red brick arched
facades transports
you to a bygone era,
hard to replicate
anywhere else.
Lahore Museum,
Auditorium & Library
Contiguous to the
National College of
Arts, and located in
the museum compound
is a distinct
2-storey structure
containing an
auditorium and
library, which was
once referred to as
the Technical
Institute. This
building too is
built in red brick
and is part of the
original cluster of
Anglo-Mughal
buildings. The
ground floor is
utilized as an
auditorium while the
first floor houses
one of the finest
antiquarian
libraries in
Pakistan.
On the south, facing
the Mall, Lahore
Museum, commonly
referred to as the
ajaib ghar, one of
the most impressive
Anglo Mughal
edifices presents
itself in all its
glory.
The history of the
establishment of the
museum is traced
back to the first
industrial
exhibition held in
1864. The Lahore
Exhibition was part
of a series of
exhibitions being
organized at the
time in several
cities of British
India in the wake of
London's 1851 Great
Exhibition, which
had proved to be a
remarkable showcase
for the products of
the empire.
The exhibition hall
was built as a
temporary structure,
but continued to
serve various
functions until the
end of the 20th
century.
After the conclusion
of the exhibition, a
museum was
established in the
building displaying
a selection of
items. In 1882 the
museum artifacts
were shifted to
another temporary
building, between
the Mayo School and
Wazir Khan's
Baradari, and
significant
additions were made
to the collection.
In order to house
the growing
collection, a
building catering to
permanent display of
objects d'art became
essential.
The foundation stone
of the new museum
was laid by 'Prince
Albert Victor of
Clearance and
Avondale' in early
1890, and the
building was
completed in time to
hold the third
Punjab Exhibition in
December 1893.
The present
building, designed
by Lockwood Kipling
and Bhai Ram Singh,
became the first
structure especially
designed as a
museum, allowing
cool north light to
filter into the
museum galleries.
Bhai Ram Singh,
Vice-Principal of
Mayo School designed
the fountain in
front of the
building, and along
with students of the
Mayo School was
deeply involved in
the design and
execution of
internal decorative
features of the
museum.
Lahore Museum is one
of the most
remarkable museum
buildings in
Pakistan. Its grand
entrance, framed by
a white marble
portico provides the
accent to this
picturesque
Anglo-Mughal
ensemble. Although
not as decorative as
Aitchison College
main building nor
carrying its refined
and delicate brick
and terra-cotta
detailing, the
massing of the
composition is
exceedingly
impressive. This
architectural
edifice expresses
geometric purity in
its formation of
square corner
cube-like towers
surmounted by
handsome
hemispherical domes,
providing an
interesting
interplay of light
and shade in the
strong sun of the
Punjab. The contrast
of deeply shaded
voids against solid
elements presents a
dramatic view; and
the slightly
projecting portico
in white Nowshera
marble successfully
highlights a
crescendo of domes
and cupolas of the
red-brick structure.
Although built more
than a decade later,
the museum building
strives at
compatibility with
the school of art
through a similar
treatment of
repetitive lancet
arches on its side
wings which flank
the central piece de
resistance—the
portico entrance.
Internally, the
museum presents one
of the most exciting
architectural spaces
designed to set off
the valuable
displays. The museum
is as much a must in
view of its unique
collection as it is
for its
architectural
excellence.
Punjab University
Hall
Another one of the
fine educational
institutions that
Lahore seems to
abound in is the old
campus of Punjab
University, located
opposite Museum
building across the
Upper Mall Road.
Lahore Government
College,
established in 1863,
was followed by
several other
educational
institutions of
higher learning such
as Oriental College
(1865) and Forman
Christian College in
1866 . However, they
were all affiliated
with Calcutta
University.
Historian Latif
credits the efforts
of people of the
province in the
creation of Punjab
University, which
was the "result of
their desire for a
living and growing
system of education,
in the control and
direction of which
they may have a
share and which will
blend with the
ancient learning of
the country, and
make use of its
classical and
vernacular languages
as the media of
instruction."
The University began
its life as "the
Lahore University
College" and in 1869
came to be called
"the Panjab
University College."
The University was
formally constituted
on 14 October 1882,
and Charles
Aitchison, Lieut.
Governor of the
Punjab, appointed
the first chancellor
of the university.
By 1910, 10 colleges
had become
affiliated to the
university, many of
which were located
in its close
vicinity.
To view the
Anglo-Mughal style
Punjab University
Hall, designed by
Bhai Ram Singh, you
will need to enter
the gate which is
directly opposite
Lahore Museum.
Although not as
majestic as
Kipling's
Anglo-Mughal museum,
Punjab University
Hall is nevertheless
an impressive
structure. Belonging
to late-Anglo-Mughal
style—its foundation
stone was laid in
1905—the building
boasts lancet arches
and a profusion of
cupolas in varying
sizes. The
two-storey building,
now housing the
university's fine
arts department, is
designed in the
manner of Raj
buildings,
incorporating a deep
arcaded verandah
front. A heavy-set
clock tower, placed
above the projecting
porch or deorhi,
dominates the centre
as it rises well
above the main
structure and corner
towers. The square
portion of the tower
displays large
clocks on its four
sides, while its
last stage is
composed of an
octagonal clifton'-like
structure capped by
a dome terminated
with a finial. The
emphasis on the
outer extremities of
the building is
provided by corner
towers, which carry
similar domes. Each
bay of the verandah
is also defined by
decorative columns
terminating above
the parapet in the
form of towers
capped by small
cupolas. Its
reddish-pink hue,
though not as mellow
as the buildings
across the road,
blends well with the
surrounding
environment. Another
building, of later
vintage but of
similar Anglo-Mughal
characteristics, now
houses the pharmacy
department.
Placed between the
two imposing
structures, but
slightly set back is
a small, two-storey
structure built as
the Punjab
University Union
Society, begun in
1933 to mark the
jubilee celebrations
of the university.
The building is now
known as Woolner
Hall, named after a
dedicated teacher of
the university, who
rose from the
position of
registrar to being
its vice-chancellor.
This is the same
Alfred C. Woolner,
whose enormous
bronze statue on a
granite base adorns
the pavement outside
the university
campus.
Due to the pressure
of the rising number
of students and
affiliated colleges,
during the 1960s the
university, except
for a handful of
departments, was
shifted to a new
campus, spread over
10 square miles, on
a picturesque canal
bank site south of
the city
Tollinton Market,
1864
To the east of the
museum, across
Public Library
Road—so named
because of the
presence of Punjab
Public Library
housed in the Mughal
period Wazir Khan's
Baradari—is but a
shadow of once
remarkable
structure. As
mentioned earlier in
the section on
Lahore Museum, this
building was built
to house the first
important exhibition
of Punjab's arts and
crafts. Now much
dilapidated, its
survival has been a
matter of grave
concern even for
those sitting
thousands of miles
away. This building,
which once presented
a picture post card
view, is of great
significance in
tracing the urban
history of Lahore.
It was in this
exhibition hall, now
famous as Tollinton
Market, that the
first major
exhibition (1864) of
the produce and
products of the
province was held.
It later housed the
Punjab's museum
collection
consisting of
objects d'art, arts
and crafts and rare
finds.
The quaintness of
this picturesque
building was
captured in The
Illustrated London
News of May 14,1864.
The "Punjab
Exhibition of Arts
and Industry" was
opened by Lieut.
Governor Robert
Montgomery on
January 20, 1864.
The displays
included "shawls
from the looms of
Umritsar, carpets,
pictures, books and
illuminated
manuscripts and many
other specimens of
native workmanship."
The wares comprised
precious jewelry,
exotic dresses,
pashmina shawls and
carpets contributed
by wealthy sirdars
and jagirdars of the
Punjab, rare
manuscripts and
contemporary
calligraphic pieces,
a variety of
implements and a
wide range of
weapons including
jeweled scabbards,
hand-woven fabrics
of Multan, Batala
and Lahore,
Rawalpindi, Bhera,
Khushab etc.,
articles made from
steel, silver and
leather, huqah and
dishes etc. of
various metals,
minerals of all
kinds including
precious and
semi-precious
stones, al kinds of
fauna, animals and
birds and water
creatures such as
snakes and
alligators
taxidermed and
displayed
attractively in
glass boxes. Even
the big gun Zamzama
(described above in
this rahguzar) was
displayed there.
The original
building, modeled
after the prevalent
bungalow design,
utilized encircling
verandahs with
sloping tiled roofs
supported on simple
wooden posts. The
main exhibition
hall, with a length
of 112', rose above
the verandah roof,
its pitched roof
with gable ends,
sporting an array of
dormer windows for
bringing natural
light into the hall.
Two square towers
rose 12' above the
roof of the main
hall, supplementing
the natural light
entering the central
section of the hall.
The facade was
designed to express
the wooden structure
of the building
consisting of posts
and a sloping roof
fabricated with
wooden trusses,
while internally
brick walls were
used to support the
trusses. To
introduce a feeling
of unlimited space,
these walls were
punctuated by a
multitude of pointed
arch openings,
around which
displays in the form
of stalls were
arranged.
For the once modest
collection housed in
this remarkable
piece of early
British
architecture, a
grand Anglo-Mughal
museum (1893) was
built three decades
later.
After the transfer
of the museum
collection, the
building was handed
over to Lahore
Municipal Committee.
In the 1920s the
building was
remodeled as a
market by the famous
municipality
engineer, Rai
Bahadur Sir Ganga
Ram, and became
known as Tollinton
Market, after H.P.
Tollinton, Secretary
Punjab Government.
For decades, it
served the city well
as a market,
accommodating small
stalls stocking a
variety of daily
provisions.
The recent proposals
for the building's
rehabilitation and
restoration have
been welcomed by
conservationists. In
view of the images
available from
publications such as
The Illustrated
London News, it is
altogether feasible
to reconstruct the
entire structure,
and thus preserve
this valuable
footstep of history.
G.P.0.,1905
Driving in the
easterly direction,
on the same side of
the road as
Tollinton Market,
the slightly curving
Upper Mall reveals a
beautifully
modulated facade,
prominent because of
its mellow, red
brick Roman-arch
arcading.
The General Post
Office, with its
commanding presence
on the Mall is among
the most important
landmarks of the
city. Its location
at the corner of two
major roads—the
Upper Mall and Nabha
Road (earlier Church
Road)—has dictated
its unusual
trapezoidal 'V plan
form.
It is significant
not only because of
its special
architectural
character but also
because of its key
role in initiating
Lahore's
conservation
movement and the
rejuvenation of its
British-period
architecture.
A general post
office, which has
long since
disappeared, was
among the first
British buildings to
be built after the
annexation of the
Punjab. Of 1849
vintage, it was
sited in an area
close to Lahore
Museum. The exact
date of construction
of the present GPO
building has been
difficult to
determine. The
Punjab Gazetteer of
1916 mentions 1905
as its date of
construction, which
would make it a
worthy contemporary
of Bhai Ram Singh's
Punjab University
Hall. But Dr. Saifur
Rahman Dar, Curator
of the Punjab
Museum, {Leader in
Conservation
Movement, published
by the Heritage
Foundation Pakistan,
1996), dates the
building belonging
to the mid 1890s.
The first
British-period
building in Lahore
to be restored, GPO
Lahore underscored
the necessity of
documentation and
conservation of
historic
architecture in the
city's downtown
area. During the
mid-1970s, the
original brickwork
of the GPO had been
mutilated—the
application of color
crating having
destroyed its
original features,
resulting in an
anonymous and
non-descript
prospect.
An outbreak of fire
in the early 1980s
in one of structures
in the compound
spurred a debate
within the Postal
Department
concerning its
demolition, and the
construction of a
multistory building
in place of the
defaced historic
structure. When
consulted, the
Heritage Foundation
became the catalyst
for restoring the
original historic
building to its
former glory. The
refurbished building
is the result of the
close collaboration
of Pakistan Post
Office with the
Heritage Foundation
in order to rebuild
the original
features. Only one
photograph of the
building could be
located, which,
along with a few
remnants of molded
brick found in the
rear of the
building, formed the
basis of the
facade's
rehabilitation.
The rhythm of
repetitive Roman
arch arcading on
both the road and
courtyard aspects
lends the facade a
graceful demeanor.
The cadence to the
centre of the Mall
Road facade has been
achieved due to a
triangular pediment,
while in the lower
section of ground
floor arches deep
grooves dividing the
masonry into
sections gift it
with an imitation of
Georgian-style stone
courses.
The facade on Nabha
Road sports a deorhi
or porch, which was
probably a later
addition. The centre
of each face—the two
long wings with the
junction acting as
the main
entrance—has
central, slightly
jutting out sections
surmounted by
triangular
pediments.
The corners and ends
of the building are
defined by octagonal
towers which rise
above the two-storey
linear wings and are
capped by cupolas.
The main tower is
located at the
junction of the two
wings and rises well
above the corner
towers as an
enormous battered
element. The tower
is crowned by a
large hemispherical
dome, defined by
buttress-like
elements, it carries
enormous clocks on
four sides.
The ensemble with
classical roots has
been entirely
refurbished, and is
worth a visit. You
can walk to the rear
where a compatible
new wing encloses
the 'V shaped
courtyard, providing
a feeling of
enclosure and
protection from new
buildings that have
been constructed on
the building's
boundaries during
the last couple of
decades.
A place worth
noticing in the
vicinity is an
Anglo-Mughal
edifice, situated
across Nabha Road
(Church Road) from
the GPO. This is
Shah Chiragh
Chambers which has
recently been
refurbished. The
building is named
after the celebrated
saint Shah Chiragh,
who lies buried on
an eminence, at the
rear of the
chambers. Although
taken up for
restoration a decade
and a half after the
GPO, it is a worthy
effort and a step in
the right direction.
Punjab High
Court, 1882-1889
Returning to the
Upper Mall, as you
proceed southeast,
another awesome
building, the Punjab
High Court presents
itself. Set well
back from the road,
this formidable
imperial structure
was built to
underscore the
importance that the
erstwhile rulers of
the subcontinent
accorded to law and
justice
In 1866 a modest
chief court for the
Punjab was
established, though
by the late 1870s,
the need for a
special Court
building had become
evident. The
location and design
of the new building
were finalized
subsequently and
foundations laid
during 1882-83. Due
to a paucity of
funds construction
work was stalled for
some time. Although
the court began to
function in the new
building in late
1887, the building
was finally
completed in 1889 at
a cost of Rs.
4,19,724.
Contemporary
accounts describe
the design of the
building as
Tndo-Saracenic' and
correctly predicted
that it would turn
out to be a
significant
architectural
ornament of the
province. No doubt
19th century
historian Latif
expressed the
sentiments of
Lahorites when he
noted that the
building harmonized
"admirably with the
ancient monuments,
history, and
atmosphere of
Lahore."
Following the trend
of Anglo-Mughal
architecture that
was sweeping the
subcontinent at the
time, the Chief
Court was among the
first major
Anglo-Mughal
structures in the
Punjab—others being
Kipling's Mayo
School of Art, the
Punjab Museum and Aitchison College.
In view of the
pressure of
nationalist
movements and the
interest of Lord
Napier, Governor of
Madras (1866-1872),
in the architecture
of the Muslim world,
Madras became the
first city to
acquire an 'Indo-Saracenic'
building, namely R.F.
Chisholm's
University Senate
House (1874-79).
Thus it is not
surprising to find
Latif attributing
the design to "Brossington,
a skilfull
architect," likely
to be J.W.
Brassington,
consulting architect
of Madras.
The building has a
courtyard with a
fountain as its
central feature
creating an oasis
for counteracting
the intense heat of
the Punjab. The east
and west wings of
similar
architectural
character flank the
central block,
augmenting its
impressive facade by
forming a 'U'
forecourt.
Interestingly, at
the time arrangement
was also made for
carriages to enter
the inner courtyard,
through an entrance
in the south wing,
close to the English
and Persian record
rooms.
Set in generous
grounds, the
majestic High Court
dominates this
stretch of
Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam
(the Upper Mall).
Handsomely
proportioned the
building profile is
terminated with
pitched roofs and
gable ends. The
central part is
accented with a high
porch, behind which
rise two
bastion-like 95'
tall towers, which
incorporate central
fluted portions
modeled after the
Kutub Minar at
Delhi, and
terminated with
corner kiosks topped
with white marble
cupolas on the
pattern of Mughal
domed kiosks. The
central gable-like
front, which spans
the space between
two massive towers,
carries the emblem
of justice, the
tarazoo (scales of
justice), carved in
white marble and set
within exposed brick
masonry. The roof
edge is surmounted
by an arcaded
curtain wall of
white Nowshera
marble.
The structure is
built of neatly laid
brick masonry, with
cornices and
projections etc.
composed of
specially molded
bricks. The white
Nowshera marble is
employed to add a
dramatic accent to
the pink brick hue
in the form of
cupolas, elegant
arcading, edgings to
arched openings, and
finely carved
lattice for
filtering the strong
sunlight of the
Punjab.
The combination of
white Nowshera
marble and molded
brickwork was also
popularized by
Kipling, as
witnessed in Lahore
Museum.
Although no longer
extant, the enormous
space between the
High Court building
and the main road
was once dominated
by a bronze statue
of Lord John
Lawrence, the first
Lt. Governor of the
Punjab.
Cathedral Church,
1885
Seen across the
Shaharah-Quaid-e-Azam
(the Upper Mall)
from the High Court,
is a contemporary
stained glass tower
which marks the
entrance to one of
the most important
neo-Gothic buildings
of the city—the
impressive Cathedral
Church of the
Resurrection.
The cathedral is set
well back from the
road, but you will
enjoy walking up the
long drive, full of
old trees and
wonderful ambiance.
You will admire the
residence of the
bishop, the well
maintained quaint
bungalow, which adds
to the 19th century
aura of the place.
The sprawling
compound, containing
the looming towers
of the cathedral,
provides a haven in
the middle of the
bustle of downtown
Lahore.
The story of the
establishment of the
Anglican Church in
the Punjab can be
traced to the first
chapel that was set
up in Lahore Fort,
in the once
sumptuous
Diwan-e-Khass of
Emperor Shahjahan
with the altar
occupying the
eminent position
once reserved for
the most celebrated
of the Great
Mughals.
Once the Punjab had
been brought fully
under subjugation, a
church was
established in
another historic
building, the Tomb
of Anarkali—the
tragic heroine of
the famous romance
between the
beautiful court
attendant and the
Mughal prince Salim,
later Emperor
Jahangir. As the
ruling population in
the city grew—the
number of local
Christians also
increasing due to
the efforts of
missionary
organizations—it
became essential to
move from the
limited space of the
tomb to a specially
designed cathedral.
Also, after the
laying out of the
Upper Mall and the
shifting of Anarkali
Cantonment to Mian
Mir, Anarkali's tomb
became redundant due
to its location and
small size.
By this time Lahore
had emerged as the
hub of several
railway lines, and
the city grew
rapidly due to an
influx of British
administrators and
experts arriving to
administer the
province as well as
the railways.
Accordingly, a site
was chosen on high
ground that lay
between the Upper
Mall and Mcleod
Road. The Upper Mall
provided easy
accessibility from
the civil station of
Anarkali in north
west and Government
House and Mian Mir
Cantonment in the
south and southeast,
and Mcleod Road
linked the Railway
Station and Railway
Colony established
at Naulakha in the
northeast.
Although the
foundations of the
cathedral had been
sunk, the work was
stopped in December
1867 when the Punjab
was constituted a
separate diocese. It
was decided to
enlarge the building
into a "larger
church fitted as a
cathedral, with
library, chapter
house, etc." Oldrid
Scott, the son of
the celebrated
architect Gilbert
Scott whose
neo-Gothic exploits
had become the rage
of London and
Bombay, was
commissioned to
design the new
cathedral. The work
was carried out in
an unusual
combination of fine
brickwork and grey
stone which was
procured from the
Taraki quarries
beyond Jheulm.
The church designed
in "decorated early
English style" has a
footprint 226' in
length and 152' in
breadth. Although it
was only partially
completed, it began
to be used in 1885,
while its two large
saddleback western
towers, were
completed much
later.
The two Norman
towers guarding the
main entrance once
carried tall
steeples, which were
taken down for
safety reasons after
the earthquake of
1911. Both the
weathercock and the
lantern tower that
it topped are no
longer extant;
however, the name
Kukkar Girja
(Rooster Cathedral)
that it is referred
to in local parlance
survives.
It is worth entering
the portals of the
magnificent church
to experience its
lofty and impressive
interior. The
windows of the
ambulatory and
ladies chapel
exhibit some of the
best specimens of
stained glass of the
period, the most
impressive of which
is the rendering of
the Madonna and
Child.
Mercantile
Structures
Traversing
Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam
(the Upper Mall)
once again, we find
that the stretch
between this
crossing and Regal
Chowk carries
several historically
important buildings.
The next historic
structure,
Victoria's Marble
Pavilion, is located
at some distance
near the crossing
known as Charing
Cross. However, the
walk on the slightly
winding Upper Mall
is extremely
pleasant especially
if you keep a look
out for interesting
mercantile
structures, which
are still extant and
are located on both
sides of this
important
thoroughfare, amidst
several new
developments.
These buildings
built by the native
merchant princes
represent the late
19th and early 20th
century prosperity
of the local
mercantile class. It
is the eclectic mix
of different styles
which is
fascinating.
Referred to as
'imperial
vernacular' by Y.
Lari, these
buildings carry an
interesting medley
of European and
local imagery, and
were built by the
rising mercantile
community of the
subcontinent.
On the two sides of
the historic Upper
Mall, you will
notice Dawar
building (41, The
Mall), Dhoni Chand
Building (38, The
Mall), Jan Muhammad
Building (34-35, The
Mall) with its
distinctive end
cupolas. Sir Ganga
Ram Building built
by the famous Lahore
philanthropist,
Diyal Sing Mansion
laid out around a
horseshoe space, the
building presently
occupied by National
Distributors, Ahmad
Mansions (49, The
Mall) with its clock
tower, and the
impressive Ghulam
Rasool Building, its
long facade
dominated by a
central cupola
tower.
Some of these
buildings are now
being taken up for
restoration by the
local administration
and it is hoped that
soon The Mall will
be able to regain
some of its old
glory.
Roman Catholic
Cathedral
Another important
piece of
architecture in the
vicinity is the
Roman Catholic
Cathedral, which is
accessed from Hall
Road—a street that
branches out to the
south from Regal
Chowk. Situated in
sprawling grounds,
landscaped with
large trees,
plantation and
shrubbery, the
cathedral is an
interesting
combination of
spires, towers, and
a large cupola
juxtaposed against
each other. It is
worth making a
detour to take in
this remarkable
edifice.Old Anarkali Buildings
The Upper Mall Heritage
Charing Cross Group
Miscellaneous
Imperial Edifices
G.O.R. & Cantonment Buildings
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