Chauburgi

In the historic city of Lahore, on the road that led southwards to Multan, the Chauburji gateway remains of an extensive garden known to have existed in Mughal times. The establishment of this garden is attributed to Mughal Princess Zeb-un-Nissa, 1646 A.D., which appears in one of the inscriptions on the gateway. Zeb-un-Nissa was Emperor Aurangzeb’s eldest daughter: patron of the arts, poet, and a keeper of several lovers, according to rumours. Born in 1638 to Dilras Bano of the Persian Safavid dynasty, she was Aurangzeb’s close companion for several years. Loved by Aurangzeb, she was named carefully to reflect his station.

Plaque at the Maryam Zamani

Plaque at the Maryam Zamani or more popularly known Begum Shahi mosque. The year is 1313 Hijri more than a hundred years ago and all the proud protectors of faith the calligraphist, the financier and the Khateeb have left their names for posterity to remember.

Picture of the Day – Little Swimmers

Photo Credit: Waheed Khalid

City Record – Guru Mangat and Theh Pind

The stamp on the girder of the small railway underpass at ‘Workshop Chowk ‘ crossing in Gulberg gives its date as 1908 and the name of the bridge builders from Howrah. The railway line came much earlier but this opening must have been made later or replaced? in 1908.

Present day Gulberg was laid out in the 1950′s but the earlier settlements the two villages of Guru Mangat and Theh Pind continue to live in the footprint of their narrow winding layout within the grid iron layout of planned Gulberg. Perhaps the underpass was created for express service for movement to the cantonment from the villages or the cremation ground which was across the railway line.

Villages of Guru Mangat and Theh Pind from 1927 map of Lahore. Rifle range on right is just off the present day Jinnah flyover.

Bizzarre

The new suburban sprawl around Lahore offers not just housing for the middle class but also an imaginary new ‘developed’ lifestyle. They compete in gimmicks to attract the new middle class with trappings of grandeur and ‘modernity’. The Bahria town beats the rest with its theme park environment.

Bahria Town (Pvt.) Ltd. Lahore was established as a joint venture project of Bahria Foundation in January 1997. Spread over an area of more than 10,000 Kanals land, it has been devised by the renowned town planners, who conceived and established the highly reputed modern town schemes of Bahria Town. Awais from National College of Arts Lahore has captured some shots of this new neighborhood for the rich.

A photographer visits Lahore’s signature monuments

The set of pictures is by a Montreal based photographer Arif A. Khan. The Mughal period Badshahi and Wazir Khan mosques are the two most photographed places in Lahore but like the monuments that unfailingly capture the visitor the photographer too brings us a fresh perspective and appreciation of their grandeur.

A place to play

Children in Wazir Khan mosque Dehli Darwaza Lahore

Photograph by Arif Khan

A haircut

Photograph by Mohammed Ramzan

Baalan dey khed 2

Pithoo Gol Garam

Photograph by Aun

Baalan dey khed

_Photograph by Aun