Fatehgarh Gardens that is no more

25-08-2018

As the eldest in my family, I had awesome adventures traveling with my grandparents when I was young. We visited Fatehgarh in Lahore a lot, where one of my grandfather's brothers lived in the 1980s. Their house was close to Fatehgarh Garden, which my grandpa said used to be an old Mughal garden. 

These beautiful Mughal gardens used to be in Fatehgarh. Sadly, they're not around anymore as a whole, but you can still spot pieces of them in some houses and buildings in Fatehgarh today. There were two main gardens there.

The first one, much bigger, was made during Jahangir's or Shah Jahan's time. It was huge, with a square shape and an extension on one side. Some parts of its walls and towers are still standing, but most of it got lost as new buildings came up. It had a fancy entrance in the middle of one wall, which was quite special. There used to be a cool building called a baradari, but it's not there anymore.

The second garden, smaller, is said to have been made by Dara Shaikoh. It had a tall entrance on one side and a fantastic building called a baradari in the middle, surrounded by a pool. The entrance and the baradari had beautiful paintings on them. Outside one of the walls, there was a big well that gave water to the garden. Some parts of the entrance from this garden are still in a house in the area.

In one corner, there's a round base with a grave on it. It used to have its original colors, but now it's changed with tiles added. People around there say it's the grave of a saint named Syed Peer Charagh Ali Shah, who they think lived over four hundred years ago. But when I visited recently, I saw that the area is mostly taken over by drug users who messed up the remaining parts and changed the look of the base. It looks more like a tomb now. Also, a part of the garden wall is within the area of the Syed Peer Charagh Ali Tomb.

The left left pedestal converted into shrine

 

The last left part of Garden wall 

Pedestal in original Shape and colour  2015,  picture credit Kashif Ghurki

                               

Pedestal in original Shape and colour  2015,  picture credit Kashif Ghurki

Brick wall constructed over old bricks foundation of garden

Curious Drug Additcts

Bardari that is no more,  Picture source 

Old picture picture source Lahore city of Garden

Shrine Compound

Old picture of Baradari that is no more 

The SS Jan Hall lahore

April 07, 2013

The SS jain hall stone laid by Shrimiti Sukh Devi Jain in 1940 In 1940, the total population of the Municipality of Lahore was 671,659, out of which Muslims constituted a majority of 64.50 per cent. Except for a small Christian community and some individuals from other minor groups, the rest were Hindus and Sikhs who together made up 36 per cent of the population. Jainism traditionally known as Jaina dharma, is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. It is one of the oldest religions of the world finding its roots in ancient India.Tradition says that this belief has been preached by a succession of twenty-four propagators of faith known as tirthankara. Jainism emphasises spiritual independence and equality between all forms of life. Practitioners of this religion believe that non-violence and self-control is the means by which they can obtain liberation from the cycle of reincarnations. The SS Jain hall located in premises of Tehsil Bazaar, androon lahori gate Lahore. Jains performed there religious activities and gatherings here. The roof of hall is at least 20 ft high. In center of rear wall wooden symbol of Genism is placed .Inside the building there is still remains of a mandit for performing marriages at that time. There are also scripts in hindi languages written on walls. The current situation of structure is in extreme bad condition. All the ground floor occupied and houses are constructed. Only the middle portion of building standing which covered in dust.

Foggy Night, ‘Lost’ and then ‘Found’ at Shrine of Hazrat Bahudin Zakirya

The fog surrounding the area

2017

The whole Punjab was blanketed under thick layers of smog and fog.  The evening was getting darker, and the first hint of winter hang in the air. I was standing with my friends outside the shrine of Hazrat Bhudin Din Zakriya in Multan. 

This place is usually crowded with devotees throughout the day, but at that time it was almost empty, even the shoes collectors were gone.

Foggy Night

Due to fog, the tomb was getting difficult to visible from the naked eye.  I had visited this tomb many times before, but that night the mood of this place was totally different. There was an ambiance of tranquility in the air. I was dropping down in the Deep Ocean of silence; I wanted to be alone at that time, I moved away from my friends and saw them leaving the premises of the shrine from a distance.

The fog was getting thicker and thicker that I could only see myself. There was feeling started that  I got lost in a foggy world. The illusion of time past, present, and future all exist together.  Suddenly, a precognitive dream started running in front of my eyes the whole tomb surrounding turned dark.  A state of fear triumphed over me; I started moving fast towards the tomb. As I entered inside and stand close to the grave of Hazrat Bahudin Zakria electricity shut down happened and the place almost turned black.

light shut down 

Humanity has been attempting to commune with the dead since ancient times. As far back as Leviticus, the Old Testament god actively forbade people to seek out mediums. The interest peaked in the 19th century, a time when religion and rationality were clashing like never before. In an era of unprecedented scientific discovery, some men of religion began to seek evidence for their beliefs. I questioned myself have you sought your evidence? I received the answer “yes you have found yourself”.

I hold the wooden supports along the grave and started reciting the Quranic verses and after finishing moved out of the place in a total state of peace.

Foggy night

A Memorandum Stone and Dayanand Ayur Vedic Lahore

In front of the library building in Government Civil Lines College Lahore, there stands a white marble pillar. This pillar bears an inscription in loving memory of Ishwar Das Mehra B.A., who made significant contributions to the construction of the college during his time.

Interestingly, a question arises: If the name of Dayal Singh College could remain unchanged after the partition in 1947, then why did Anjuman Hayamat Islam forcefully change the name of Dayanand Vedic College to Government Islamia College Civil Lines in 1955? The original name of the college was attributed to the Hindu leader Swami Dayanand Saraswati, and it was founded by the Arya Samajists as the School of Dayanand Ayur Vedic on June 1, 1886.

One might argue that Anjuman Hayamat Islam could have chosen to construct a new college and give it any name they desired, rather than forcefully changing the name of an existing institution with a significant historical association. The presence of this white marble pillar serves as a reminder of this controversy and prompts us to reflect on the decisions made regarding the naming and identity of educational institutions.

Wazir Khan's Baradari

18-08-2018

Wazir Khan's Baradari is one of the finest and largest of the genre, and is in well preserved state. It is perched between the Punjab Public Library (PPL), National College of Arts (NCA) and the Lahore Museum and is approached from the Punjab Public Library Road. It has been put to good use as a reading room for the adjoining library and is therefore considered a part of the library.

The building is named after its founder Hakim Ilmuddin titled Wazir Khan, the same grandee of Shah Jahan's court who gifted the city of Lahore with such sumptuous monuments as Wazir Khan's Mosque and Wazir Khan's Hammam, also known as Shahi Hammam, in the Walled City.

The chronicles record how Wazir Khan, after having completed his spectacular mosque, turned his attention to laying out a fine garden—a garden which became known as Wazir Khan's Nakhlia Garden because of the large number of date-palm trees. In the middle of the Nakhlia Garden he built an elegant baradari, which has carried his name to this day.

The baradari (lit. twelve openings) was so titled because of a sehdara centre and flanking deeply-inset arched openings or peshtaq on each side of the square, resulting in 12 dars or doorways openings. The two storey pavilion-like structure is dominated by four corner belvedere towers, terminated by sloping chajjas (eaves) and capped by cupolas. It is surrounded by pools on all four sides containing fountains which would have provided misty breeze to its occupants in the hot Lahori summers.

As in the case of Anarkali's tomb, this monument also has undergone extensive alterations having served varied functions: as part of Sikh and British cantonments, as the Settlement and Telegraph office, and also as a museum. Its use as Punjab Public Library, was lauded by Latif: "A nobler aim it could not have served. The founder of the building was himself a patron of learning and a profound scholar, and the association of his name with an institution pregnant with such significant results for the rising generation of the Punjab may be regarded as a happy coincidence."

Who desecrated and shifted the Grave of Anarkali from its Original Position

14-04-2018

Once upon a time, in the heart of Lahore, there lived a remarkable military man named General Jean-François Allard. This French officer, born in the quaint town of Saint-Tropez in 1785, had already carved an illustrious path in the annals of military history. His tale began amidst the tumultuous Napoleonic Wars, where he served valiantly as a captain in the French Hussars, leaving his mark on battlefields in Italy, Spain, and France.

However, fate took an unexpected turn after Napoleon retreated to Golfe Juan. Allard, ever adaptable, found himself in Iran, immersing himself in the intricacies of the Persian language. In this foreign land, he became a loyal servant to the local king until political machinations set the stage for his escape. The British government, promising significant military aid to Iran, demanded the expulsion of all French soldiers. Unwilling to face the consequences, Allard chose to slip away in the dead of night, embarking on a covert journey towards the distant city of Kabul.

His travels led him through treacherous terrain, including the perilous Khyber Pass, until he reached the tranquil banks of the River Ravi at Shahdara. With the assistance of his fellow French general Ventura, Allard stealthily crossed the river under the shroud of darkness, finding refuge within the ancient walled city of Lahore in March 1822.

In Lahore, Allard was a man on a mission. He expressed his fervent desire to Maharajah Ranjit Singh, declaring his intention to contribute to the local army's strength and train Sikh soldiers in the art of modern warfare to counter the looming threat of British forces. The cautious Maharajah, wary of potential British spies, kept a watchful eye on Allard and his compatriots, commanding them to stay in Lahore under the scrutiny of his spies.

Months passed, during which Allard patiently awaited the Maharajah's trust. Finally, after nearly three months, the cautious ruler extended his hand in confidence. Allard, now entrusted with the responsibility, set about reorganizing the Maharajah's cavalry, drawing inspiration from the sophisticated military practices of Europe.

Amidst the historical events, General Jean-François Allard found solace in the serene surroundings of Anarkali's tomb, seeking respite from the scorching Lahori heat. 

Ignoring cautions of possible divine consequences for disturbing the grave, he opted to shift the tombstone aside, creating space to position his bed in the central hall of the tomb for a cooler environment.

Little did he know that tragedy would soon befall him. His beloved 12-year-old daughter, Mari Charlotte, succumbed to illness, leaving General Allard grief-stricken. In her memory, he laid her to rest in the Purani Anarkali area, where he also erected a beautiful garden known as Kuri da bagh—a poignant tribute to a life lost too soon.

And so, the tale of General Jean-François Allard unfolded, a journey marked by resilience, adaptability, and a profound commitment to a cause that led him to the heart of Lahore, where his legacy endured in the pages of history.

Special thanks to Dr. Amir Chaudhry, from Faisalabad  for  sharing this interesting part of history 

Grave of Anarkali

View of Tomb from the first floor, you can see the center of the Tomb, this used to be the original position  of the Grave

Another View of  Standing along Grave

Another view of Tomb from indie

History of Tomb

View of Tomb from Outside

Tomb of  Daughter of  Gen. Alard, Marie Charlotte