December 25, 2014
The once lofty brick kiln of Buddhu was situated just south of GT road opposite the present-day University of Engineering and Technology. There is also a tomb in the area erroneously ascribed to Buddhu but which in actuality contains the graves of Khan-e-Dauran Nusrat Jang and his wife.
Buddhu, son of Suddhu, was a potter during the time of Shah Jehan. Suddhu, who flourished in the time of Jahangir, constructed a number of kilns, in the vicinity of Lahore, to supply burnt bricks for the royal edifices, as well as the palaces of the nobles at Lahore. It is said that the fire in the kiln, known after the name of Buddhu, was extinguished as a consequence of the curse of a faqir, named Abdul Haq, a disciple of Mian Mir. Abdul Haq was turned away by Buddhu's servants on a cold rainy day when he came to the kiln to warm himself. The faqir cursed Buddhu and his kiln remained unserviceable ever after. During the reign of Ranjit Singh, General Avitable, the French Officer in his army, built a beautiful summer house on top of the kiln but no trace of it exists now.
Buddhu's main brick kiln likely no longer survives, although I have not scoured that area personally at least one of the other kilns built nearby still survives to this day. This kiln is located close to the tomb of Ali Mardan Khan on the east side of Walton Road. One can still see the rows of burnt bricks that were never removed.
