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While exploring the Walled City, I stumbled upon a stunning arched gateway situated north of Suha Bazar on Chatta Bazaar Street. The locals shared that this site once housed a Hindu temple. Initially hesitant, they eventually allowed us a brief visit when accompanied by a local friend.
At the entrance is an impressive arched gateway with a finely crafted wooden door composed of two panels. A small, graceful spire was visible, perched atop a square sanctum that used to hold Hindu deities. Unfortunately, this sacred sanctum has now been repurposed into a storage room. The complex was extensive, featuring a space for the priest and followers who journeyed from other cities. The main structure was a single-story square "Sanctum," designed to house the deity. Inside the sanctum, beautiful floral-patterned niches once held statues. Encircling all four sides of the sanctum was an assembly hall for devotees, known in Hindu terms as "Ayatana."
The temple's main tower, known as the curvilinear spire or sikhara, was built using small bricks, a common feature of Northern Indian Shrines (Latinas). At the top of the sikhara, an ornament called “Amalaki” was originally present but is now missing—this support possibly held a gold-plated spire that might have been stolen over time. The temple's external walls exhibit a double facet and a vertical offset projection, known in Hindu temple architecture as “ratha.”
This temple's history remains largely unknown, although historian Khanya Lal's book, 'Tareekh Lahore,' vividly describes several Hindu temples within the Walled City, including one at this location before the 1947 partition. This Shivala could likely be the 'Mandir Thakur Dewara Santh Shah,' detailed in his book.
Despite Hindu text once inscribed on the temple's front, it has faded with time. Regrettably, the temple now lies in ruins, in a sorrowful state of disrepair.
Before 1947, Lahore thrived as a city where Hindus played a pivotal role in the social fabric. Muslims, Sikhs, and Hindus coexisted harmoniously within its walls. However, the partition of British India in 1947 brought significant change. Hindu families departed from their homes within the Walled City, leaving their cherished temples behind. These sacred spaces were then inhabited by families who migrated from India. Sadly, there were no concerted efforts to preserve these religious sites, and their condition deteriorated further, especially after the demolition of the Babri Mosque in India in 1992.
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| The temple spire and sanctum |
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| arched gateway |
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| Sanctum room |
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| wooden entrance Door |
