Masjid Qamaruddin Baghbanpura

09-09-2018

Masjid Qamaruddin located near Borhwal chowk in Baghnapura. The mosque is constructed in 1867 by a local Arian family. In construction, traditional Shah Jhani local bricks were used. A few years back, the structure of the mosque got collapsed so the walls and roof were renovated and reinforced again with new construction materials.

The Forgotten family, who custode Shalimar Garden for Four Centuries

Date of Visit:- 09-09-2018

(All pictures and writeup text used in this blog, is author property, kindly respect copyrights)

Mian Muhammad Yusaf Manga was noble Zamindar who was appointed custodian of the famed Shalimar Gardens Lahore by Mughals, and also received the title of Mian from Mughal emperor Shahjahan,

Grave of Mian Yusaf in Mian Family Graveyard at Bagbanpura

The Mian family of Baghbanpura was a notable family of Lahore, Pakistan. Belonging to the Arian tribe of the Punjab region, they were originally agriculturalists and market cultivators, who owned the land near Baghbanpura on which the Shalimar Gardens was built. The land was handed to the Mughal  Emperor, Shah Jahan and in return custodianship of the Shalimar Gardens was granted to the family in 1641. The Mian family ceased to be the custodian of the site in 1962, after the imposition of martial law in Pakistan by General Muhammad Ayub Khan

The Last left Bengali Temple in Walled City Lahore

07-04-2013

Located in Tehsil Bazar  walled city lahore in a house like complex; this edifice  is known as 'Bengali Mandir.' Bengali Mandir is normally associated in worshiping the deity of "Kali Mata'. In lahore, i have mostly seen Shiv mandir;s and also there is one Hanuman temple located in moti bazaar near rim market. Thanks to late Rao javed sahib who has shown me this temple in 2013.

Entrance View

Wooden Roof

location for placing Diety 

Inside Temple

Late Rao Jave Sb, a great historian

Stairs to enter Temple

Signage

Aiwan Shah Chirag Lahore

23-09-2017

Aiwan Shah Chirag is located next to Lahore High Court Building on Mall road Lahore. This complex was made during British time from 1875-80 around the mausoleum and mosque of the famous saint Shah Chiragh.

Many government offices were made in this complex which included offices of the deputy commissioner and Auditor General Punjab. Apart from this session court was also established in this complex for some time and later it also hosted Australasia Bank. After partition, this was Auditor General’s office. In 1973 this building was taken over by Aukaf Department.

The building is made in Indo-Sarcenic style, with beautiful intricate arches and domes and jali work. The masonry throughout is of the best description, faced with dressed bricks; the moldings over pillars, arches, doors, and windows being in cut bricks. Small white domes are made on the corners of the building to match the white dome of the mausoleum and mosque.

On 12th august 2000 governor, general Punjab visited the mausoleum and ordered the mosque and the mausoleum and the whole complex to be renovated and brought back to its original condition.

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.