Monday, 8 October 2018

Syed Miran Hussain Zanjani

Date of Visit:- 07-10-2018
(All pictures and writeup text used in this blog, is author property, kindly respect copyrights)

Miran Hussain Zanjani and his brother Yaqub Zanjani who were born in Zanjan in Khurasan, came to Lahore around 557 A.H. The consideration of “Tabligh” and Islamization of the people of the newly acquired territory in the Indian subcontinent apart from the main attraction was that the city abounded in people of high spiritual attainments and deep erudition.

According to a narration, Hussain Zanjani and Ali Hujweri were disciples of the same teacher. The day Ali Hujweri entered Lahore the funeral of Hussain Zanjani was being taken to the graveyard and Hazrat Data Sahib led the funeral prayer. This tradition is based on the story related by Nizamud Din Auliya in “Fuwaid-al-Fuwad”. But it has now been proved to be historically untrue, because Hussain Zanjani lived in Lahore during the early part of the seventh century (A.H.) when he met Muinudin Chishti who came to visit Ali Hujweri’s tomb, and according to tradition spent forty nights there for spiritual illumination. According to Dara Shikoh, Muinudin and Hussain Zanjani met and enjoyed each other’s company. Hussain Zanjani died in 604 A.H. and was buried in the locality, which is now known as Chah-I-Miran. It was once situated in a beautiful garden known after his name but the garden has disappeared due to the ravages of time. His tomb stands on a raised platform and has no dome.







Syed Hussain Zanjani lived in Lahore for over 36-37 years and during this period thousands embraced Islam due to his preaching.

Sunday, 30 September 2018

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.






Thursday, 20 September 2018

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

Monday, 3 September 2018

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



Saturday, 1 September 2018

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.




Wednesday, 29 August 2018

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 

Sunday, 26 August 2018

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.