Havelis of Khushal Singh and Dhian Singh also known Asif Jah Haveli

It was the beginning of the year 2013 when I conducted a photo walk to visit various historical places in the walled city of Lahore with my friends. These havelis are part of a cluster of havelis known as Chuna Mandi Havelis, a significant group of historic buildings in the Walled City. It currently houses the Government Fatima Jinnah College for Women. Unfortunately at that time, we could not get permission to visit and have to leave the place through the main doorway; At that time, we have a little glimpse of the inside of Haveli from the entrance, which shows magnificent architecture ahead. The photo walk finished but the desire to visit this place ignited badly inside. I wanted to visit this place, I used all my personal contacts, also wrote a letter to Principle of this college for granting permission for visit; requested a Walled city director, and also asked many senior architecture lovers but all efforts were in vain. Three years passed, and one day I discussed the same with my good friend Maria Waseem, a historian researcher. After an effort of two months, we finally got permission, Special thanks to her and his husband in this regard.

The College building, with its spacious courtyard and Sikh imagery, is sometimes thought to be the famous haveli or Palace of Raja Dhian Singh, the young Rajput chamberlain of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, but is more likely to be the Palace of Jamadar Khushal Singh (d. 1844). Khushal Singh was a humble doorkeeper who later rose to the exalted position of Lord Chamberlain of Ranjit Singh. Khushal Singh may well have built upon earlier Mughal remains. The large expanse of the compound and the existence of a garden, along with some other pre-Sikh remains, indicate the existence of a large Mughal mansion. This could be the palace of Asaf Khan, brother of Empress Noor Jahan and father-in-law of Shah Jahan. Asaf Khan was an arbiter of taste, and historical sources credit him with building a luxurious palace in Lahore which had cost an exorbitant 20 lakhs at the time. Another haveli in the group, located in the north, also sports a courtyard. It was built by Teja Singh, nephew of Jamadar Khushal Singh. The third extant structure, located on the east of the cluster is considerably smaller in size.

Not long after British annexation, the haveli was fitted up as the first place of public worship for the Christian garrison stationed in the fort and continued to be utilized as such until the tomb of Anarkali began to be employed for divine service in 1851. At this time the palace served as Government District School. Later, as is well known. Government College made its beginning in this building when classes were begun by the first principal of the College, Dr. G. Leitner on January 1, 1864. It was in 1877 when the new college campus was constructed that the haveli was vacated and fell into desolation until its recent restoration.

Seeing the magnificent haveli, one can well believe that its owner must have spent a pretty penny on it. From its sprawling courtyards to its royal baths and from its arched hallways to its zenana gardens, the building is breathtakingly beautiful. But, perhaps what is far more important is that the haveli is as alive today as it was in its days of glory. Instead of being kept under lock and key, it is being utilized as a college and every corner has been put to constructive use.

In fact, the college has put its premises to such fascinating use that it is not surprising to find students sitting in a math class that is bang next to a royal bath, or climbing up a dark turret that would lead them to their department. Jharokas and arched niches in the wall make for cozy and picturesque sitting arrangements where girls either partake of a snack or browse over their books. The school canteen, rather than being tucked away in some obscure corner is located right under the main entrance of the mansion, while the computer classroom and lecture hall are in the basement.

What’s more, the rooftops allow a quaint vista of the old city so that you can spot the Lahore Fort, Badshahi Mosque and even the Minar-e-Pakistan if you climb right to the top. It is no wonder that the haveli is fast gaining popularity as an ideal venue for Basant celebrations.

But, what is most heartening to know is that the heritage site is being properly looked after. Conservation work on the haveli was carried out by the Lahore Development Authority before it was converted into a college.

One does wish though that it could be made accessible to more people, for by and large it is bypassed by tourists visiting Lahore.

Remnant of Arched Gateway of Nadira Begum Garden

14-06-2015

In the farthest suburbs of Lahore, was a community known as Mian Mir, named for the famous Sufi saint buried there in 1635. The Mian Mir area acquired special spiritual significance for the Mughal dynasty during the governorship of Prince Dara Shikoh, who sought advice from Mulla Shah, a disciple of Mian Mir. Over time, the sites established in the Mian Mir area achieved a remarkable synthesis of Mughal and Sufi traditions.

Further east, on the axis, is the tank and tomb of Nadira Begum the wife of Mughal Prince Dara Shikoh.

A few years back, I had trotter shoes on my feet. I was always in search of lost, neglected historical architectural sites in Lahore; and when I came to know about them, I could not able to sleep comfortably up till I visit that place. I don’t know, I have a strange relationship and love with these edifices. In fact, I found inner peace in myself after exploring them.

A few years back, I came to know about this place from one of my friends Syed Faizan Naqvi, who is a native of this area. This is a 12 ft high tall arched gateway and bricks laid there were of Mughal era masonry pattern. I took the coordinates of this site and mapped it on Google Earth and found that this site is located hardly 0.2 kilometers from Mian Mir Tomb on its North West axis. After discussing it with a few of my historian friends, I came to the conclusion that this gateway entrance must be part of Mian Mir and Nadira Begum  Garden.

The structure is really in bad condition and maybe fall in a few years and vanish forever. 

Remnant of Bhairav ka asthan, Ichra

Lahore is ever expanding, mercilessly eating away any village or town that comes in its way. Many towns and villages like Niaz Beg, Hanjarwal, etc, which were historically well outside the city are now deemed as part of Lahore. However, even after being incorporated by the phenomenon that is Lahore, such places have managed to retain their past, culture and identity as something that is different from the city itself, and that is what makes this new city of Lahore so interesting and endearing. Whereas most of these settlements do not predate Lahore and were never historically as significant as Lahore, there was nonetheless one such locality, which is believed to have existed even before Lahore did. Its significance chronologically exceeds that of Lahore. This town is Ichhra.

In the popular culture Lahore’s origin is tied to the Hindu mythologies. There are historians who argue that before the walled city of Lahore became Lahore, Lahore actually was the locality of Ichhra. A very interesting observation is presented to substantiate the thesis. Mostly what we find in the appellations of the doors of a walled city is that the gates are named after the city which they face. The Delhi darwaza of Lahore is named so because it faces Delhi, so is the case with the Kashmiri darwaza. There has been some controversy regarding the name of the Lohari darwaza. It is argued that the Lohari darwaza points towards Ichhra. Lohari could be a primeval name of Lahore in this case, and Ichhra would be that historical city of Lahore.

This is a plausible contention according to the British Gazetteer of Lahore, because they argue that two of the oldest Hindu temples are found in Ichhra, viz. Bheeru da asthan and Chand Raat. Sadly, the latter has been lost but the former still looks over the city. However, the question that arises is that on what premises the British say that this temple is one of the oldest temples. The architecture of the building does not suggest this nor do the folk tales.

The temple is on the Ferozepur road behind the Shama stop. In fact the Shama and the Sheesh Mahal cinemas stand today where once the huge pond of the temple was. According to Maulana Noor Ahmad Chishti, there once lived a man called Godar during the tenure of Shah Jahan. He used to handle the accounts for Dara Shikoh, the eldest son of the Emperor at Benaras. When the prince had an auditor analyze the accounts, it was learned that the accountant had been stealing from the treasury. On this the prince gave the man capital punishment. Legend has that as Godar lay in the prison waiting for his turn to go to the gallows, a man appeared before him. This man asked him to close his eyes and he did as he was told. When he opened his eyes, he found himself at the exact location where today the tall, cone-shaped structure stands. It was a Sunday. The man who had brought Godar here, was sitting on a camel and he was standing next to him. In utter amazement, he asked the man who he was? The man replied that he was Bheeru after which he disappeared.

Bheeru is derived from the Sanskrit word of Bherv, which means Bogey-man. Bheeru is an incarnation of the Lord Shiv-Rudar, who is the Hindu deity of destruction. Shiv-Rudar travels on a dog, and the fear that he excites is such that even the witches and the ghosts are afraid of him. He is usually found near the cremating grounds.

Godar was a follower of Bheeru, and after the miracle, he demarcated the spot, where Bheeru stood, and started his search in the city. He ended up at Shah Alami, where he started living near the Pari Mahal. After adjusting in the new city, he one day gathered a few Hindus and took them to the spot. There he narrated to them the story of Bheeru, after which the spot became known as Bheeru da asthan. He along with other followers made it a regular practice to visit the spot, and present it with garlands, as a token of their reverence. In this way seeds were sown for this place to become a site for one of the most sacred Hindu temples in Lahore.

Later, during the tenure of Ranjit Singh, the mother of his concubine Mora once fell sick. She was diagnosed to have been affected by djinns. Mora was informed that one of the descendants of Godar practiced magic, and he would be able to rid the body of the intruders. According to tradition, she summoned him, and he was able to cure her mother. As a reward for his services, Mora ordered all the villages that were granted to her by the Regal to bring forth a cart of bricks for the construction of a proper temple at the asthan of Bheeru. Bricks from all the hundred villages that fell under her sway came forth. Besides the bricks the total expense for the construction of the present day temple was around 1400 rupees. This temple was further extended by Ram Chandar, the nephew of Sanwal Mal, who was a minister of the Ranjit Government. Besides him contributions were also given by Raja Lal Singh.

There is a big main gate which is followed by a corridor for the entrance to the edifice. At the end of the corridor is another gate. The corridor is around 3 yards wide and 13 yards long. It is embellished by arches on both the ends. Flanking the entrance are rooms. A ground used to follow the entrance whose dimensions were recorded to be 17 x 11 yards. Now however the ground has been taken over by refugees from the other side of the border and new houses have sprouted everywhere. This corridor was added by Raja Lal Singh.

The area east from here was the Langar Khana, where people were given free food. In front of this is the octagonal platform upon which the temple stands. There was also a well next to it. On each side of the temple are arches (mehraab like structures). East from here is another enclosed place where now houses stand. There is a big door here that opens towards the temple. Next to it is a platform where there are 8 samadhis. During the riots following the Babri mosque incident in Ayodha, like other temples in Lahore, people tried to bring this temple down too, but since it was made of strong material, it luckily survived.

Even though the story of Godar is hard to believe there is no doubt that the present day shape of the temple was given to it during the tenure of Ranjit Singh. One plausible reason as to why this temple is called ancient by the British is that the spot where the temple now stands must have been the site of a primordial temple, which has now given way to a modern construction. It is said that a lump of mud signified the holy place before the temple, making it reasonable to believe that some sort of building existed here before this one, and later on the story of Godar was explained for the inception of the temple.
(Copied from Haroon Khalid)

Mubarak Haveli Walled City

March 17, 2013
It was very hard to take permission to visit this place. The havli now turned into Imam-bargha. There is threat of bomb blast so the owners are over cautious particularly for visitors. It was indeed a disappointment to visit that place because all the old architecture has been changed in very short time we took few pictures but due to strange and cautious environment we prefer not to stay there long. The rest of history of this havli is as under The Koh-e-Noor Diamond was recovered from a trapped Afghan king. This 'haveli' has stories galore, ones that make history so interesting. A colossal ‘haveli’ built by Mir Bahadur Ali, Mir Nadir Ali and Mir Bahar Ali, sons of a well-known 'tabeeb' and 'hakeem' during the time of Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah. It took three years to build and when the three brothers moved in, Bahadar Ali's wife gave birth to a son. This was seen as a good omen and the 'haveli' was named Mubarak Haveli. The family continued to prosper in the field of 'medicine' and business. With time they branched off into two major components, the Fakir family and the Syed family. With the start of the Sikh period began years of pillage and looting. Sikh mobs would come and loot whatever they could lay their hands on. While the Fakir family, because their influence in the Lahore Darbar remained in power, it was seen that the Syeds had to flee. The grand Mubarak Haveli remained empty for a few years and people inside the city began to steal the bricks of the western portion of the haveli. It presented a deserted look, prompting Maharajah Ranjit Singh to take it over, for himself and his guests. Afghan king Shah Shuja and his family, who were fleeing from Kabul because of fighting over the Afghan throne, came to Lahore as Ranjit Singh’s guests. The crafty Sikh ruler made them his prisoners and released them only after they gave him the unrivalled Koh-e-Noor diamond. With the coming of the British the Mubarak Haveli was taken over and handed over to Nawab Ali Raza Qizilbash. The Nawab, out of respect to the original owners, rebuilt the haveli and converted a major portion into an Imambargah, which is considered among the finest in Lahore. The haveli then went on to his son Nawab Nawazish Ali Khan and his brother Nawab Nasir Ali Khan. These brothers also managed to rebuild major portions to help the old haveli regain its original glor.

HAVELI DHIAN SINGH, RAJA LAHORE

2013

This haveli is situated near Heera Mandi, The haveli was once an attractive building with a basement. Originally it covered an area of 46 kanals but now the surrounding area has been purchased by the public and at present, the actual area is 2 kanals. The existing part of the Haveli, which we see today is the court of Raja Dhian Singh while the residential area of the haveli was demolished or sold.

DHIAN SINGH, RAJA (1796-1843), the second son of Miari Kishora Singh Dogra and the middle one of the three brothers from Jammu serving Maharaja Ranjit Singh, was born on 22 August 1796. He was presented before Ranjit Singh at Rohtas in 1812 by his elder brother, Gulab Singh, and was given employment as a trooper on a monthly salary of sixty rupees. Dhian Singh by his impressive bearing, polished manner, and adroitness, steadily rose in the Maharaja`s favor and, in 1818, replaced Jamadar Khushal Singh as deorhidar or chamberlain to the royal household.

In this capacity, he had ready access to the Maharaja and became a man of influence at the court. He was at times assigned to military duties as well. He took part in the battle of Naushera in March 1823. As Ranjit Singh, following the death on 30 April 1837 of Hart Singh Nalva, hastened towards the northwest frontier, Dhian Singh marched with his force in advance. Dhian Singh received from the Maharaja endless favors. He was granted a large number of jagirs in the hilly country of Jammu and created Raja in 1822. On 20 June 1827, he was given the title of RajaiRajgan Raja Kalan Bahadur.

He became the principal minister of the Maharaja and the most powerful person in the kingdom after him. The highest distinction came on 21 June 1839 when Maharaja Ranjit Singh proclaimed in the presence of the entire court and the army stationed in Lahore that he had granted full powers to Prince Kharak Singh, the heir apparent, over all his dominions and troops, and that the Prince had chosen Raja Kalari Bahadur to be his Wazir, principal minister or counselor. The Maharaja also conferred upon Dhian Singh the title of NaibusSalatnati`Azamat, Khairkhwahi Samimii Daulati SirkariKubra, Waziri`Azam, DasturiMu`azzam, Mukh tariMulk.

On the morning of the funeral of the Maharaja, 28 June 1839, Dhian Singh expressed his intention to immolate himself on the late monarch`s pyre and had to be dissuaded by the queens and courtiers. Maharaja Kharak Singh himself begged him to continue to steer the State. Dhian Singh agreed that he would remain in the service of Kharak Singh for one year and proceed thereafter on a pilgrimage to sacred places. But he soon found himself at the center of courtly intrigue. He set afloat the rumor that Kharak Singh and his favorite, Chet Singh, were soliciting British protection and we're going to compromise the sovereignty of Punjab.

He summoned Prince Nau Nihal Singh from Peshawar and won over the Sandharivalia sardars to join him in a plot to kill Chet Singh. The scheme was carried out and Chet Singh was assassinated on 9 October 1839 by Dhian Singh in the presence of the Maharaja who was himself placed under restraint, Prince Nau Nihal Singh running the affairs of the State on his behalf. Death, however, was removed from the scene of Nau Nihal Singh returning from his father`s cremation on 5 November 1840. Dhian Singh now^hoae to place Prince Sher 8lngh on the., throne.

He concealed the fact of Nau Nihal Singh`s death for three days, till Sher Singh had arrived at Lahore at his summons. But his plans were upset by his rivals, the Sandharivalias, who decided to support Kharak Singh`s widow, Chand Kaur, as a regent for Nau Nihal Singh`s child yet to be born. On 2 December 1840, Chand Kaur has proclaimed Maharani. Sher Singh went back to his estate in Batala the following day, and Dhian Singh retired to Jammu a few days later. This was, however, only a tactical withdrawal by the astute Raja Kalari. Even while on his way to Jammu, he wrote to army commanders at different levels and to other government officials to render obedience and assistance to Prince Sher Singh upon his return to Lahore.

Sher Singh arrived at Lahore on 13 January 1841 and the bulk of the royal army then in Lahore went over to him. Raja Dhian Singh returned from Jammu on 17 January. Sher Singh was proclaimed Maharaja of Punjab on 18 January with Dhian Singh as his Wazir. On 15 September 1843 the Sandharivalia Sardars, Ajit Singh and Lahina Singh, assassinated Maharaja Sher Singh and Karivar Partap Singh, the heir apparent, on the outskirts of Lahore. As they were returning to the Fort with the heads of Sher Singh and Partap Singh hung on spikes, they were met on the way by Dhian Singh who was lured into the Fort. As he advanced his claim to be Wazir to the succeeding Maharaja, Ajit Singh fired a shot and killed him on the spot.