Wednesday 3 April 2019

An old Hindu Temple located inside MAO college Lahore



Government Muhammadan Anglo Oriental College (abbreviated to Govt. M.A.O College Lahore is a Public College located adjacent to Civil Secretariat Lahore. It is among the oldest educational institutions in LahorePunjabPakistan. It was established in 1933 as MAO College by Anjuman-e-Islamia at Amritsar and Professor S. Mercado was appointed as the first Principal. It had played significant role in the creation of Pakistan.


After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the College was shifted to Lahore.

An old, Hindu temple standing tall inside the premises of this college. Nothing much knows about the year of construction of this edifice.

The temple is constructed of clay burnt bricks that are commonly known as ” lakhori ” popular in the mughal architecture and abundantly in Nawabi architecture of Faizabad and Lucknow .The form which is flat , thin , of red colour . Initial Awadh architectural structures were made of these slim elements. The best part is , it could be used and aligned in multiple formats of arches , sculptural facades because of their small size and thinness , they could be placed to make intricate shapes and fine details on walls and column surfaces

The structure consists of single story square “Sanctum” which was designed for placing the housing deity. In sanctum room corner squinches portion filled with extended flower bouquet element made of lime. From square sanctum structure main temple curvilinear spire (tower, sikhara) is raised, which is common type of northern Indian Shrines (Latinas). For construction of curvilinear spire small dimensions bricks used which are different from ground floor of temple.


On external walls of temples you will see double facet a vertical offset projection. In Hindu temple architecture it is called “ratha”.



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