Rattan Singh's Well Anarkali

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This dilapidated building, located in Anarkali Bazaar just outside the northeastern edge of the Punjab University grounds, once housed a well that provided clean drinking water to the inhabitants of the area. The spacious well was commissioned by Rattan Singh, a Wine and General Merchant based in Anarkali. His name was inscribed in a marble slab, inserted in one of the walls of the building but can no longer be found. Today, the well is no more and the building is used for the purposes of a clothing shop.

Rattan Singh also built a beautiful drinking fountain near the General Post Office but no trace of it can be found.

The Tale of Mandir Chota Lal in Anarkali Bazaar

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

18-08-2018 (Date of Visit)

In Anarkali bazaar stands a small temple named 'Mandir Chota Lal', its primary entrance discreetly concealed behind front shops. Before the Indo-Pak partition, numerous Hindu merchants conducted their businesses in Anarkali. While the temple remains non-operational throughout the year, it ceremoniously opens its doors during the Diwali festival to welcome worshippers for prayers.

Various historical references contain details about this temple.

This magnificent temple was once Anarkali's remarkable and revered structures. Its inception was attributed to Lala Durga Parsad, also known as Lala Chota Lal, who dedicated a considerable fortune to its construction. Before this temple's existence, the site was occupied by another shrine known as 'Bohardas ka Shivala'. Bohardas, a devout individual residing at this location, cultivated a banyan tree that eventually led to the site being renowned as Bohardas wala Shivala. While his original name might have differed, he was universally known as Bohardas.

During the British Colonial era in Lahore, the land of Bohardas Shivala was allotted to Lala Chota Lala, a moneylender by profession. He erected shops for his business and erected a new temple on the grounds of the former Bohardas Shivala. The temple boasted a spacious courtyard and a well was dug to serve the convenience of travelers and the local populace. The flooring was adorned with exquisite tiles, and there stood splendid structures in proximity to the temple. The majority of columns were crafted from red marble. Access to the temple was facilitated through two gateways, one on the west and the other on the east, housing statues depicting various revered Hindu deities.

The temple structure was octagonal and constructed using precious stones for its interior and exterior. Adorning its octagonal walls was a dome featuring intricate floral patterns adorning its surface and apex. Atop the dome rested a crowning ornament, referred to as the “Amalaki”, plated in gold. The temple priest, Suraj Bahan Gorh Barhman, received a salary from Chota Lal. Additionally, there were eight shops in front of the temple, the rent from which was dedicated to the upkeep of the temple.

Bansi Mandir Anarkali Lahore

 30-12-2017

 31°34'30.56"N

 74°18'47.81"E

Bansi Mandir located in congested streets of Anarkali Bazaar.

The mandir itself is located within the courtyard of a massive haveli. At present, portions are rented out to various tenants and even the main building of the mandir is used as a home by one of the numbers of families here. 

This building would have been built during the colonial period by a prosperous family wanting to expand out of the congested walled city. Kanhaiya Lal and Latif don't mention it in their descriptions of Anarkali so it must have been built or completed after the 1890s. 

The façade is a long one and lines the Anarkali bazaar. 

The decorative features on the main façade are broadly European but the central section has a traditional arch framed by pillars and contains an elaborate jharokha above the entrance. The wooden jharokha or balcony with its fine woodwork is still in a good state of preservation. I could not able to take a photo of that work.  The stairs lead up to the courtyard, in the center of which is located the fine temple with plaster moldings.

Bansi Mandir, in the background the tall standing four minarets are of Badshahi mosque. Picture taken from top of Surgical Tower Mayo Hospital.