22-04-2018
(All pictures are taken by me, please respect copyright)
Saleh Sindhi Mosque is
hidden on the premises of a private property on Shahrah-e-Bin Badis (earlier
Empress Road). As you proceed north on the road, just past the St. Anthony's (Don Bosco) Church and across
from the Pakistan Railway Headquarters, you will find a gate on your left into
a large compound known as Nawab Palace, belonging to Lahore's well known Nawab
Qizilbash family.
Side Elevation
From the main road you will
not be able to view this 17th century Shahjahani mosque, since it lies hidden
behind foliage at the rear of the interesting British-period brick mansion.
Since it is private property, you will need permission to enter the grounds and
then ask to view the ancient mosque. The caretakers are normally very
cooperative and will accompany you to the rear of the sprawling compound.
Side Elevation
The mosque is impressive in
its pristine purity of whitewashed surfaces. No evidence of any decoration is visible
today in this single-aisle 3-bay mosque. The original simple cusped arches
leading into the prayer chamber today carry modern-day doors to secure the
mosque. Even so, there is no major intervention or tampering visible in the
historic structure, except in the use of plaster in the lower part of walls in
a vain attempt to arrest the rising damp. This mosque appears to be one of the
few Mughal mosques which have not suffered large-scale renovation/restoration.
Thus, it is invaluable for the study of original mosque structures of the
period. The usual 3-dome arrangement, with a larger dome in the middle flanked
by two smaller domes, all topped by pinnacles is graceful in its execution. The
courtyard, no longer very large, has been redone and the brick flooring
mentioned by Latif is no longer extant. Kanhaiya
Lal believes that the mosque once existed in the midst of a large garden.
View from Adjacent Street
Front Elevation
Historian Latif credits
Muhammed Saleh Sindhi, with the construction of the mosque. Muhammed Saleh, a
wealthy amir (noble) at the royal court, was appointed diwan by the governor of
Lahore during Emperor Shah Jahan's reign. Saleh was a
nephew of Haji Sewai, after whom the area was once known as Mohallah Sewai. As
was the fate of many Muslim historic structures, this mosque too did duty as an
arsenal and powder magazine during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. However,
luckily, it escaped large-scale damage, and after annexation by the British was
repaired by Nawab Ali Raza Khan Qizilbash and became a part of his large
estate.
Google Earth Imagery
