Restore the old city!
In my opinion these gates or the marks of these gates must be restored for the generations ahead
In my least piece I took you through some of Lahore’s fabled Old City gates. These thirteen gates have been the gigantic structures of the past which till now paint a picture of the glorified era and the extravagance of the Mughals. Let me take you through the remaining seven gates of the walled city of Lahore.
Taxali gate is one of those gateways that exist only in name. The gate was called Taxali because of a mint located there (taxal in the local language) in the Mughal era. There are no remains of the gate and the mint today, only one can guess its location. A famous bazaar of traditional shoes named Sheikhupurian bazaar exists in this gate. Also the most popular red light area of Lahore or the Heera Mandi is also located in this gate. Many famous personalities have also been living in this gate like Noor Jehan (singer), Sir Ganga Raam, Nadra Begum, Hamid Ali Khan’s family and many more. In the same area is the musical instrument market, the Langa Mandi. The first ever theatre of Pakistan, Aziz Theatre, is also located here along with the first cinema, Pakistan Talkies.
From Taxali, crossing the Sheikhupurian Bazaar you can take your route to the popular Bhati Gate which is on the southern side of the Walled City. The original gate was demolished and the present structure that we see today was rebuilt in the British period. It was named after the Bhatis, an ancient Rajput tribe, which lived in the area. Bhati Gate is a house of legends. Many singers, cricketers, wrestlers, artists, poets, lawyers, teachers and writers have lived here. The house of Allama Iqbal, Faqir Khana Museum, and Mubarik Haveli now converted into Naqsh School of Arts and house of Mollana Rohi can still be seen today inside this gate. There once used to be a gurdawara inside Bhati Gate which with the passage of time lost its existence.
Lohari Gate is adjacent to Bhati gate. The gate was named after the city of Lahore. Population growth inside the Walled City of Lahore started from this gate so the gate was named Lahori/Lohari Gate. Presently a lot of shops are seen surrounding the Lohari gate like other existing gates. Lohari gate is famous for food and the rich architecture. Historians say that the red light area was originally in this gate near Chowk Matti but with the passage of time it shifted to Taxali. The remains of the huge havelis of dancers of those times are still there. The wonder of the Walled City, the Neevin Mosque, is also located inside this gate. It is a mosque twenty-five feet below ground level.
Then comes the Mori gate which is located in between the Bhatti gate and Lohari gate. This gate is the smallest among the 13 gates. It served to remove liter and waste from the Walled City. It was given a status of the gate in the British era.
The Shah Almi Gate, the largest market hub, was named after Mohammad Mo’azzam Shah Alam Bahadur Shah (the son and successor of Aurangzeb). He was a mild and generous emperor, who died in Lahore on the 28 February 1712. In this gate most famous markets exist of electronics, crockery, toys, cosmetics, etc. Today this is the biggest commercial area inside the walled city and provides goods to the entire city and beyond.
Another gate, Mochi gate, is the entrance of Mochi Bagh. There are two stories regarding Mochi Gate according to which it is said that, the gate was named Mochi Gate due to the cobbler shops situated in that area and the other story tells that the gate was named as Mochi after a guard Moti whose name was later distorted by the people to Mochi. Mochi gate contains shops of dry fruits, fireworks and kites.
Akbari Gate was named after the Mughal Emperor Akbar who had rebuilt the town and citadel. This gate was destroyed during the British rule and was never rebuilt. At present, there is a huge grain market close to this gate, also named after the emperor, “the Akbari Mandi” or the Akbari Market.
The gates and the fortified wall constructed by the Mughal Emperor Akbar were demolished during the British era. A circular garden and road was constructed instead, which still exists. The bricks of the demolished gates and walls were used in the construction of other building during the British era and Lahore Railway Station is one of them.
Only Roshnai Gate exists today in its original condition while most of the others like Delhi Gate, Sheran wala Gate, Kashmiri Gate, Bhati Gate, Lohari Gate and Mori Gate were reconstructed in the British period and some others like Masti Gate, Texali Gate, Mochi Gate and Akbari gate have no trace today.
In my opinion these gates or the marks of these gates must be restored for the generations ahead. Even the existing gates are encroached upon by many shops and residential structures. If the city is restored to its lost glory, I guess it will be the biggest tourist spot in Asia. I wish we start taking steps for achieving this goal.
