Red Light District of Lahore

LAHORE:The people of Lahore, when they want to emphasize the uniqueness of their town say "Lahore is Lahore". The traditional capital of Punjab for a thousand years, it had been the cultural center of Northern India extending from Peshawar to New Delhi. This preeminent position it holds in Pakistan as well. Lahore is the city of poets, artists and the center of film industry. It has the largest number of educational institutions in the country and some of the finest gardens in the continent. The city as we know it today, reached its peak of glory during the Moghul rulers, especially in the reign of Akbar the Great, who made it his capital. His son, Jehangir, is buried in its outskirts and his mausoleum is one of the places frequented by tourists and Lahorites alike. Close by is the mausoleum of the famous Moghul Empress, Nur Jehan, who is known for introducing the rose plant and for initiating several cultural movements in the Sub-Continent.Akbar the Great held his Court In Lahore for 14 years from 1584 to 1598, and built the Lahore Fort, as well as the city walls which had 12 gates. Some of these still survive. Jehangir and Shah Jehan, the builders of the Taj Mahal in Agra and the Shalamar Gardens in Srinagar and Lahore, built palaces and tombs. The last great Moghul Emperor, Aurangzeb (1838 - 1707) built Lahore's most famous monument, the great Badshahi Mosque. At that time the river Ravi, which now lies a few miles away from Lahore, touched the ramparts of the Fort and the Mosque. A stream still flaws there and is known as the"Old River". The Sikhs ruled it in the 18th and 19th centuries, and though it was their capital, they had a habit of damaging the Muslim monuments and took little interest in gardens. It is said that they took enough marble from the Moghul monuments of Lahore to build the Golden Temple at Amratsar twice over. Most of the gems that decorated the palaces and the forts were also taken out. BritishBritish were responsible for the desecration of many of Lahore's tombs and monuments. At one stage the Attorney General maintained an office at the Shah Chiragh Mosque, dak bungalows were built for the weekends at Shalamar Gardens. Anarkali's tomb was used as an office and later consecrated as a place of worship called St. Adrew's Church. It can also be conjectured that Lahore was an industrial center in the Moghul period. The famous guns which lie in front of the Central Museum and other places were molded in the foundries of Lahore. Their perfection shows that the industry was quite advanced. Within the walled city you may come across old Havelis or the spacious houses of the rich, which give you an inkling of the style of the rich and notables in the Moghul reign. Efforts are being made to preserve some of the buildings, along with their environments, but a great deal needs to be done to maintain them for posterity. The British during their reign (1849 -1947) compensated Lahore, by harmoniously combining Mughal, Gothic and Victorian styles of architecture. Victorian heritage is only next to Mughal monuments. The GPO and YMCA buildings built to commemorate the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria - an event marked by the construction of clock towers and monuments all over India. They built some important buildings, like the High Court. the Government College, the Museums, the National College of Arts, Montgomery Hall, Tollinton Market, the Punjab University (Old Campus) and the Provincial Assembly. At one end of The Mall stands the University - perhaps the largest center of education in Asia. The city has built a new Campus in the quieter environments on the Canal Bank, but the old University buildings are still functioning. Students from all over Pakistan come here to receive education. Their activities completely over shadow other aspects of the cultural life. Moti Masjid or Pearl Mosque beyond the audience hall was for the exclusive use of royal ladies carved from marble having the luster of pearls. Nearby "Naulakha", a marble pavilion is inlaid with floral motifs and precious gems. Sheesh Mahal (Palace of Mirrors) built in 1631 is the most richly decorated building inside Lahore Fort. it is named for the elaborate mosaic of convex mirrors set in Stucco work tracery and the gilded interior. Built by emperor Shah Jehan, for his empress and his harem, fretted marble work screens hiding the occupants from view. Lahore offers some delightful picnic spots. Tourists can find shady groves and green carpets at Shalamar Gardens, Jehangir's Tomb and the Jinnah Gardens, the Jallo Park the newly built lqbal Park and Changa Manga Forests. Boats can be hired at the river Ravi, or at Baradari, another of the river-side pleasure-houses built by the Mughals and an ideal place for relaxation Old Names Of LahoreLaha-warLaha-noorLoh-purMahmood-pur Labokla Samandpal Nagiri Lohar-pur
TimeLine of Lahore
1000 BC
Foundation of Lahore by Prince Loh, Son of Rama Chandra
630 AD
A Great Brahmanb City according to Hieun Tsang
800~900 AD
Under Brahmanb rule
975 AD
Subuktgin, father of Mahmood Ghaznavi of Ghazniinvades Lahore and defeats Raja Jaipal
1021 AD
Mahmood Ghaznavi Captures the City
1043 AD
Hindu Rajas of Northern India besiege Lahore for seven
1039~1099 AD
Golden Rule of Ghaznavids under Zahir-ud-Din Ibrahim
1157~1186 AD
Capital of Ghaznavids under twelfth GhaznavidEmperor
1186~1206 AD
Shahab-ud-Din Ghauri conquers Lahore and brings it under the Ghorid Empire
1241~1310 AD
The Mongols ransack Lahore several times
1398 AD
Tamerlane plunders Lahore
1236~1526AD
Lahore plays almost no role. The Khilji, Tughlaq, Syed and Lodhi dynasties succeed one another in Delhi till Babur captures it in 1524 and laysfoundations of the Moghul Empire
1524 AD
Babur captures Lahore
1554 AD
Babar's son Humayun returns in triumph after14 years of exile
1606 AD
Emperor Jehangir besieges Lahore
1622 AD
Jehangir fixes his court in Lahore
1629 AD
Shahjehan proclaimed emperor at Lahore
1629~1658AD
Lahore enjoys peace and prosperity under Ali Mardan and Wazir Khan, Governors of Emperor Shahjehan
1659 AD
Emperor Aurangzeb enters Lahore
1712 AD
Aurangzeb's death at Lahore
1739 AD
Nadir Shah Durrani, the King of Persia captures Lahore
1748~1767 AD
Nadir's successor, Ahmad Shah Abdali invades Lahore eight times
1764~1794 AD
Three Sikh Chiefs Lahna Singh, Sobha Singh and Gujjer Singh occupy Lahore
1799~1839 AD
Lahore under Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Sikh ruler of the Punjab
1839~1848 AD
Successors of Ranjit Singh
1849AD
Annexation of the Punjab by the British brings Lahore under their control
1857 AD
East India Company transfers its powers to theBritish crown and Lahore becomes part of the British Empire
1857~1947AD
British rule
1947 AD
Creation of Pakistan .





Rehma lives near ravi. He is an Aitchisonian. Like every lahori, he has to dress in designer clothes, no matter what. He is not flashy, yet discreetly designer- slightly touching the lahori vanity. But then like most of them, he is a ‘jigar’. The concept of being a ‘jigar’ epitomizes lahori lifestyle. It includes ‘kulf’walay shalwar kameez, a stuck out chest(no matter how small), a gold chain and sheer bravado - ‘uthwa day gain’, ‘marwa day gain’ sort of thing. You have to see it to understand.



Ifti has lived in Lahore his whole life. He actually belongs to Sargodha. He too is an Aitchisonian. He symbolizes the elite -the confusion, the manners, the future. The team of servants from ‘lands’, the Toyotas and civics, gymkhana membership, tennis and American education - political correctness taken to a new height. Torn between discipline and frivolity, he throws all-male/no booze parties on new years, dresses in DKNY suits but thinks ‘Pace’ is expensive. The perfect job awaits him on his return from New York.

Aicthison college and hira mandi are the two most famous relics of Lahore. They both are similar in the duties they perform- hira mand produces vulgar prostitutes who sell their bodies while Aitchison produces decent pimps who sell their country. Both of them boast an imperial past of satisfying and serving their british masters - the later more than the former.The difference just lies in the locality they reside in and the clothes they wear. They both adapt to new changes, learn from surroundings and flourish as time goes on.

Lahore celebrates basant like no other city. Females clad in yellow rub shoulders with their society-mates on terrace floors, amid loud music, cautious flirting and bits and pieces of kite flying. Its a status symbol for some and source of fun for others. The higher your status is, the taller your building is and the better your whisky brand. This is the only time when ‘begum sahibs’ tag along with their husbands to the vicinity of ‘hira-mandi’; the rest of the year husbands come alone. Basant is celebrated with all the passion that the city has. The ‘dhools’ and ‘hawai-firings’ dominate the day. Quite a few unlucky citizens die every year. But basant goes on to be celebrated with fervour and intensity. Soon there will be a ‘basant national holiday’.
Lahore lives through the rain. It has lived through everything - invasions, rallies, strikes. Solid walls surround the city, yet pliable people, adapting to changes. Its said, ” if you haven’t seen Lahore, you haven’t been born”. There is an energy in the city life. It touches everyone. Maybe that’s how metropolitan cities are; with a force of their own. The old city is a marvel, with decaying, yet still intact mughal architecture. However, where once shahjahan romanced anarkali, now amir has left his love for shazia, or S has left a heart for Z , and the exact date of when adnan visited the building. Lahore indeed is a fascinating city.