HAMMAM WALI MASJID – UNNOTICED!

After about two hundred years it was during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar the great that Lahore saw a mighty period of serenity and tranquility. Many religious and political movements took place before the period of Akbar. After his taking over Lahore the building of mosques and other monuments nurtured like never before. Most of the towns got mosques and other monuments constructed during this period. The records show that Lahore remained hub of major activity under the rule of Mughal Emperor Akbar and his descendants. The thirty feet high city wall and the thirteen gates of Lahore are all credited to the same period and emperor. Akbar is the Mughal Emperor who rebuilt the Lahore Fort with burnt bricks and added special features to it, and the State Balcony in Deewan-e-Aam is one of the remains. The Mughal Emperor himself stayed at Lahore from 1593 to 1596. It was also during this period that Lahore was made the seat of the governance. This is the time when Lahore actually started gaining its splendor to which the other Mughal Emperors added later on. Though the Mughal Emperor had a secular mindset in terms of religion, still many Mosques along with Hindu Temples were built during his reign.

Through my continuous excursions to the walled city I came across Hammam Wali Masjid. Entering the Lohari Gate and going towards Sootar Mandi, you will find an old mosque adjacent to the area of the Haveli Nawab Sheikh Imam Ud din. This Mosque is locally known as Masjid Hammam Wali which means the old Mosque of the Hammam, because of a Hammam (royal bath) nearby. The Hammam is now not seen anywhere anymore, but is the Mosque is named so; there must have been a community / royal bath around. On asking the locals about it very few knew the details of the Mosque, but luckily the Imam of the Mosque was a good resource. He said that the Mosque was built during the Mughal Emperor Akbar’s reign. Now the Mosque has no reflection of that era, it has lost the original fabric and glory. It is a three doorway structure which looks small if compared to other mosques of Mughal period like Wazir Khan, Mariam Zamani or Badshahi Mosque, but it is quite similar to Golden Mosque and Neevin Masjid in size and style of construction. It is evident that not only it has been repaired a number of times but its floors were also re-laid, as everything is built with new material now. All the three domes stand on low neck, which meet the dome in the shape of arch. Despite all the changes over different period of time the Mosque still is an example of burnt-brick building and belongs to an old era.

Kanhaiya Lal also writes in his book ‘History of Lahore’, that this Mosque is attributed to the period of Mughal Emperor Akbar.  This is another proof of ascribing this Mosque to that period.  

In some portions of the Mosque ages old calligraphy, as seen in the Golden Mosque or the Wazir Khan, is slightly visible under the thick layers of white wash. This is a menace that we do to our buildings because of ignorance. Beautiful fresco remains and other designs are painted with white wash.  Other than this, the building of the Mosque is not very well kept and the locals of the area fund for its maintenance. It is not listed as a protected monument by the Archeology Department as well, maybe because the Mosque has lost all its value, but the history is still there. It is no doubt an old mosque! I guess the Auqaf Department must take notice of this Mosque and maintain it. Moreover, for tourist attraction, as the history is much attractive, there should be some plaques placed outside the Mosque and it should be included in the guided tours. Lohari Gate is already famous for enticing food, havelis and other mosques and Chowks. This must also be a tourist spot if there is a guided tour to Lohari Gate.

I am afraid that if we go on with this attitude towards the remains of heritage, we will soon be losing much of it. What will we have for our future generations to see? All over the world even a piece of rock or a tree is also preserved for the generations, but we are ignoring huge buildings and monuments, that’s a point to think over again and again and take some serious steps.

(The writer is a media professional and can be reached at taniaq29@gmail.com)