KASHMIRI GATE – A SPECTACLE OF PAST

The Walled City of Lahore has witnessed many notable eras and empires which painted Lahore in their own ways. In the narrow meandering streets of the old city you can still find remnants of the glorious past. It is not arduous to visualize the bygone majesty by looking at the countless striking structures that are still intact while some have crumbled to grime.

Among copious stunning monuments the gates of the walled city cannot be overlooked. The Walled City of Lahore was known so because of a 9 meter high brick wall having a rampart running around it. The thirteen wooden gates gave access to the city from all sides and were closed after sunset. The purpose was to protect the city from the enemies’ assail. These gates along the wall were constructed during Mughal Emperor Akbar’s era (1584 -1598). During Ranjit Singh’s (the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire 1799 to 1849) reign, the fast falling walls were rebuilt which existed till the 19th century. The Gates and Wall of the Walled City of Lahore were demolished during the British Raj. The bricks of bulldozed gates and walls were used in the construction of the Railway Station and other buildings by a contractor Mian Sultan.   Only the Roshnai Gate near the Samadhi of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh survived and still attains it originality. The additions of circular garden and circular road were made instead of the wall by the British. The historians claim that all the city gates were built on the pattern of Roshnai Gate. Some of the gates were rebuilt but in simple structures. The Delhi Gate and Lahori Gate, if taken a deep look, reflect the colonial architecture. Only six of the thirteen ancient gates are intact till today. It is said by the historians that some gates fell apart during the war of independence and were never reconstructed. The gates we see today are Delhi, Sheranwala, Bhatti, Kashmiri, Lohari and Roshnai, rest are a chapter of history now. I wish I could see the real stateliness of the city enclosed in a wall, just envision the life and defense measures in those times.

Kashmiri Gate falls between the Sheranwala and Masti Gates on the circular road and is adjacent to Delhi Gate. The Kashmiri Gate is named so because it faces the direction of Kashmir. During Mughal rule Kashmir had an immense importance and so did this gate. It is one of the gates which were reconstructed by the British in a much simpler form and has a similar architectural character as the Bhatti Gate. A lofty pointed archway is flanked by solid portions on either side which are divided into panels in the Mughal manner. Although constructed with brick masonry, it has been painted. A steep path constructed with Nanak Shahi bricks leads to the main road and is known as Kashmiri Ghatti (slope). There are remains of the old wall reconstructed in Ranjit Singh’s times accompanied by some worn-out buildings. The decrepit doors and balconies of these buildings still exist as a proof of past glory and transformations. It is a widespread bazaar with narrow markets and alleyways in every corner.

Like other gates, the interior of this gate has many shops which are mostly the encroachments. This is one of the main issues of deterioration of monuments inside the Walled City. Most of the Gates and monuments are encroached upon by several encroachments. As we traverse through the gates of the Walled City we start noticing the temporary stalls and vendors occupying the place. In this gate as well, there are tea, lassi, fruit and juice stalls.

 There is a girl’s school established in an old haveli. Nobody has any information about this haveli but in some history books it is mentioned as “Haveli Rani Gul Begum’. This Haveli was named after one of the wives of Maharaja Ranjit Singh who lived in this place after her marriage with Maharaja. The Maharaja at the age of 51 married this girl who was a courtesan and brought her to Lahore from Amritsar. At that time he bought her this Haveli inside Kashmiri Gate.

Another interesting fact about Kashmiri Gate is that it is located on the highest point indie The Walled City. The city was constructed over a mound and archival pictures and paintings show the gate as the highest point of the city. At the same point comes another marvel of the old times, near Kashmiri Ghatti, the Bangla of Ayub Shah. It was built in Sikh period. In 1849, and was taken over by an Afghan chieftain Ayub Shah. Bangla Ayub Shah was important as the “secret escape tunnels” emerged from there and headed towards River Ravi as it flowed near the gate. At present the only thing we see is a roman style veranda on the front side rest of the building has collided with the passage of time.

The area inside the Kashmiri gate is much commercialized than residential. The interesting streets are Takia Kabootar Shah, Katri Bawa and the Kashmiri Block. As we pass through the Kashmiri Block we can approach the Chunna Mandi College and the Janam Asthan of Guru Arjun Raam Daas who was the fourth of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism and was born in Chunna Mandi in 1534. On the other side, the road leads to the Chowk Purani Kotwali where Wazir Khan Mosque is located. The gate also leads towards Asia’s biggest cloth market, Azam Cloth market. This is an interesting and a colorful sight.

The passage is being used by tourists but unfortunately is not very popular in terms of a tourist trail. There is a lot of history to be shown in this route. The entire walled city is a labyrinth and any turning from any gate can lead you to a new location. It is better to have a tourist guide along if you are new to the place, but it’s a must visit site!

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

Mystifying Museum -- Cucoo’s Den

 It will not be erroneous if I deem the entire walled city of Lahore as a Living Museum. Is it obligatory to impound the museums in four walls with dim lights on the Artifacts? Let’s suppose something new today! A city that has old buildings of epochs, traditions, amalgamation of tangible and intangible culture, where every nook and corner, each house, every brick and balcony describes and illustrates you the chronicles of the past and has artifacts inside the houses, on the façades of the buildings or on the street, will it not be a museum? Yes surely it will be, and that is why the walled city is a living heritage a living museum, it’s just a matter of how we visualize our surroundings.

 Same is the case with the place I am writing about today, the Cucoo’s Den Museum located on the Fort Road Food Street. You might have gone there to taste the expensive food but did you ever wonder at the artifacts and the museum inside the building? I am sure you did not.

A decade earlier this place was dark and considered a taboo especially for females.  It was really hard for me to get permission from my parents for writing pieces on it. There was just one Cucoo’s Den on the Fort Road near Heera Mandi and no other restaurant existed. Uncle Iqbal was always kind enough to offer me tea during my work there and so were his sons; in short hospitality of the family was at its peak. Gradually the food street established and Cucoo’s den became a part of many other restaurants but the only thing that made it stand out was the museum inside it. Yes, there is a museum inside the Cucoo’s Den.

As you enter the tiny Iron Gate, you will come across a huge wooden door that leads you right inside the museum, it is no doubt mesmerizing and spellbinding. You will see a hall decorated with ancient tiles of Mughal and British era, especially the pieces from Shah Jahan’s reign. The family said that those were collected by their ancestors at that time. The starving Buddha in marble is another marvel. You come across another wooden door which is almost two hundred years old. A balcony that is almost five hundred years ago, and the family is now looking for some craftsman for its conservation and preservation. At one corner you will see the Hanuman (Hindu God) in its original shape and very well preserved. It was once part of some temple, but during the 1947 wars, this was brought at Cucoo’s. There is also a huge collection of bells and locks inside the museum. The most interesting thing I saw was the Mother Mary’s statue. These were two in the entire world, one in Italy and the other in Cucoo’s den. She is the Mary of Blessings. This masterpiece is also carved in pure white marble stone.

Inscriptions from the time of Jahangir, the Mughal Emperor and Shah Jahan’s period are also seen inside the den. Along with all these artifacts you will also see a paintings gallery. These are the paintings by Iqbal Hussain, the owner of Cucoo’s Den. In addition to being the owner of this establishment, the owner is also a renowned artist, who focused on painting courtesans of that area. Those paintings portray the life of those courtesans; however the most haunting thing in those pictures was the sadness in the eyes of all girls. His works convey all of these emotions and bring to life extraordinary characters that are often neglected or repulsed by the deceitful culture of our society. Being termed a controversial painter in Pakistan, Iqbal’s subjects sometimes tend to shock other painters, but Iqbal followed his own visions and continued to paint his unconventional and considerably innovative paintings. He enjoys a great reputation as an artist in the international art world. His paintings have been requested by Jordanian Princess Wijdan Ali for the Jordanian Gallery of Fine Arts. His were the only ones selected for Unesco Headquarters Prize in 1995, Paris. In 1998, one of his paintings was auctioned at the Sotheby’s Auction House in London.

Cucoo's Den was an old Haveli converted into a restaurant. The owner was born in this Haveli, some floors are still used as residential area, and the ground-floor and the rooftop have been converted into a seating area. Once you are done with admiring the art, climb up and up and emerge onto the roof top on a moonlit night - and gaze upon the Badshahi Mosque and the Lahore Fort. I can tell you, that I was breathless for a few minutes and same you will experience! Each step has an antique with it; each wall is decorated with an antique item. I suggest the museum is a must see and there is no ticket!

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