Lahore
From Exampleproblems
Lahore (لاەور) is a major city in Pakistan and is the capital of the province of Punjab. A native of Lahore is called a Lahori.
It is located near the river Ravi and the Indian border, at 31.5710 North, 74.3130 East. Lahore has 8.5 million inhabitants and thus is the second largest city in Pakistan, (Karachi being the largest). It is considered to be the 45th largest city of the world. Punjabi is the language of the province, and is the most widely spoken language in Lahore. Punjabi spoken by the people of Lahore is known as Lahori Punjabi due to a mixture of Punjabi and colloquial Urdu spoken in Lahore. Lahore is largely thought of as the cultural centre of Pakistan ever since its accession by Mughal rulers since the 16th century A.D.This is apparent by the vast array of historic buildings, presence in architecture and scenery. A truly beautiful city, with thousands of years of history.
History
According to a legend, Lahore was named by Loh (called Luv in Sanskrit), the once ruler, son of Rama, the hero of the Hindu epic Ramayana.
The city came under Muslim rule due to the raids of Mahmud of Ghazni, who placed it under the rule of his beloved slave, Malik Ayaz. When Qutb-ud-din Aybak was crowned in 1206 here, he became the first Muslim Sultan of the Indian subcontinent. From 1524 to 1752 Lahore was part of the Mughal Empire.
During Akbar's rule, Lahore was the capital of the empire from 1584 to 1598. During this time a massive fort, the Lahore Fort, was built on the fundaments of an older fort in the 1560s. This fort was later extended by Jahangir and Shah Jahan.
The last of the Mughals, Aurangzeb, ruling from 1658 to 1707, built the city's most famous monuments, the Badshahi Masjid and the Alamgiri Gate next to the Lahore Fort. The Sikhs ruled it in the 18th and 19th centuries, making Lahore the capital of sovereign Punjab. However the last bloody Anglo-Sikh war resulted in very narrow British victory thus bringing Lahore under the rule of the British crown. On partition of British India in 1947 into India and Pakistan, Lahore passed into the newly formed Pakistan.
The famous British author and poet, Joseph Rudyard Kipling, lived in Lahore during the 1880s, where his parents were also working. Kipling began working as an editor for a local newspaper and continued tentative steps into the world of poetry; his first professional sales were in 1883.
Sites of interest
Roshnai Gate area
The Badshahi Masjid, one of the world's largest mosques and one of humanity's greatest architectural treasures, is located just outside the Northeast corner of the Walled City. Opposite is the historic Lahore Fort which houses the famous Sheesh Mahal, or Palace of Mirrors. Between the two buildings is a garden known as Hazuri Bagh in which Maharaja Ranjit Singh built a baradari, a decorated marble pavilion. Every Sunday afternoon story-tellers, poets and singers gather in the garden to continue their oral tradition, often reciting Waris Shah's Heer, Bulleh Shah, Farid Ganjshakar or other Punjabi literature.
The Mausoleum of Muhammad Iqbal is also located in this garden, near the Eastern wall of the Badshahi Masjid. On the Northern side of the garden is the Samadhi of Ranjit Singh. Very close to that is the shrine of Syed Ali Hajveiri (ra), who is popularly known as Data Ganj Bukhsh and is famous as the Patron Saint of Lahore. The shrine is referred to by many as, "Data Sahib."
The Southern side of Hazuri Bagh is bounded by the wall of the Walled City, with the Roshnai Gate serving as an entrance. Roshnai Gate leads into the Shahi Mohalla quarter of the Walled City, also known as Hira Mandi. Shahi Mohalla offers a large variety of traditional food, including the famous Phajje ke Paye.
The Minar-e-Pakistan is a white marble construction and is fashioned as a commemorative tower that was built to remind its visitors of the famous "Pakistan Resolution" passed by the All India Muslim League, in 1940. This resolution was the first public expression of intent on the part of the mulims of United India to build their own homeland - Pakistan - A country that would guarantee them their freedom and liberty. The Minar (or Tower) is located in Iqbal Park, across the road from the Badshahi Masjid complex.
Masti Gate area
Just behind the Lahore Fort is the Masti Gate entrance. This area is dominated by wholesale shoesellers, or both traditional and Western style shoes. Further down the street is located one of the cities oldest mosques, the Mosque of Mariyam Zamani, named after the mother of Jahangir.
The Lohari Gate
This Gate is very close to Bhati Gate and it was build, like many other gates, to keep the enemies out. Now, it is surrounded by shops and has significance of great architenture. In urdu "loha" means Iron. The gate is named Lohari because on the out side of this gate many Lohars (Black Smiths) lived and they had their workshops there.
Bhati Gate area
The Bhati Gate entrance is located on the Western wall of the Old City. The area inside the gate serves is well known throughout the city for its food. Just outside of Bhati Gate is Data Durbar, the mausoleum of the Sufi saint Ali Hajweri (also known as Data Sahib Ganjbaksh). Every Thursday evening musicians gather here to perform Qawwali music.
The Kashmiri Gate
The Kashmiri Gate faces the direction of Kashmir. Inside the area there is a shopping area called "Kashmiri Bazaar".
The Shairan Walan Gate
The Shairan Walan (Gate with lions)
Delhi Gate area
Delhi Gate is an entrance on the Eastern wall of the Walled City, named because it faces the road towards Delhi (now part of India).
Inside the gate on the left hand side is located the Shahi Hammam, or "Royal Baths". Further down the bazaar, one will find the beautiful Wazir Khan Mosque, named after a viceroy of the Punjab during the reign of Shah Jahan. Further inwards, the road leads towards the Sonehri Masjid.
Railway Station area
Lahore Railway Station, Dai Anga Mosque, Landa Bazaar
Railways HQ
Pakistan Railways HQ is also located in lahore. Pakistan Railways provides an important mode of Transportation in the farthest corners of the country and brings them closer for Business, sight seeing, pilgrimage and education. It has been a great integrating force and forms the life line of the country by catering to its needs for large scale movement of people and freight.
The possibility of Karachi as a sea port was first noticed in the mid of 19th century and Sir Henry Edward Frere who was appointed Commissioner of Sind after its annexation with Bombay in 1847 sought permission from Lord Dalhousie to begin survey of sea port. He also initiated the survey for Railway line in 1858 . It was proposed that a railway line from Karachi City to Kotri, steam navigation up the Indus /Chenab upto Multan and from there an other railway to Lahore and beyond be constructed.
It was on 13th May,1861 that first railway line was opened for public traffic between Karachi City and Kotri, the distance of 105 miles. The line between Karachi City and Keamari was opened on 16.6.1889.By 1897 the line from Keamari to Kotri was doubled.
The railway line from Peshawar to Karachi closely follows Alexander’s line of march through the Hindu Kush to the sea. Different sections on existing main line from Peshawar to Lahore and Multan and branch lines were constructed in the last quarter of 19th century and early years of 20th century.
The 4 sections i.e.Scinde railways, Indian Flotilla company Punjab railway and Delhi railways working in a single company were later on amalgamated into Scinde, Punjab & Delhi railways company and was purchased by the Secretary of State for India in 1885 and in January, 1886 it was named North Western State Railways which was later on renamed as North Western Railways.
At the time of partition, North Western Railway’s 1847 route mile was transferred to India leaving route miles 5048 to Pakistan. In 1954 The railway line was extended to Mardan and Charsada section and in 1956 Jacababad-Kashmore 2’-6’’ line was converted into broad gauge. Kot Adu-Kashmore line was constructed between 1969 to 1973 providing an alternate route from Karachi to up country.
addenda by b.b.goyal, barnala: lahore railways station is beautiful. i have spent some time there. it looks more cute especially in night time when lights are glowing. http://www.bbgoyal.com and http://www.barnala.co.in. regards,
Anarkali
Anarkali Bazaar is a concentrated area of every type of shop imaginable. Foreign-made goods are readily available, as well as all domestic products, from brassware to tailored suits.
Chauburji
On the road that led southwards to Multan, the Chauburji gateway remains of an extensive garden know to have existed in Mughal times. The establishment of this garden is attributed to Mughal princes in 1646, which appears in one of the inscriptions on the gateway. The gateway consists of four towers and contain much of the brilliant tile work mostly turquoise colored with which the entire entrance is covered. One of the towers at the northwestern corner collapsed, its foundations perhaps eroded by the waters of the flooding Ravi. This has however been restored as much as was reasonably possible and the gateway now looks as it might have done during the time of its Mughal patroness.The restoration was carried out by the Department of Archeology in the late in1960's. The architecture of Chauburji represents a strong blend of Mughal architecture with ancient Muslim style of building. The red brickwork is typical of the Muslim buildings of the sub-continent; the doorways and windows running through the interior corridors are exemplary of the living style that characterized the Mughal buildings. However, the main purpose of building Chauburji appears strictly to be monumental, as its presence in the heart of Lahore signifies a strong sense of Mughal architectural beauty. The delicately lofty building standing alone in an island of traffic on the Multan Road is now commonly known as Chaburji because of its four (chau) minarets (burji). Originally it was gateway to the Garden of Zebunnisa or Zebinda Begum, the accomplished daughter of Aurangzeb. This garden is believed to have been extended from Nawankot in the south to the main city of Lahore towards north. However, no traces of such an expansive garden are now available. A fragmentary inscription on the eastern archway records that the garden was built in A.H. 1056 i.e. 1646. According to this inscription it was built by Sahib-e-Zebinda (one endowed with elegance), Begum Dauran (the lady of Ages) and was bestowed upon Mian Bai, Fakhrunnisa (the pride of Ladies).
Gawal Mandi
Ichhra
Tomb of Shah Jamal, Pappu Sain
Mall Road
Pak Tea House, Lawrence Gardens, Aitchison College Punjab Assembly[1]
Shalimar Gardens
Tomb of Lal Hussain, Mela Chiraghan, Shalimar Gardens
Shahdara
Tomb of Jahangir, Tomb of Noor Jehan
Shimla Pahari
The mausoleum of Bibi Pak Daman
Legendry Traditional Lahori Resturants/Cafes
- Pak Tea House, Anarkali, Lahore
- Phajay kay Paye, Heera Mandi, Lahore
- Sardar kee Machli/Sardar's Fish, Mozang Chungi, Lahore
- Waris Nihari, Paisa Akhbar, Lahore
- Muhammadi Nihari, Mozang Chungi, Lahore
- Bhayay kay Kabab/Bhaya's Kabab, Model Town, Lahore
- Bashir Dar-ul-Mahi/Bashir's Fish Corner, Mozang Chungi, Lahore
Towns of Lahore
- Gulberg
- Gulberg II
- GUlberg III
- Faisal town
- Johar town
- Wapda town
- Defence housing authority or DHA
- Model Town
- Cantt
- Iqbal Town
Education in Lahore
Lahore boasts hundred's of schools, private and public. The recent decade has witnessed a major surge in higher education institutions' numbers. Lahore is the city of the enlightened, and the land of people who love and respect knowledge. A list of premier education institutions in the city of Lahore is given below:
Major Universities and Colleges
- University of the Punjab
- University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore
- Government College University
- Aitchison College
- Lahore University of Management Sciences
- University of Centeral Punjab(PCBA/PICS)
- Lahore College for Women University
- Lahore School of Economics (LSE)
- COMSATS Insitute of Information Tecnology
- University of Lahore
- National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (formerly FAST)
- King Edward Medical College
- Forman Christion College, A charted University.
- Iqra university
- Beaconhouse informatics
