The Symbol of Romance"Sheesh Mahal"

Unable to Conclude Mughal's journey in subcontinent either they are warriors or lovers. Lover of Indians, lover of arts and culture, lovers of food and music and lover of historical buildings.Love with subcontinent remain them alive in the hearts of local people and for the whole world who has been visited Lahore, Rajistan, Agra and Delhi etc. A love with north India can be seen in different foods,arts and architecture. A"Sheesh Mahal"another romantic story of Mughal emperor and the gift for Lahore.Sheesh Mahal or The palace symbol of romance "Sheesh Mahal"or mirrors we can say is located in low fort Lahore. It was built by the great Mughal king Shah Jahan in year 1631-32.Its construction with white marble and pieces of mirror of high quality made it unique. Shah Jahan and royal family used it for personal use during their visits in Lahore.Uniques artistic works made this historical place in the list of UNESCO World Heritage in 1981. (Researchgate, 2018)

Shah Jahan known as the lover of art and culture and his courage and interest can be seen in the design and construction work of the Sheesh Mahal.The materials used in Sheesh Mahal are high quality mirrior pices, marble, precious stones, convex glass, mirror mosaic. the decorative features also include stucco tracery and carved marble screens in geometrical and tendril designs. The roof of the central hall rises up to two storeys. The hall was originally decorated with fresco paintings that were later replaced with glass mosaic in different colors. Sheesh Mahal has many rooms and main hall, which is in rectangular shape. Sheesh Mahal's main pain portion is 26.5ft wide and 67.5ft in length and back is 30.5ft and it has 15.5 ft x 15.5 ft hexagonal chambers on its both sides.(Researchgate, 2018).Overall Area of Shish Mahal is in square form.Overall, Sheesh Mahal are gilt work include raw gold, precious stones and marbles. Marble asloused for screening and convex glass mosaic work) with monabat Kari or stucco tracery.Marble stone slabs, Sang-e-Musa,Sang-e-Abri, Sang-e-Badal added the beauty of the spacious courtyard in front of the palace.The shallow water basin is constructed in the center of Mahal that comprises four jet fountains.The other buildings are connected with basin through the four water channels on each side. (pakistan today, 2018) The mirror reflects the stars and the bedrooms presents, in its ceiling, the panorama of a starlit sky. The exterior wall of the Sheesh Mahal presents the beautiful mosaic paintings.

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Colors of Lahore "The Basant Festival"

Colors of Lahore "The Basant Festival"

Family bussy in Kite Flyining

Lahore is the city of joy food and entertainment. The city of hearts always enjoys life at any cost. The city of life is full of culture and historical places. A city of life is full of heritage so how they can live with our fun activities. To enjoy time and fun at home and towns Lahore people likes to fly kites in the later part of the winter and in beginning of springs.The Basant Kite Festival, where people fly kites and spend time.The Kite Basanat is very famous and popular among kids, adults and older people.  In united north India includes Hyderabad Dakhan, Delhi, Rajistan and Punjab peasant is the festival, which people like to celebrate as a cultural thing. According to the Punjabi calendar it is held on the fifth day of the lunar month of Magha (in late January or early February) marking the start of spring. Amritsar, Lahore, Kasur, Gujharawala, Gujar Khan, and Rawalpindi are the traditional areas where kite flying festivals are held. A popular Basant Mela is held in Lahore. However, the festival has also been traditionally celebrated in areas such as Sialkot, Gujranwala and Gurdaspur.(locally lahore)

Colours of Basant

Historically, Maharaja Ranjit Singh held an annual Basant fair and introduced kite flying as a regular feature of the fairs held during the 19th century, which included holding fairs at Sufi shrines. Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his queen Moran would dress in yellow and fly kites on Basant. The association of kite flying with Basant soon became a Punjabi tradition with the center in Lahore which remains the regional hub of the festival throughout the Punjab region.Indeed, Maharaja Ranjit Singh held a Darbar or court in Lahore on Basant, which lasted ten days during which time soldiers would dress in yellow and show their military prowess. Other traditions of the Basant in Lahore included women swaying on the swings and singing. Now Punjab is divided between Pakistan and India and people still celebrates peasant kite festival both sides of the border.Lahore holds this festival of fly kite after separation and lead it on an international level. we can say that Lahore was the brand of the basant festival for many years. This activity engaged different industries such as hoteling, food, cotton and paper. Because wood, paper and cottons are used to make kites and Tring (door or dagha). During the basant festival Lahore become the city of color.People arrange parties like a religious festival. the invite friends and family for the whole spring season to fly kites and arrange concerts and sing the songs of happiness and wear colorful dresses. Nowadays, government ban this festival because they are unable to manage this festival which shows bad management.(research guide)

Colour of kites

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 The Gates of Lahore

More than one thousand year old city of lahore"the heart of pakistan" is the cultural and business hub of the county.It is famours becasue of its cultural activites,food parks historical building ,town gates etc.Today we are going to discuss its gate.In old era ,administarion of that time build gates to protect publics.Arroding to the reaseach ,there are 13 gates in lahore city. Lahori Gate is also known as Lohari gate. According to some historians, the original (old) city of Lahore was originally located near Ichhra, and this gate opened towards that side.13  different gates in lahore and there are 13 different stories related with these gates

The Raushnai Gate, or the "Gate of Light" is between the royal mosque and the citadels.

The Raushnai Gate

2. The Kashmiri Gate is so called because it faces the direction of Kashmir. 

Kashmiri gate

3. The Masti Gate: is not the actual name but is rather twisted and pronounced instead of "Masjidi," which means a mosque. 

The Masti Gate 

4. The Khizri or the Sheranwala Gate. As already noted, the river in former times flowed by the city walls, and the ferry was near this spot. The gate was, therefore, named Khizri, after the name of Khizr Elias, the patron saint, according to the Mahomedan belief, of running waters and streams, and the discoverer of the water of immortality. 

The Khizri or the Sheranwala Gate

5. The Yakki Gate. The original name was "Zaki," which was derived from the name of a martyr saint, who, according to tradition, fell fighting against the Moghal infidels from the north, while gallantly defending his city 

Zaki Gate

6. The Dehli Gate is so called because of its opening on to the highway from Lahore to Delhi. same in Delhi  there is lahori gate.Just wow. what a tourism  india and pakistan must open tourism again .Do not spoil the asset of history. Mughals are not only brutals only.they are artist and they love builds parks.Mughals are really great.This is a really culture of lahore.

Read  MOre and Watch about  this famour Delhi gate 

https://youtu.be/cNvYXU8hKS0

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2015/10/11/delhi-gate-a-must-see-heritage/

The Dehli gate

7. The Akbari Gate was named after Mahomed Jala-ud-din Akbar, who rebuilt the town and citadel. 

The Akbari Gate

8. The Mochi Gate is the name wrongly pronounced. It was name was actually Moti meaning a pearl. It was called so after the name of Moti Ram, an officer of Akbar, who resided here at that time.

Moti Ram or Mochi Gate

 

 

9. The Shah 'Almi Gate was named after Mohomed 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 28th February 1712. 

The Shah 'Almi Gate

The Shah 'Almi Gate

10. The Lahori Gate also known as the Lohari gate has been named after the city of Lahore. 

Lahori gate

11. The Mori Gate is the smallest of the gateways and as its name implies, was in old times used as an outlet for the refuse and sweepings of the city. 

The Mori Gate

 

The Mori Gate

12. The Bhatti Gate was named after the Bhatis, an ancient Rajput tribe who inhabited these quarters in old times. 

The Bhatti Gate

The Bhatti Gate

13. The Taxali Gate was named after the Taxal or royal mint, that used to be in its neighborhood during the period of the Mahomedan Emperors.  

The Taxali Gate

The Taxali Gate

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The Shah Jahan's Shalimar Garden Lahore

The Shalimar Garden

After warrior in India, where the empire became stronger than the past. Mughals start designing subcontinent with art, music and culture. Shah Jahan was a boy when the first great Kashmiri gardens were built. They far surpassed the gardens of Agra, Lahore, and Delhi for their beauty, layout, and innovative uses of water. In building Shalamar, Shah Jahan sought to bring Kashmir down to the plains. The waterworks and terraces of Shalamar were unprecedented in Lahore. But gardens in other regions like Kashmir helped to shape Shah Jahan's innovations at Shalamar.Actually, there were five geographical sources of inspiration for Shalamar; Central Asia, Kashmir, Western Punjab, Persia, and the Delhi Sultanate. Try to imagine Shalamar garden as it was during Mughal times a magnificent royal stopping-place in the eastern suburbs of Lahore. In those days travelling would approach the garden on foot or on horseback. Even if one were in Lahore, it took many hours to get there. During that time, the traveler would realize how closely Shalamar garden was related to the Ravi River. The garden stood virtually alone upon the river bank.Its three broad terraces stepped majestically down to the floodplain. A broad canal led from the river to the garden, feeding hundreds of fountains, pools, and lushly irrigated plantings. The surrounding landscape seemed flat, dry, and scrubby in comparison. Shalamar garden is the real face of Shah Jahan’s creative imagination and his romance with an art and nature. The Shalimar Gardens are a Mughal garden complex located in Lahore, .Construction of the gardens began in 1637 C.E. during the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan and was completed in 1641.

The Shalimar Gardens were laid out as a Persian paradise garden. The gardens measure 658 meters by 258 meters, and cover an area of 16 hectares east of Lahore. The gardens are enclosed by a brick wall that is famous for its intricate fretwork. Shalamar Garden includes fountains, from this basin, and from the canal, rise 410 fountains, which discharge into wide marble pools. It is a credit to the creativity of Mughal engineers that even today, scientists are unable to fully comprehend the water systems and thermal engineering from architectural blueprints.The surrounding area is rendered cooler by the flowing of the fountains, which is a particular relief for visitors during Lahore's blistering summers. There few buildings include, Sawan Bhadun pavilions Naqar Khana and its buildings, Khwabgah or Sleeping chambers, Hammam or Royal bath, The Aiwan or Grand hall, etc. Moreover, In the Garden number of trees with different varieties are available and they are Almond, Apple, Apricot, Cherry, Gokcha, Mango, Mulberry, Peach, Plum, Poplar, Quince seedless, Sapling of Cypress and Sour and sweet oranges. The world first became familiar with Mughal’s artist mind in 1981 when Shalamar Garden were inscribed as UNESCO world heritage site

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The Lahore a City of Tradition

Lahore is one of the oldest city of Pakistan and the capital of the province of Punjab. This city is full of historical buildings, parks, gates and many other cultural activities. Lahore is suited on the river raavi.As it is the in Punjab, which is known as the land of five rivers.Lahore is the second largest populated city in pakistan. The city is located in the north-eastern end of Pakistan throughout history.Lahore is the historic, cultural center of the Punjab region and is the largest Punjabi city in the world. The Mughals and Sikhs had a great and splendid romance with Lahore as they both work hard in the field of arts and architecture and buildings to make Lahore beautiful and historical time to time. In the Mughal period Lahore reached the height of its splendor under the Mughal Empire, serving as its capital city for a number of years. Lahore had been called by different names throughout history.To date, there is no conclusive evidence as to when it was founded. Some historians trace the history of the city as far back as 4000 years ago.Lahore situated on the route east of the Indus River, in a region described as extending along the Jhelum, Chenab, and Ravi rivers which may have been in reference to the ancient settlement of Lahore. Lahore reached the zenith of its glory during the Mughal rule from 1524 to 1752.Many of Lahore's most renowned sites date from this period, and include the Badshahi Mosque, Wazir Khan Mosque, the Lahore Fort, and the Shalimar Gardens. After Mughal and Sikh era, British Raj came to inaction and the British East India Company first seized control of Lahore in 1846, and the remainder Punjab by 1849.At the commencement of British rule, Lahore was estimated to have a population of 120,000.In British Rule, Lahore progress and developments in modern ways. As British converted Mughal era’ building for public uses in term of colleges, university civil stations, municipal officers, such as the civil secretariat, Public Works Department, and Accountant General's Office.

A person later in British Raj, known as sir Ganga Ram design most of building in Lahore and he also known as the father of modern Lahore. Lahore is past and the present famous with its traditional sweet and spicy foods, Historical buildings, parks, Sufism, its spring festivals like miles and pleasant and spring festivals. In British rules Lahore became modern with universities and colleges and they built many famous art colleges i.e. National College of Arts, Government College, Lahore and Punjab University are famous which gave the world artist doctors, engineer’s actors and actress.Lahore remains a major tourist destination in Pakistan. Particularly the Walled City of Lahore which was renovated in 2014 is popular due to presence of UNESCO World Heritage Site's Among the most popular sights are the Lahore Fort, located in adjacent to the Walled City, is home to Sheesh Mahal, Alamgiri Gate, Naulakha pavilion, and Moti Masjid. The fort along with the adjoining Shalimar Gardens has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981.

The city is home to several ancient religious sites, including prominent Hindu temples, the Krishna Temple and Valmiki Mandir Samadhi of Ranjit Singh, also located near the Walled City, houses the funerary urns of the Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The most prominent religious building is the Badshahi Mosque, constructed in 1673, it was the largest mosque in the world upon construction. Another popular site is the Wazir Khan Mosque, which is known for its extensive faience tile work was constructed in 1635.The people of Lahore celebrate many festivals and events throughout the year, blending Mughal, Western, and other traditions. Eid UL-Fitr and, Eid UL-Adha is celebrated. Many people decorate their houses and light candles to illuminate the streets and houses during public holidays; roads and businesses. The mausoleum of Ali Hujwiri, also known as Data Ganj Bakhsh or Data Sahib, is located in Lahore, and an annual URS is held every year as a big festival. Basant is a Punjabi festival marking the coming of spring.Basant celebrations in Pakistan are centered in Lahore, and people from all over the country and from abroad come to the city for the annual festivities. Kite-flying competitions traditionally take place on city rooftops during Basant. Lahore is the Hub of Punjabis Muslims and Sikhs, where these people are famous for their hospitality and also Lahore has a modern link of transports where there are airports, train stations, public and private taxis, buses available and people also speak English and Urdu along Punjabis.

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