Daily Times

oori Bai was a renowned dancing girl who lived inside the Lohari Gate of old Lahore during the Sikh rule in Punjab. Being affluent and well heeled, she was among those dancing girls who had built huge mansions and havelis in old Lahore. Poori Bai, as the locals called her at that time, was famous for her dance, etiquettes, clientele and standards. The royals and nobles would talk about her, and her performance was part of all the opulent gatherings. This rich dancing girl left behind a haveli, which with the passage of time became known as ‘Noori Manzil’ or ‘Noori Haveli’. Poori Bai died, but the haveli still lives on.

The Noori Haveli resides inside the Lohari Gate of Androon Shehr Lahore, near ‘Mohalla Peer Shirazi’. Of course, the Haveli is in shambles today, and it must not be in the same condition back in the time. Reflecting from its structure, it was a majestic piece of Sikh architecture in the olden days. The balconies, jharokas, line work, carvings on ceilings and roofs, high rise pillars, open courtyard and gaudily carved rooms reflect the glory of this deceased building. This huge haveli, now occupied by shoe makers, must have been a splendor of the past. Imagine the silk curtains, the brass crockery, floral décor with garlands hanging around them and the aroma of perfumes inside that would welcome everyone, followed by a sweet traditional drink. But gone are those times. Today, the structure of the building is intact but needs preservation before it collapses entirely and is lost forever.

Noori Manzil is a two-storey building with 32 rooms. Many of the rooms are now closed, as they are considered to be haunted by the owners. The few rooms that have been left open on the ground floor have been occupied by shoe makers and members of the owner’s family. It is important to note here that the owners of the haveli are not economically stable, the reason why any sort of rehabilitation work has not been carried out and the haveli is becoming dilapidated with every passing day. According to the residents, initially, a stable for horses has now converted into shops. The haveli also occupies an area of 27 Marlas, which is considered huge inside the walled city, at present. It was allotted to the family after the partition in 1947 after the Sikhs moved out.

One can ask anybody about the haveli from Mohalla Peer Shirazi, and they will be able to tell you the way. As you reach the place, a narrow dark doorway will lead you to it. As you cross the pitch dark alley, you will land in an open courtyard with mind-blowing architecture. It is unmatchable, I must say. A reasonably large courtyard inside the walled city, the façade is mesmerizing and will grab your senses. The courtyard is a derelict beauty but still staggering for anyone who goes there. The haveli is open to visitors at all times. Residents say that the courtyard was previously a living area between the rooms (or a big performance hall), but as the roof collapsed, it turned into a courtyard. On both sides of the courtyard are the main rooms, decorated with carved and brick balconies reflecting Sikh architecture. A narrow dark staircase leads you to the upper portion of the haveli, which leads you to an amazing view. As I walked through it on my own, I was terrified by the wrecked structures. It seemed as if the first floor was hanging in the air and was moving. Most of the decorative ceilings and open spaces in the haveli are covered with bird droppings and debris that are also found in rooms, galleries as well as the dark narrow staircase. There is a definite lack of maintenance.

Once, while I was visiting a small village called Ghukal Ghalotian, near Sialkot, I came across a similar haveli to my surprise. The haveli was in private use but was a Sikh construction with a very similar layout plan. I would suggest anyone visiting this location to see this place. Also, near the haveli is a gurdwara, which endorses the fact that it was built during the Sikh period.

Coming back to our topic of Noori Manzil, people usually wonder how a dancing girl was living in Lohari when the red light area was located inside the famous Taxali Gate. Well, that’s another interesting story. Historians say that the red light area was initially located inside the Lohari Gate before the Sikh rule, and most of the affluent dancers had built beautiful havelis in Lohari. The famous chowk inside the Lohari Gate, Matti Chowk was also named after a prominent prostitute, Matti Bai. Even today, as you pass through the streets of the Lohari Gate, you will come across many havelis and mansions. With the passage of time, the red light district was shifted to Chowk Jhanda, then Tibbi Gali, eventually spreading over the Heera Mandi.

Havelis are a unique feature of old Lahore, and this sort of architecture and construction is hard to find in the bigger city. There are a few havelis left in the Walled City of Lahore, as most of the Mughal era havelis were pulled down during the Sikh riots; some were affected by the floods and some which were later constructed by the Sikhs, were replaced by commercial plazas or demolished. At present, most of the havelis we see in old Lahore belong from the Sikh era. The Noori Manzil is a doll house but in fiasco and is one of the few remaining havelis in Lahore. A proper renovation plan is needed, and it should be converted into a tourist site before we lose this gem too soon.

The writer is a media professionaland can be reached at heritagechroniclestq@gmail.com

Published in Daily Times, March 1^st 2018.