Daily Times

Prince Nau Nehal Singh was the Sikh ruler of Punjab and the son of Maharaja Kharak Singh (the eldest son and heir of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh) and Maharani Chand Kaur. After the demise of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh, Kharak Singh became the king but was unable to keep control of the various factions within the kingdom due to the conspiracies and intrigues by Raja Dhiyan Singh. Being convinced by the intriguers, Prince Nau Nehal took control of the state himself during his father’s life. The Haveli of Kharak Singh is still seen inside Lahore Fort, which is being used as an archive room by the Archaeology Department of Punjab whereas the haveli of Prince Nau Nehal also exists till now. Let us move to it now!

The prince built a mansion (Haveli) inside Bhati Gate as the location was close to the Royal Fort. The Haveli was known as Haveli Nau Nehal Singh and still stands as a mark of majesty and splendor of the bygone days. If you ever happen to go inside this haveli, you would be welcome by the ringing bells, a colorful vista of fresco work, students in uniform running around, sitting on stairs and reading out loud their lessons, charts on the walls along with black boards chalked with lessons. You must be thinking how all this got into the haveli! Well, at present the haveli of Prince Nau Nehal Singh is serving as Victoria School for Girls.

If you are looking for noteworthy and splendid examples of Sikh architecture in Lahore, you would definitely not ignore this haveli of Nau Nehal Singh. The haveli has more than forty rooms including halls and chambers with most elements of its original ornamentation preserved on the two main elevations and the interior courtyard facades

This extravagant Haveli was the private home of Prince Nau Nehal Singh. The structure is well intact maybe because it remained in use over the passage of time and went through minor repairs. It is far better in condition than the rest of the Havelis in Old Lahore; especially many have been converted into commercial use. You must be thinking how it turned into a school, well, the Haveli was taken over by the British government when Punjab was annexed in 1849 and converted into the first public school for girls, The Victoria School. Since then, the haveli houses this school and the local children study there. The building is so fascinating that it has been used in many films and dramas.

Let me take you to the location of this Haveli. It is on the junction of Bhatti and Mori Gates and can be accessed through both gates. A zigzag of narrow streets take you to ‘Bhaiyon ka Medaan’ (an open square) and there you can see the massive mansion with a stunning façade but slightly damaged with the boards and ugly hanging wires. It is also said that the ‘Bhaiyon ka Medaan’ was once a garden of this Haveli and the buildings encircling the place were a part of the huge mansion. With the passage of time, division of land and reconstructions only half of the Haveli is left behind today. The buildings we see opposite to the haveli were once a part of this haveli which is full of glamour and decorative patterns.

If you are looking for noteworthy and splendid examples of Sikh architecture in Lahore, you would definitely not ignore this Haveli of Nau Nehal Singh. The haveli has more than forty rooms including halls and chambers with most elements of its original ornamentation preserved on the two main elevations and the interior courtyard facades. The haveli, like many other havelis of the same era, has a basement which is considered haunted and closed for everyone. Rectangular in plan, the Haveli is a fairly large building. Its entrance is on the west side and the façade has been divided into two clear sections, one housing the entrance gate and the other is simple. There might have been some decoration on other area but historians claim that it has been destroyed by the havoc of those times. The entrance façade is decorated with colorful floral designs in fresco along with carved jharokas which have animal and human figures on the pedestal of each. The pedestal of two side jharokas are brilliantly decorated with flower petal deigns. These pedestals are a unique feature of this Haveli and add to the beauty of the structure.

Out of the four storeys above the ground, the third level is crumbling while the others are being used as school classrooms and play area. The most astonishing feature of the haveli lays on the third floor which is the Sheesh Mahal (palace of mirrors) or the Rang Mahal (palace of colors). The Sheesh Mahal or Rang Mahal, is a typical feature of both Sikh and earlier Mughal architecture and consists usually of a highly ornamental room with embellishment in the form of frescoes, mosaics with mirror pieces inlaid in stucco, decorative ceilings with painted designs and beading patterns. The balconies are the most noticeable feature. It is no doubt a jewel of artistic achievement. Your senses would be carried away by the aura and ambiance of this place as you will meet with numerous unimaginable colors and exquisite mirror work on the ceilings. There are paintings on the walls and it is said that once the rooms had gold and ornaments fixed in the paintings and ceilings. Just imagine the grandeur of the palace which is now degenerating. The wooden roof is richly decorated, divided into several geometrical compartments. I must say that it is one of its kinds with brick work, fresco, jharokas and balconies.

Besides the miniature paintings, there are several other kinds of decorative works such as cut brick work, woodwork including carvings and engravings, painted floral motifs and stucco work. The cut brick work, however, is of the finest kind. It seems that Sikh craftsmen especially excelled in this kind of masonry. The carving of the bricks is so sharp, precise and accurate that bricks seem to be made of wax rather than of baked clay. The building also has fountains which are not functional now. Architects, till today, cherish studying this building.

At present, the possession of this building is with the Education Department of the Punjab government. I think the damaged parts need to be restored immediately before we lose this piece of gem. Instead of a school, the haveli could have served well as a museum. The school structure has damaged the walls and decorative features of the haveli and that is one reason that it cannot be turned into a tourist spot. Till few years ago the tourists could visit the school but now due to several security reasons it is completely closed for the tourists. With a ticket on it, the haveli can serve as a hotspot for tourists.

Published in Daily Times, April 18^th 2018.