Sonehri, meaning golden, is the feature of this mosque and thus became its name. Many of the mosques inside the Walled City of Lahore are either named after the person who built them or after any prominent feature. To name a few mosques of walled city, we have Wazir Khan Mosque (built by Wazir Khan), Masjid Saleh Kamboh (built by Saleh Kamboh), Masjid Moran Tawaif (commissioned by Moran), Oonchi Masjid (it is higher than the ground level) or Neevin Masjid (below the ground level). The walled city can no doubt be called a hub of religious buildings which include mosques, temples, church, gurdawara and samadhi. Imagine the level of religious harmony that must have been practiced here in older times, with the worship places of different religions located close to one another. Now let’s move on to this Sonehri or Golden Mosque, as it is known by both names. You don’t need to get into the maze like narrow winding streets of the walled city to get to this mosque. Traverse thorough the giant arches of Delhi Gate and take your way on to the Royal Trail, a newly restored passage, as you reach Kashmiri Bazaar you will come across the glittering Golden Mosque. This mosque is located at an interesting junction of Rang Mahal, Kasera Bazar, Waan Market, Shah Almi and Kashmiri Bazaar. The area around the mosque, despite encroachment, gives you a true vibrant feel of Lahori culture and bazaars. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the area, being a high commercial zone, you will see this mosque standing on a high masonry platform, about one storey above the present street level. I believe that it must have been higher than the present level in old times as the street level has raised a lot in last fifty years. Well the mosque is a masterpiece of late Mughal era and glitters during the day when the sun shines and during night in the moonlight. The domes of the mosque can be seen if you are by any chance inside the Baoli Bagh which is behind it and was a Sikh Baoli. Any time you plan to visit this mosque, it’s glittering and the minarets can be seen from distance. Most interesting thing is that this market place is always alive and hardly shuts downs and that too very late at night. The only problem is that the mosque is encroached by shops and that started after the partition but some shops are also rented out by the Muslim Auqaf Department. The mosque is located at an interesting junction of Rang Mahal, Kasera Bazar, Waan Market, Shah Almi and Kashmiri Bazaar. The area around the mosque, despite encroachment, gives you a true vibrant feel of Lahori culture and bazaars. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the area because of its commercial status, you will see this mosque standing on a high masonry platform, about one storey above the present street level If we compare this mosque with other mosques of Lahore it is comparatively smaller in size but the built, design and décor is mind blowing. If we take a look at the structure of the mosque it has three golden domes (gilded domes) which give it the most unique and astounding feature. Anybody visiting Lahore wishes to see this mosque, and luckily it is opened for tourists. Climbing up several stairs in a narrow staircase, you enter into the main area of the mosque through a small gate (smaller gate than other mosques of walled city). You will see the main pond for ablution and any time in the day people are seen there for offering prayers. It has three entrances to the main prayer chamber. This chamber is the most precious jewel preset inside this glittering mosque. It is exceedingly embellished with the fresco work and no wall is uninteresting. The ceiling is a masterpiece itself and you will forget to look anywhere else around when you look at the ceiling. Although because of nailing and putting up fans in the ceiling the beauty is damaged a little, the majesty remains. The fresco has various floral designs and one feels fresh looking at them, feeling as if one is in a paradise on earth. In a very little space, the artisans have used a numerous colors and patterns to decorate it. On north and south of the Mosque small white domelets are seen which give a fine-looking border to the Mosque. Four tall minarets add to the elegance and magnificence of this Mosque. Yes, this piece of art was once conserved in 2011-2 with the funding of US Ambassadors funds when the World Bank had started a Sustainable Development of Walled City Lahore Project. The fresco,doors, gilded domes and missing corner domelets were restored and re-built following the existing structures. The materials used originally in the construction of the mosque were specially prepared for restoration. The seepage into the mosque due to several encroachments was not controlled. Despite restoration the encroachments could not be removed but I hope one day, in my lifetime, I will be able to see this place restored like Wazir Khan Chowk. If it is done in a similar manner it will be the most visited trail of Lahore. The construction of the mosque has an interesting story associated with it. The mosque was built in 1749 – 53 A.D. by Nawab Mir Syed Bhakari Khan who was the Naib Subedar of Lahore when Mir Moin ul Mulk was the Subedar during the reign of the Emperor Mohammad Shah. Syed Bhakari was a sufi and a religious person. When he wanted to construct the mosque, the locals of the area opposed the construction at a junction of Rang Mehal and Kashmiri Bazaar. They thought that the construction would obstruct the traffic movement and public mobility. On the other hand there erupted another argument that a mosque already existed nearby and the locals countered that construction of a mosque near another one was meaningless. Well, the case was taken to the Islamic Scholars who gave a ‘Fatwa’ that all land belongs to Allah and a Mosque or House of Allah can be constructed anywhere and so the construction of the Mosque began. So this was the story of the Golden Mosque! What happened to this mosque after it was built? When Sikh took over Punjab the floor of the mosque was plastered with cow dung and harmed the sanctity of the mosque. The use of the mosque was changes and Sikh Holy Book was also placed inside it. Depressed with the conditions of the Mosque the Mohammadens in Lahore during the same period requested the influential Muslim families the Faqirs, Aziz Ud Din and Noor Ud Din to approach the Maharaja for restoring the mosque to its original use for Muslims. Later, the Sikh demanded that azaan (call to prayer) from the mosque be prohibited and the Muslims, to save the sacredness of the mosque, agreed to their demands. The British eventually restored the mosque and the shops for generating revenue for the upkeep of the mosque were also given back to the Muslims. The writer is a media professional and can be reached at heritagechroniclestq@gmail.com Published in Daily Times, May 18th 2018.