West of Begumpura and north of the University of Engineering the Technology (UET), you will come across a high dome –belonging to the shrine of Khawaja Mehmud, also known as Hazrat Eshan. You must be wondering who Khawaja Mehmud was, as not much is known about his Shrine. As per historic references Khawaja Mehmud was a native of Bukhara and at the young age of 20, started his journey from his native town after receiving his education in the royal college and becoming a renowned scholar. During his journey, he made thousands of disciples in Herat, Kabul, and Kandahar and later; came to Kashmir in Mughal Emperor Akbar’s time, from where Emperor Jahangir took him to Agra. It is said that during Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan’s time, Khawaja Mehmud finally settled in Lahore. Historic references record that Khawaja Mehmud built his mausoleum in his own life time and after his demise in 1642 was buried there. Wazir Khan, the governor of Lahore under Emperor Shah Jahan who built the magnificent Shahi Hammam and Wazir Khan Mosque in the Walled City of Lahore, along with several other magnificent buildings, held Khawaja Mehmud in high esteem and would spend his own wealth for the upkeep of the Saint’s Shrine. During the reign of Nawab Zakariya Khan as viceroy of Lahore the mausoleum was at the pinnacle of its recognition and zenith. Now let us observe the structure and built of this shrine. It is an octagonal building surmounted by a high dome. The entrance is from the west and stairs provide access to the top of the building. Inside the tomb, in the center, there is a large platform upon which rests the grave of Khawaja Mehmud. Another grave in the northeast belongs to Baha-ud-Din, son of Khawaja Mehmud. On the west of the mausoleum there is a beautiful mosque which has three domes and the central dome is larger from the others. The mosque is of the same age as that of the tomb but it was renovated later. Like many other Mughal era buildings this Shrine also met with vandalism during the subsequent rules after the Mughals. According to historic references, during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Sikh Ruler, General Gulab Singh established his cantonment near the mausoleum and knocked down the surrounding walls of the tomb enclosure. He filled the mausoleum with magazine and removed its marble. Brick-sellers stole the bricks from the courtyard of the mosque and even the graves themselves. Red sandstone lattice of intricate geometrical designs covering the arched windows are another striking feature of the tomb and a mark of its past glory When the British took over the Sub Continent, the mausoleum was cleared and buildings of the tomb and the adjoining mosque were repaired. Currently, the tomb is white washed from the outside and so is the mosque and it has lost most of its historic fabric. If you go inside the tomb you will still see the beautiful fresco paintings of floral and geometric designs. Red sandstone lattice of intricate geometrical designs covering the arched windows of Khawaja Mehmud’s Shrine are another feature of this tomb and mark of its past glory. Now let me tell you about Begumpura, or as I call it “Royal Land”. Begumpura lies east of UET and north of the Grand Trunk Road and by chance if you happen to visit the Shalimar Gardens you can ask anyone about it. At one point in time the area was associated with the grand nobility of Lahore.This place was developed as village, where grand palaces and mosques were seen and the place was known for its aristocracy and splendor. Most posh families of Lahore lived here. The village of Begumpura was developed over a 100-year period from the mid-seventeenth to the mid-eighteenth century and it is undoubtedly one of the oldest localities in Lahore but unfortunately ignored and undeveloped. According to historic references the localities of Mughalpura, Baghbanpura and Begumpura were developed during the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan during an effort to build an elitist closed society for the rich and nobles of Lahore. We see the same fate of many other old localities of Lahore including Mughalpura, Baghbanpura and Dharampura. If you just walk inside these places you will come across beautiful architecture and majestic havelis which are now in a mess now but narrate the stories of their past glories. Begumpura is a full of majestic monuments; to name a few the Gulabi Bagh, Dai Anga, cypress tomb and many more along with the Shrine of Khawaja Mehmud. I wish this monument could be restored and converted into a tourist spot as I think it will boost the lost history of the area. It would be such a good thing if city tours to such places are started and yes the sightseeing bus of Lahore by TDCP can also take this initiative. If this locality is restored and the infrastructure improved, trust me this will be one of the most attractive tourist routes in Lahore, as it would include the famous Shalimar Gardens. Published in Daily Times, November 13th 2018.