Daily Times

Let me give a very different and interesting dimension of Lahore Fort today. It is the time which Lahore Fort saw after the Independence of Pakistan. We always read about the pre 1947 state of Fort but now it’s time to explore the post 1947 conditions and modifications of the fort. The Lahore fort remained neglected since ages and here I would like to narrate a few landmark changes in the fort which you might notice when you go to fort after reading this piece, and surely these are some very positive changes by the Archaeology Department Punjab and Walled City of Lahore Authority.

Do you know that after 1947, the Lahore Fort, which became a part of Pakistan, was used as a refugee camp and people were settled there while they were migrating from India to Pakistan? The structure of the Fort was already harmed by the riots and the majestic buildings were already ruined by the Sikhs and British but the state of the Fort further deteriorated when thousands of people or the refugees began settling there. Obviously there were no proper arrangements for the refugees so where ever anyone found a place they adjusted themselves and of course who would have bothered for the heritage or the buildings at that time when there was a chaotic situation all around.

At one time in past the entrance of fort was made through the Postern Gate which was built by the British and the Alamgiri and Akbari Gates of Lahore fort were closed with bricks. After some time the Alamgiri and Akbari Gates were opened and I remember that in my childhood we used to go to the fort through Alamgiri gate and there was a ticket counter built inside it. Many years later under the security reasons Alamgiri Gate was closed for the public and thus the only entrance till today is the Postern Gate.

After 1947 the Department of Archaeology was given the ownership of the Fort and they were tasked to preserve and maintain it. Thus the Department established its offices in various buildings of fort like Haveli of Kharak Singh which is located in Jahangir’s Quadrangle and separate offices were built near the Royal Kitchens and these offices exist till today. Few other buildings were turned into residences of the staff like the Kala Burj, Roshnai Gate and British Barracks near Postern Gate and these still exist till today. In the haveli of Kharak Singh the office of the Director General Archaeology is also established and some portions of it are used as library and archives.

Since 1947 the fort kept on deteriorating and some times in the past the Sheesh Mahal, Alamgiri Gate and Deewan-e-Aam were repaired and small maintenances were constantly being carried out the Archaeology Department. In 1981 the Lahore Fort was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and it was a pride for Pakistan.

The tradition of holding state dinners at Lahore Fort began in 1974 and picked up pace in 1980s. According to references temporary structures were raised and dinners were held in the Shish Mahal for the Heads of other States visiting Pakistan. At one time the government started hosting dinners in Diwan-e-Khas, music in Jahangir’s Quadrangle and fireworks in front of Diwan-i-Aam podium. All such activities came to an end somewhere in 2005 and 2006 when the then Director General Archaeology banned all kinds of functions inside the fort taking a plea that those were damaging the structures of Lahore Fort.

In 2014 the Fort was handed over to the Walled City of Lahore Authority and their office was established in the Jahangir’s Quadrangle. At one time in past the WAPDA staff was also occupying some places in Jahangiri Quadrangle for office and store purposes. Near the Arzgahi building a new tube well was constructed by the Archaeology Department.

At one time in past the entrance of fort was made through the Postern Gate which was built by the British and the Alamgiri and Akbari Gates of Lahore fort were closed with bricks. After some time the Alamgiri and Akbari Gates were opened and I remember that in my childhood we used to go to the fort through Alamgiri gate and there was a ticket counter built inside it. Many years later under the security reasons Alamgiri Gate was closed for the public and thus the only entrance till today is the Postern Gate

Some parts of the fort were converted into museums as well. A part of Shah Jahan’s sleeping Chambers connected with Rani Jinda’s Haveli has been converted in to a museum. Similarly the Princess Bamba collection is also displayed on the upper storey of Rani Jinda’s Haveli and the sleeping chamber of Jahangir in the Jahangir Quadrangle is also used as a Museum for display of old traditional arms.

Now let me take you to the Deewan-e-Aam area of Fort. In old times there were barracks built by the British but later toilets were added in 1960s and according to references there was a canteen as well which was abandoned later. The washrooms were found in a pathetic condition and were rebuilt in 2015.

If we go a little ahead from Deewan-e-Aam towards Akbari Gate of Fort the entire area was covered with wild growth and shrubs. There is a British built wall next to Akbari Gate and one could not access it or the bastion on the wall due to the wild bushes which were almost seven to eight feet high. These were removed later in 2015 by the Walled City of Lahore Authority who worked effortlessly on the horticulture and cleanliness of the fort.

Another remarkable change in the fort was the restoration of the Royal Kitchens which are in a close vicinity of the Alamgiri Gate and were referred to as ‘cook house’ in the Sikh era maps of Lahore fort. This place was abandoned and again was filled up with waist high shrubs and debris. In 2015 the conservation of this place started and was completed in 2017 by the Walled City of Lahore Authority. According to old maps this place was connected with Shah Burj Gate and when the British built a road in the fort (which we use now to go up into the fort) the place along with Alamgiri Gate, Musaman Gate and Barood Khana were separated.

On the other hand Musaman Gate and Barood Khana were also dilapidating since long and there was no attention paid to these monuments. Visitors at Fort did not know about these places as the Musaman Gate had almost collapsed and Barood Khana was hidden under almost 150000 cubic feet of debris and wild plantation. These monuments were restored in 2018 and opened for the public. The British era bridge in the fort which connected the Barood Khana with the Moti Masjid area was also damaged due to aging and was repaired and strengthened.

The Shahi Hammam of the Fort which is close to Shah Jahan’s Quadrangle was also conserved by the Archaeology Department in 2014.

The world’s largest picture wall which covers the Shah Burj and Sheesh Mahal side of the fort was also dilapidating and aging and required immediate attention. The western part of the wall with almost 635 mural and fresco pictures on it was conserved in 2019 by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and Walled City of Lahore Authority.

Outside the Fort there were two Samadhis one of Bhai Vasti Ram and other of Jhinger Shah Suthra. These were destroyed in 1992 when the Babri Mosque incident took place. These Samadhis were later restored by the Archaeology Department in 2017. The fort wall on the eastern side, adjoining Fort Road had been demolished and reduced in size by 8 feet when it was converted into a Troop Station on occupation by the British.

During the conservation works a tunnel next to Musaman Gate and Barood Khana was revealed which is being conserved presently by the Walled City of Lahore Authority. Similarly while cleaning up the backside of Jahangiri Quadrangle a Shahi Hammam of Akbar’s era was found and upon further excavations and studies it was revealed that it was connected with Akbar’s Sarai in Lahore Fort.

New ticket counters and washrooms were also added in the fort and the previous ones in Deewan-e-Aam area were not sufficient to accommodate a huge number of tourists visiting the fort daily.

Huzoori Bagh and different monuments of Lahore Fort were illuminated in 2018 and that was done for the first time in the history of Lahore fort after it became a part of Pakistan.

At one time the fort became a dull place and to revive its beauty and to attract tourists the night tour of Lahore fort were started in 2018 with the title ‘history by night’. This revived the tourism in fort and thus the Walled City of Lahore Authority laid the foundations of the night tourism trend in Pakistan. Now you have an opportunity to visit the fort during the day and night which are both different feels and moods.

I think there is a lot to be done in the fort. The monuments need more attention and influencers need to be attracted to fort. Although there is now a trend among the national and international bloggers as well who are coming and writing on Fort still it needs more positive publicity. This fort is our heritage and all the citizens of Pakistan are its custodian.

The writer can be reached at taniashahab2016@gmail.com