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Lahore Lahore Ae |
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Lahore Lahore Ae |
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Thirteen Gates of Lahore
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ISLAMIC INFO |
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LAHORE HISTORY |
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PAKISTAN INFO |
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The idea of gates, walls and fortification is as old as history can lead.
Throughout the human history, mentioned has been made of walls and gates
to protect the residence, and of those to breach the same. Who not knows
walls and gates of Troy, Babylon, Ninevaeh, Khyber, Dehli or Lahore. According to history, Akbar during his residence at Lahore(1584 -1598) enclosed the city with brick-walls and gates of considerable height and strength. These city walls were fast falling into decay, when Ranjit Singh rebuilt them in 1812 to a great extent. The city walls, which were formerly more than 30 feet in height, were reduced to 15 feet for sanitary purposes in British Period and along with the renovation of the gate - meeting the modern requirements. A time came when these walls altogether vanished leaving their gates standing alone without purpose - only the reminiscent and glory of the past. Comparison between the on-ground existing gates of Lahore and the old pictures and drawings of old Lahore, showing these gates, on display in Lahore Museum and books, do not coincide. Something is missing? Yes, present existing gates such as Dehli Gate and their drawings are quite different. These are renovated gates of the British Period. If that is so, what was their original shape and structure! A closer look on museum and contemporary drawings such as that of Taxali Gate reveals that as a defensive measure against any intruder or enemy, there used to be no direct or straight approach to these gates but one had to face obstruction like semi-circular or rectangular type structure od sufficient height, strengthened with brick-walls stones and marter - the case maybe was built in front of the actual gate leaving the access to the gate from the side only. In olden times, same was the case with gates of Lahore. These were 13 circling the city. |
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LIVE PTV NEWS |
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| ROSHANI GATE | ||||||
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The most prominent gate was 'ROSHANI GATE' situated at the northern
extreme of the city, adjacent to the Lahore Fort. It derived its name from
ROSHNI - the light, as it was lit immensely at night . Being Being the
principal entrance form fort to city, it was most frequented by the
Omerahs, Courtiers, Royal servants and the retinues. The quarters about
here are profusely lighted up it was so-called gate of Light. It is also supposed that the gate owes its name to the people of Roushnai sect which sprung up in Akbar's time under Afghan, but the authority of the Roushnai was confined to the hills of Suliman and Khyber ranges and they had no influence beyond these hills. Among many a legends and tales of this magnificent gate, Ranjit Singh was succeeded by his elder son Kharak Singh, who died in Lahore in 1840 and was succeeded by his son Naunihal Singh. This later met his death by the fall of a portion of the archway of the gate. "Leading to Hazoori Bagh as he was returning after performing after performing the funeral rides of his father, hand-in-hand with Mian Uddam Singh, the eldest son of his chief minster Dhiyan Singh, as both entered the archway, a loud crash was heard and it was found that a frement of the upper wall had fallen and crushed the two young men walking under it." At present this gate is in dilapidated condition aNand is permanently closed as being the part of the of Mahaeaja Ranjit Singh and others. |
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| Taxali Gate | ||||||
| 12 gates perforating the outer wall of the old city only one - the Taxali gate ,taking its name from Taxal or royal Mint located nearby, provided access through the otherwise uninterested wall that extended the western length of the city. It was heavily fortified and was designed to protect the city from any attack from the west-ward." As per Latif's LAHORE, archeologist has conjectured not without some grounds that the name bears an illusion to the ancient city of Taxila. However this maybe, it is clear that the name must have been derived from the Takkas who were once the undisputed masters of the Punjab. With the passage of time this gate is completetly vanished. | ||||||
| Bhati Gate | ||||||
| This gate is named after Bhattis - a Rajput tribe who inhabited this place in oldtimes. This gate is situated at the south-western bend of the city in its renovated form. | ||||||
| Lahori Gate | ||||||
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This gate is named after the city of Lahore. It is said that when Malik
Ayaz rebuilt the town in the timeof Mahmood Ghaznavi, the quarters of the
city was first populated about this gate. As Dehli Gate facesDehli and
Kashmiri Gate faces Kashmir, so it is said that they derived their names
from these environs. Present Ichra was the actual Lahore in Hindu Raj, so
this gate faces in that direction, derives its name from the so-called
Lahore. Maharaja Ranjit Singh who besieged Lahore with a large force, it
was Muhkim Din Chaudary in connivence with the Raja, was the incharge of
the Lahorei Gate, opened it secretly to the invader who took possession of
the city. This gate has - during the ascendency wars between the sikh nobles, sardar Hira Singh, son of Raja Dhiyan Singh, chief minister of Ranjit Singh was put to death and his head hung up for public view at this gate. This gateway still exists in its renovated form and is famous for being one of the main entrances of the city. |
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| Shah Aalmi Gate | ||||||
| This gate is named after Mohamad Moazam shah Allam Bahader Shah, the son and successor of Aurangzaib. He was successor of Aurangzaib. He was the most popular in Punjab and one of the SHAH AALMI Gate was called after him. This gate was formerly called after him. This gate was formmerly called the BHERWALA GATE. During the partition riots in 1947, this gate was burnt to ashes, only the name remains. | ||||||
| Mochi Gate | ||||||
| At the south-eastern extremity of the city, thisgate was situated between Shah Aalmi and Akbari Gate. Actually its name was Moti Gate. It was correpted to Mochi Gate. It is said that the name of the gate was after Moti Ram, an officer of Akbar, who resided here at that time .At the former site of the gate, a prominent grave of a learned saint can still be seen. In olden times, this grave was in one of the cubicals of the gate. | ||||||
| Akbari Gate | ||||||
| This gate was named after Mohamad Jalal-ud-Din Akbar who rebuilt the town and thecitadel. No traces of it exist today. | ||||||
| Dehli Gate | ||||||
| It is so-called from its opening on to the high road from Lahore to Dehli. This gate being a prominent one has witnessed a lot of incidents. It is present in its renovated form and is still a flourishing place. Many a historical places such as Shahi Hamam, Chitta Darvaza, Masjid Wazir Khan and a number of old havalies are situated inside this gate. | ||||||
| Yakki Gate | ||||||
| The original name was 'ZAKI' - after the name of a saint who according to tradition fell fighting against the mughals, while gallantly defending the city. His head was cut off at the gate but the trunk continued fighting for sometime, so called, and fell close by. Head and the trunk of the saint was buried at their fallen places seperately and both are revered to this day. No traces of this gate are found now. | ||||||
| Sheran Wala Gate | ||||||
| This gate is situated at the north-eastern extremely of the city. In olden times, theriver flowed by the city walls. The gate was terefore, named as 'KHIZR GATE' after the name of KHIZAR ILYAS - the patron saint of running water and streams and the discoverer of the water of immortality. During the reign od Ranjit Singh while the River Ravi changed its course away from the city walls, Ranjit Singh kept here two domesticated lions and the gate came tobe called 'LIONS' or 'SHERAN WALA GATE'. | ||||||
| Kashmiri Gate | ||||||
| So named because it faces the direction of Kashmir. It still exixts in its renovated form. | ||||||
| Masti Gate | ||||||
| The name is a corruption of 'MASJADI GATE' reffering to the mosque of Mariam Makani, mother of Akbar, situated in itsimmediate vicinity. A little trace of this gate in its renovated form can still be seen. | ||||||
| Mori Gate | ||||||
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The so-called 13th gate,
named as MoriGate, was infact no gate as in old time this placewas used as
outlet for the refused and the sweepings of the city. |
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