Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and is the country’s 2nd largest city after Karachi. It is the largest city and historic cultural capital of Pakistan, known as most socially liberal, progressive, and cosmopolitan city. According to traditions, Lahore was named after Lava, son of the Hindu god Rama, who founded the city. Lahore Fort has a vacant temple dedicated in honour of Lava. Likewise, Ravi River that flows through northern Lahore was said to have been named in honour of the Hindu goddess Durga.
Sir Ganga Ram is considered the ‘Father of Modern Lahore’ who designed many of the buildings in modern day Lahore. Lahore has been controlled by numerous empires including Hindu Shahis, Mamluk, Tughlaq, Ghaznavids, Ghurids, and Delhi Sultanate on their way to control entire India. Lahore reached its zenith under the Mughal Empire from late 16th to early 18th century and served as its capital for many years. Lahore, was captured by Nader Shah of Iran in 1739, who ransacked it, after which it was contested between Afghan and Sikh chiefs.
Lahore eventually became the capital of the Sikh Empire in the early 19th century and regained some of its lost grandeur. Lahore was subsequently annexed by British Empire, and made capital of British Punjab. Lahore was central to the independence movements of both India and Pakistan, with the city being the site of both the declaration of Indian Independence, and the resolution calling for the establishment of Pakistan. It experienced some of the worst riots during 1947 Partition.
Lahore is a UNESCO City of Literature and major center for Pakistan’s publishing and literary scene. A major education centre it is home of Pakistan’s leading universities. Lahore was once famed for Pakistan’s film industry, Lollywood. A major hub for Pakistan’s tourism industry it is known for numerous tourist attractions like Walled City, Badshahi and Wazir Khan mosque; as well as Lahore Fort, and Shalimar Gardens, both of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Lahore’s name had been recorded by earlier historians like Luhawar, Lūhār, and Rahwa.
Legend says that Keneksen, the founder of the Great Suryavansha dynasty, is believed to have migrated out from the city. Ptolemy mentions a city called Labokla near the Chenab and Ravi rivers could be ancient Lahore. The first document that mentions Lahore by name is the Hudud al-‘Alam written in 982 AD in which Lahore is mentioned as a town which had temples, large markets and huge orchards.
Following Zaman Shah’s 1799 invasion of Punjab, Ranjit Singh of nearby Gujranwala seized control of Lahore and nearby areas after a series of battles with the Sikh Bhangi Misl chiefs who had seized Lahore in 1780. According to legend, when gatekeeper of Lohari Gate, Mukham Din Chaudhry, opened the gates allowing Ranjit Singh’s army to enter Lahore, Sikh soldiers immediately began plundering Muslim areas before they were reined in by Ranjit Singh. Ranjit Singh’s rule restored Lahore’s lost grandeur. He established a mint in the city in 1800 and moved into the Mughal palace at the Lahore Fort after repurposing it for his own use in governing the Sikh Empire. In 1801, he established the Gurdwara Janam Asthan Guru Ram Das to mark the site where Guru Ram Das was born in 1534.
Lahore became Sikh empire’s administrative capital, with nearby Amritsar as economic centre. By 1812 Ranjit Singh refurbished the city’s defences by adding a second circuit of outer walls surrounding Akbar’s original walls and restored Shah Jahan’s decaying Shalimar Gardens. Ranjit Singh also built the Hazuri Bagh Baradari in 1818 to celebrate his capture of the Koh-i-Noor diamond from Shuja Shah Durrani in 1813.
Ranjit Singh built the Gurdwara Dera Sahib to mark the site of Guru Arjan Dev’s 1606 death. The Sikh royal court also endowed religious architecture in the city, including a number of Sikh gurdwaras, Hindu temples, and havelis. However most of Lahore’s precious Mughal monuments were stripped of their white marble and sent to different parts of the Sikh Empire during his reign. Monuments plundered for decorative materials include the Tomb of Asif Khan, the Tomb of Nur Jahan, and the Shalimar Gardens.
After Ranjit Singh’s death war of succession destroyed the fort’s historic Diwan-e-Aam. The continued infighting among Sikh nobles, as well as confrontations against the British during the two Anglo-Sikh Wars, the Sikh Empire fell into disarray, resulting in the fall of the Lahore Durbar in 1848. British troops formally deposed Maharaja Duleep Singh in Lahore in 1848 that commenced British rule after they captured Lahore and the wider Punjab Region. British laid out their capital city in an area south of the Walled City that would first come to be known as “Donald’s Town” before being renamed “Civil Station. The British built the Lahore Railway Station just outside the Walled City shortly after 1st war of Independence in 1857.
Lahore played an important role in the independence movements of both India and Pakistan. The Declaration of the Independence of India was moved by Jawaharlal Nehru and passed unanimously at midnight on 31 December 1929 at Lahore’s Bradlaugh Hall. Indian Swaraj flag was adopted this time as well. Lahore’s jail was used by the British to imprison and hang independence activists such as Jatin Das, Bhagat Singh. Muhammad Ali Jinnah led All India Muslim League passed the Lahore Resolution in 1940, demanding the creation of Pakistan as a separate homeland for the Muslims of India. The resulting 1947 Partition that resulted in mass exodus of non-muslims’ left Lahore with a much-weakened economy, and a stymied social and cultural scene that had previously been invigorated by the city’s Hindus and Sikhs.
The people of Lahore celebrate many festivals and events throughout the year, including Islamic, traditional Punjabi, Christian, and national holidays and festivals. The popular Mela Chiraghan festival in Lahore takes place at the shrine of Madho Lal Hussain, while other large urs take place at the shrines of Bibi Pak Daman, and at the Shrine of Mian Mir. Basant is a traditional Punjabi festival that marks coming of spring is a major celebration in Pakistan centred in Lahore, and people from all over the country and from abroad come to the city for annual festivities. Kite-flying competitions traditionally takes place on city rooftops during Basant, while the Lahore Canal is decorated with floating lanterns.
Lahore is a major tourist destination in Pakistan. The Walled City of Lahore was renovated in 2014 and is a popular destination for tourist due to the presence of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Among them are the Lahore Fort, Walled City, the Alamgiri Gate, Naulakha pavilion, and the Moti Masjid. The fort along with the adjoining Shalimar Gardens has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981. Another attraction is the cuisine in Lahore which has an extremely rich food culture. People come to Lahore from all over the country for their love for food.
The city offers a vast variety of options when it comes to gastronomy. In recent times, the style of food has achieved popularity in a number of different countries, because of its palatable and milder taste, mainly through the Pakistani diaspora. There are numerous restaurants that serve delicious Punjabi style cuisine at affordable prices. The street food scene in Lahore is especially worth mentioning with street vendors selling variety of food items especially non-vegetarian.
The city is home to several ancient religious sites including prominent Hindu temples, the Krishna Temple, Church and Valmiki Mandir. The Samadhi of Ranjit Singh, located near the Walled City, houses the funerary urns of the Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The most prominent religious building is the Badshahi Mosque, constructed in 1673; it was the largest mosque in the world upon construction. Another popular sight is the Wazir Khan Mosque, known for its extensive faience tile work and constructed in 1635. There are numerous other places worth visiting including museums, tombs, and parks. Well-connected by road, rail, air with all major countries, Lahore is sometimes called a twin city of Amritsar which is just about 25 minutes away across the Wagah border of India, where everyday the flag lowering ceremony is a big spectacle that draws huge crowds.
Lahore is considered as a shoppers’ paradise with numerous shopping malls that sell a variety of products. There are numerous markets that sell variety crafted products. There are also numerous hotels that offer luxurious, mid-range and budget accommodation. Night life of Lahore is sparkling but limited only to clubs. Lahore is also a major sports hub with sports like cricket, badminton, wrestling, squash and hockey being popular even before 1947. Lahore is considered the heart of Pakistan and despite the turmoil it is still considered the safest city to visit for any tourist in Pakistan.
