Bagh-e-Jinnah (Punjabi, Urdu: باغ جناح‎) (or Jinnah's Garden) is a historical park in the city of Lahore, Pakistan.^[1] It was formerly known as Lawrence Gardens. Today, the large green space contains a botanical garden, Masjid Dar-ul-Islam,^[2][3] and Quaid-e-Azam Library^[4] situated in a Victorian building.

Past – Lawrence Gardens

Originally built as botanical garden modelled on Kew Gardens, it was named after John Lawrence, Viceroy of India from 1864 to 1869.^[5] The place used to hold his statue, which was later moved to Foyle and Londonderry College in Northern Ireland.

A fountain in the Bagh-e-Jinnah park

Present – Bagh-e-Jinnah

Jinnah Garden Lahore that is situated on 141 acres (0.57 km²) at this time, earlier it was in 176 acres (0.71 km²), but the land was given to Lahore zoo, botanical garden govt. college university Lahore and to roads alongside the garden. Now it is almost the plant area except roads building is 121 acres (0.49 km²). It is a beautiful and well managed botanical garden in Pakistan.
It has almost 150 varieties of trees, 140 types of shrubs, 50 types of creepers, 30 palms, almost 100 succulent and about same indoor along with almost all varieties of annual flowers. The garden has a good name in Chrysanthemum shows, it was the first institute that started growing chrysanthemum and maximum no of varieties for it. It has 3 nurseries, 4 hilloaks in it.

Information and services

• Bagh-e-Jinnah has two libraries, Quaid-e-Azam library and Darusalam in it.
• Regarding collection of trees, shrubs and climbers a book has been published by Ch. Muhammad Tariq (DDA Jinnah Garden, Muhammad Ramzan Rafique (Agricultural Officer)and Dr. Muhammad Afzal (Instructor). (Flora of Jinnah Garden) This book contains common name, botanical name, flower time, type of plant(deciduous or evergreen), flowering color of each plant along with its picture. Furthermore this book contains selective pictures from palm garden, annual flowers in this garden. This book can be obtained from the office of Jinnah Garden.

• The park receives a nostalgic mention of the 1970s and 1980s life in Bano Qudsia's remarkable urdu novel Raja Gidh.

• The Park has a Tomb of Great Saint named Peer Sakhi Abul Faizul Hassan commonly known as Baba Turat Muraad Shah, with a heavy number of visitors.
  
  
  

Cricket Ground

Bagh-e-Jinnah park is a famous cricket ground since 1885, built for the entertainment of government officers and civil servants.^[6] Lahore Gymkhana Club had regular fixture here. The ground played host to friendly matches, competitive fixtures and host to Pakistan's first unofficial Test against the West Indies in 1948. A few more unofficial Tests later, Bagh-e-Jinnah became a Test venue when Pakistan took on India in 1954–55. New Zealand^[7] and West Indies^[8] also played a Test here before Bagh-e-Jinnah lost its Test status as it played second fiddle to Gaddafi Stadium but still hosts tour matches involving visiting nations, especially England.[9]

Data darbar lahore( Ali hajvery Rehmat Ullah aleh

Data Darbar (or Durbar), located in the city of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan is one of the oldest Muslim shrines in South Asia. It houses the remains of a Sufi saint, Abul Hassan Ali Hajvery (more commonly known as Daata Ganj Baksh, or "the master (Daata) who bestows treasures gifted (Ganj Baksh) by Allah Almighty"). He is said to have lived on the site in the 11th century.
The shrine is located near the Bhati Gate into Lahore's Walled City. It was originally built by the Ghaznavi king Sultan Zakiruddin Ibrahim in the late eleventh century, and has been expanded several times. For centuries his tomb was visited by Muslims and non-Muslims in search of his blessings and people of all religions are welcomed in Data Durbar. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is a frequent visitor. On special occasions, the shrine is decorated with lights, dinner is prepared for hundreds of people and visitors dance while musicians play Sufi music for hours. At the boundary of the shrine, Muslim faithfuls recite the Qur'an, and pay tributes to Muhammad.

There have been rising security fears in recent years after threats by Pakistan's Taliban militants. The large size of the complex which houses the shrine and the fact that it is open at all hours to the public makes protecting it extremely difficult. The Talibans and Salafi oppose visiting tombs of the Sufis which they have declared grave worshiping, a shirk practice in Islam. On 1 July 2010, two suicide bombers blew themselves up at the shrine. At least 50 people died and 200 others were hurt in the blasts. This was the biggest attack on a Sufi shrine in Pakistan since 2001

Minare Pakistan

Design

The tower reflects a blend of Mughal, Islamic and modern architecture.
The tower was designed and supervised by Nasreddin Murat-Khan, an architect and engineer hailing from Daghistan. The structural design was given by Nasreddin Murat-Khan (a qualified engineer himself), assisted by Engineer Abdur Rehman Khan Niazi who was working as Structural Design Engineer for Illeri N. Murat-Khan & Associates. Approved by the President, the design was built by Mian Abdul Khaliq and Company.^{[citation needed]} The foundation stone was laid on 23 March 1960. The construction took eight years, and was completed in 1968. The Minar was completed on 31 October 1968 at an estimated cost of Rs. 7,058,000. The money was collected by imposing an additional tax on the cinema and horse racing tickets on the demand of Akhtar Hussain, governor of West Pakistan. Today, the minaret provides a panoramic view to visitors who can climb up the stairs or through an elevator. The parks around the monument include marble fountains and an artificial lake.

Structure

The base is about 8 metres above the ground. The tower rises about 62 metres on the base, thus the total height of minaret is about 70 metres above the ground. The unfolding petals of the flower-like base are 9 metres high. The diameter of the tower is about 9.75 meters. The rostrum is built of patterned tiles, and faces the Badshahi Mosque. The base comprises four platforms. To symbolise humble beginnings of the freedom struggle, first platform is built with uncut Taxila stones, second platform is made of hammer-dressed stones, whereas third platform is of chiselled stones. Polished white marble at the fourth and final platform depicts the success of the Pakistan Movement. Mr. Mukhtar Masood, a prolific writer and the then–deputy commissioner of Lahore, was one of the members of the Building Committee.

Inscriptions

At the base, there are floral inscriptions on ten converging white marble Commemorative plaques. The inscriptions include the text of Lahore Resolution in Urdu, Bengali and English, and Delhi Resolution's text, which was passed on 9 April 1946. On different plaques, Quranic verses and 99 attributes of Allah are inscribed in Arabic calligraphy, whereas National Anthem of Pakistan in Urdu and Bengali, excerpts from the speeches of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in Urdu, Bengali and English, as well as few couplets of Allama Iqbal are inscribed.

Concerns

With the growth of the city and location of the monument at busy intersection of Circular Road and Multan Road, air pollution from traffic-congestion is continuously damaging the marble structure which is now in need of refurnishment.

Political Stands

Minar-e-Pakistan has always served as the location a number of political protests and rallies, like PTI's historical jalsas of 31 October'12, 23 March'13 and 28 September'14. etc.

Badshahi Mosque

Night View of Badshahi Mosque

Construction

Construction of the Badshahi Mosque was ordered in May 1671 by the sixth Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb, who assumed the title Alamgir (meaning "Conqueror of the World"). Construction took about two years and was completed in April 1673.^[2]

Mosque converted to Horse Stable under Sikh rule (1799–1849)

Badshahi Mosque with damaged minarets during Sikh rule

On 7 July 1799, the Sikh army of the Sukerchakia chief, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, took control of Lahore.^[3] After the capture of the city, the Badshahi Mosque was severely damaged when Maharaja Ranjit Singh desecrated^[4] and used its vast courtyard as a stable for his armies horses and its 80 hujras (small study rooms surrounding the courtyard) as quarters for his soldiers and as magazines for military stores. Maharaja Ranjit Singh used the Hazuri Bagh, the enclosed garden next to the Mosque as his official royal court of audience.
In 1841, during the Sikh civil war, Maharaja Ranjit Singh's son, Maharaja Sher Singh, used the Mosque's large minarets for placement of zamburahs or light guns, which were placed atop the minarets to bombard the supporters of the Sikh Maharani Chand Kaur taking refuge in the besieged Lahore Fort, inflicting great damage to the Fort itself. In one of these bombardments, the Fort's Diwan-e-Aam (Hall of Public Audience) was destroyed (it was subsequently rebuilt by the British but never regained its original architectural splendour). During this time, Henri De la Rouche, a French cavalry officer employed in the army of Maharaja Sher Singh, used a tunnel connecting the Badshahi Mosque to the Lahore Fort to temporarily store gunpowder.

Mosque used as Garrison under British rule (1858–1947)

When the British took control of Lahore in 1846, they continued the Sikh practice of using the Mosque and the adjoining Fort as a military garrison. The 80 cells (hujras) built into the walls surrounding the Mosque's vast courtyard on three sides were originally study rooms, which were used by the Sikhs under Ranjit Singh to house troops and military stores. The British demolished them so as to prevent them from being used for anti-British activities and rebuilt them to form open arcades or dalans, which continue to this day.

Mosque's return to Muslims and restoration

Layout of the mosque

Sensing increasing Muslim resentment against the use of the Mosque as a military garrison, which was continuing since Sikh Rule, the British set up the Badshahi Mosque Authority in 1852 to oversee the restoration and return of the Mosque to Muslims as a place of religious worship. From 1852 onwards, piecemeal repairs were carried out under the supervision of the Badshahi Mosque Authority. Extensive repairs commenced from 1939 onwards, when the Punjab Premier Sir Sikandar Hayat Khan took on the task of raising funds for this purpose.

It was not until 1852 that the British established the Badshahi Mosque Authority to oversee the restoration of the mosque so that it could be returned to Muslims as a place of worship. Although repairs were carried out, it was not until 1939 that extensive repairs began under the oversight of architect Nawab Zen Yar Jang Bahadur. The repairs continued until 1960 and were completed at a cost of 4.8 million rupees.

Mosque under Pakistan (1947–present)

A view of Badshahi Mosque from the streets of Lahore.

On the occasion of the 2nd Islamic Summit held at Lahore on February 22, 1974, thirty-nine heads of Muslim states offered their Friday prayers in the Badshahi Mosque, including, among others, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto of Pakistan, King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, Muammar Gaddafi of Libya, Yasser Arafat of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Sabah III Al-Salim Al-Sabah of Kuwait. The prayers were led by Mawlānā Abdul Qadir Azad, the then Khatib of the Mosque.
In 1993, the Government of Pakistan recommended the inclusion of the Badshahi Mosque as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where it has been included in Pakistan's Tentative List for possible nomination to the World Heritage List.
In 2000, the marble inlay in the Main Prayer Hall was repaired. In 2008, replacement work on the red sandstone tiles on the Mosque's large courtyard commenced, using red sandstone especially imported from the original source near Jaipur, Rajasthan, India and the Mosque is now almost restored to its original 17th century condition.[

Lahore Fort (Shahi Qila)

The Lahore Fort is locally known as Shahi Qila is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Lahore in Pakistan. The fort is located in the northwestern corner of Lahore, adjacent to the Walled City. Some of the famous sites worth seeing in the Shahi Qila are Sheesh Mahal, Alamgiri Gate, Naulakha pavilion, and Moti Masjid. The fort is 1,400 feet in length and 1,115 feet in width. The fort was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the Shalamar Gardens in 1981. 

Lahore fortress is contemporary to Agra Fort and is based on the same formal organization. The Shahi Qila is distinguished by strong Persian stylistic influences, as well as the Hindu influences also apparent at the Agra and Delhi forts. Though many revisions have been made to the fort yet the scheme of the Mughals seems to have been preserved. 

The high outer walls of the Shahi Qila are decorated with blue kashi tiles of Persian origin. The fort has two distinct sections - the private palatial section and the administrative section. The residential section of the fort is arranged in courts along the northern half of the fort and is accessed by the Hathi Pol, or 'elephant gate'. The northeastern section of the fort includes red sandstone buildings. It is the oldest part of the residences, and was built during the time of Akbar. 

The Bari Khwabgah, or 'large bedroom' in the Shahi Qila is attributed to Jahangir. Later, Shah Jahan built Choti Khwabgah, in white marble, an addition to the fort. The Mussaman Burj, Naulakha Pavilion, and the Shish Mahal, known as the 'hall of mirrors', also built by Shah Jahan. These are the examples of the ornate architecture in fine white marble work that he brought to the Fort. 

The more public, administrative section of the fort is organized in a layer that conceals the private one. The Shahi Qila in Lahore accessed from the Alamgiri Gate. This gate was built by Aurangzib and it leads into the large courtyard of the Diwan-i-Amm, or hall of public audience. The Fort or the Shahi Qila also contains gardens and a mosque.

Shalimar Garden

Shalimar Gardens in 1895

The site of the Shalimar Gardens originally belonged to one of the noble Zaildar families in the region, well known as Arain Mian Family Baghbanpura. The family was also given the royal title of 'Mian' by the Mughal Emperor, for its services to the Empire. Mian Muhammad Yusuf, then the head of the Arain Mian family, donated the site of Ishaq Pura to the Emperor Shah Jahan, after pressure was placed on the family by the royal engineers who wished to build on the site due to its good position and soil. In return, Shah Jahan granted the Arain Mian family governance of the Shalimar Gardens. The Shalimar Gardens remained under the custodianship of this family for more than 350 years.
In 1962, the Shalimar Gardens were nationalised by General Ayub khan because leading Arain Mian family members had opposed his imposition of martial law in Pakistan.
The Mela Chiraghan festival used to take place in the Gardens, until General Ayub khan ordered against it in 1958.

Architecture

The Shalimar Gardens are laid out in the form of an oblong parallelogram, surrounded by a high brick wall, which is famous for its intricate fretwork. This garden was made on the concept of Char Bhagh. The gardens measure 658 meters north to south and 258 meters east to west. In 1981, Shalimar Gardens was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the Lahore Fort, under the UNESCO Convention concerning the protection of the world's cultural and natural heritage sites in 1972.

Three level terraces of the Gardens

The gardens have been laid out from south to north in three levels of terraces, which are elevated by 4–5 metres (13-15 feet) above one another. The respective names of the three terraces have been listed as follows:

The middle level terrace of the garden, known as the Faiz Bakhsh terrace

• The upper level or the third terrace named Farah Baksh meaning Bestower of Pleasure
• The middle level or the second terrace named Faiz Baksh meaning Bestower of Goodness
• The lower level terrace named Hayat Baksh meaning Bestower of Life

Fountains

From this basin, and from the canal, rise 410 fountains, which discharge into wide marble pools.It is a credit to the creativity of Mughal engineers that even today scientists are unable to fully comprehend the water systems and thermal engineering from architectural blueprints. The surrounding area is rendered cooler by the flowing of the fountains, which is a particular relief for visitors during Lahore's blistering summers, with temperature sometimes exceeding 120 °F (49 °C). The distribution of the fountains is as follows:

• The upper level terrace has 105 fountains.
• The middle level terrace has 152 fountains.
• The lower level terrace has 153 fountains.
• All combined, the Gardens has 410 fountains.

The Gardens have 5 water cascades including the great marble cascade and Sawan Bhadoon.

Buildings of the Gardens

The buildings of the Gardens include:

Sawan Bhadun pavilions Naqar Khana and its buildings Khwabgah or Sleeping chambers Hammam or Royal bath The Aiwan or Grand hall

Aramgah or Resting place Khawabgah of Begum Sahib or Dream place of the emperor's wife Baradaries or summer pavilions to enjoy the coolness created by the Gardens' fountains Diwan-e-Khas-o-Aam or Hall of special & ordinary audience with the emperor Two gateways and minarets in the corners of the Gardens

Trees of the Gardens

Some of the varieties of trees that were planted included:

Almond Apple Apricot Cherry Gokcha Mango Mulberry	Peach Plum Poplar Quince Seedless Sapling of Cypress Shrubs Sour & sweet oranges
Numerous other varieties of odoriferous (fragrant) and non odoriferous and fruit giving plant

                   HISTORY OF LAHORE 



                            Lahore A historical perspective

Some places carry the essence of human origin and the geniuses of human growth. Such places become significant for those who like to enjoy the nostalgia of old thoughts. The city of Lahore can truly be regarded as such a place. Having seen so many ups and downs of history and cultures, Lahore in itself is now a whole world carrying a multitude of the past and the willingness to excel in the future. From Rudyard Kipling to Abu-Rehan Al Bairooni, from Victorian era to Mughal era, from buildings and gardens to forts, the diversity of Lahore is some times unbearable, yet the bliss is eternal.

                                      Dating the origin

It is quite difficult to judge the right date of origin and how the name Lahore was originated. There are different traditions carrying totally different origins and explanations. In the old writings we can find different shapes of the name of Lahore, of which some are listed:

L-hore
Loha-war
Laha-wr
Laha-nor
Laha-nahr
Laha-waar
Lo-hoor
La-hore

According to the Hindu mythology the city of Lahore is named after the son of prince Ram chandar whose name was “Loh” and who originated this city (James Taad 1883; Kanhya laal 1882; Sir Richard Temple 1884; Tahqeeq-e-Chisti 1867). There is also a tradition that it was name after “Lohaar chand” who was the nephew of prince Deep chand.

In the written history the oldest book in which we can find Lahore is “ Tareekh-ul-hind” by Abu-Rehan Al Bairooni, who traveled to India in the 11th century. In his book he remembers Lahore as an area not as a city whose capital was “Mandhor kor”. The famous Sufi saint of Lahore Hazrat Data Gunj Buksh who died in Lahore in 1088 A.D has also mentioned the city Lahore in his book “ Kashf-ul-Maajuub”. Abul -Farj who was a poet in the Ghaznavi period has written the name as “Loha-wr”. An Iranian scholar “Tahir Marozi” of 11th century in his book “Nazhat ul Mushtaq Fe Akhteraq ul Affaq” has mentioned Lahore as “ Laha-wr”. Ameer khusro in his masnavi “Quran ul Sadeen” has written the name as “Lao-hore” in 13th century when he portrays the attack of the Mughals.

According to Encyclopedia Britannica the famous Chinese traveler Yowang Chowang has mentioned the city Lahore as the great city of Bahamans.

The Greek geographer Batalemos (Ptolemy) of the second century has mentioned an area “Labokla”. In his maps he has referred a place Kasbeera (Kashmir), near river Badistan (Jehlum) and river Adres (Ravi). Here is a place called Labokla between Attock and Bahami bothra. Wilfred and Kingham both hold the theory of Labokla being the old name of Lahore (The comparative study of India by Wilfred, page 20; the Geography by Kingham, page 225-228). We can conclude the study by the following facts.

Lahore was called by different names in the ancient times. Religious history interprets Lahore as the city created by the son of Ram chandar. The old writings tell us about the origin of a definitive city in the 10th century. There were no Muslim dwellers before the 10th century. The city was of no historical significance before the attacks of Mahmood Ghaznavi in the 11th century. Lahore was of great significance in the Mughal era.


                             Major historical Events

The city has had a turbulent history. It was the capital of the Ghaznavid dynasty from 1163 to 1186. A Mongol army sacked Lahore in 1241. During the 14th century the Mongols repeatedly attacked the city until 1398, when it fell under the control of the Turkic conqueror Timur. In 1524 it was captured by the Mughal Babur's troops. This marked the beginning of Lahore's golden age under the Mughal dynasty, when the city was often the place of royal residence. It was greatly expanded during the reign of Shah Jahan (1628-58) but declined in importance during the reign of his successor, Aurangzeb.

From the death of Aurangzeb (1707), Lahore was subjected to a power struggle between Mughal rulers and Sikh insurrectionists. With the invasion of Nadir Shah in the mid-18th century, Lahore became an outpost of the Iranian empire. However, it soon was associated with the rise of the Sikhs, becoming once more the seat of a powerful government during the rule of Ranjit Singh (1799-1839). After Singh's death, the city rapidly declined, and it passed under British rule in 1849. When the Indian subcontinent received independence in 1947, Lahore became the capital of West Punjab province; in 1955 it was made the capital of the newly created West Pakistan province, which was reconstituted as Punjab province in 1970.