One of the few remaining
royal residences from the Sikh period, this Haveli is situated inside the old
walled city. Located between the historic Bhatti and Lohari gates, where Mori
Gate once stood, a zigzag of narrow streets leads to an open area known as βMaidan
Bahianβ, once a large garden, the Haveli is situated at the edge of this field.
Currently, there is no
remnant of the garden but the Haveli survives with its full glamour and
decorative patterns.
It is an intact
structure of over forty rooms with most elements of its original ornamentation
preserved on the two main elevations and the interior courtyard facades.
Rectangular in plan, the Haveli is a fairly large building. Its entrance is on
the west side and the façade has been divided into two clear sections: one
housing the entrance gate, which is abundantly decorated and the other is
simple but has plenty of fenestration. If there was any decoration on this
area, it has been destroyed by the ravages of time.
The building has a
basement and four storyes above the ground level. On the four, two storeys
encompass the whole area; the third storey is partially crumbled while the
fourth stands in the northwestern corner and is called βRang Mahalβ - "The
Palace of Colours".
A small portion of
victoria girls school (haveli nau nihal singh) is also known as haunted haveli
of Lahore. Its basement is closed for the same reason. And such parts of
this building are closed.
The walled city of
Lahore was not the haphazard jumble of closely packed houses and narrow streets
as people are apt to assume, but a masterpiece of design that the city planners
of today look upon with awe and respect. The city consisted of designated
quarters for trades and had houses of every type from palaces to the humblest
of abodes. The gems in the Lahori crown, however, were the havelis - beautiful
residences of the affluent class and nobility. A typical haveli consisted of a
huge arched door, large enough for an elephant to get through, leading into an
outer courtyard. This was surrounded by rooms, some of which served as
accommodation for guests, who were not considered intimate enough to be allowed
into the inner sanctum. The other rooms consisted of baithaks, living quarters
for domestics and stables. Another inner arched door provided access to a
dewrhi or covered passageway that led to an inner courtyard, which was paved
and in many cases decorated with fountains and potted plants. Doors around the
courtyard led to multi-storied tiers of spacious rooms with jharokas
overlooking the area. Rooftops were expansive with barsaatis or covered
verandahs where one could sleep or sit through the cool monsoon season. Large
havelis consisted of more than one courtyard linked together by covered
passages. Basements formed the sub ground levels and were used as storage and
to escape the heat of the hot summer season. It was during the rule of the
Mughal ruler Muhammad Shah that three members of noble birth Bahadur Ali, Nadir
Ali, and Babur Ali began construction of a grand residence inside Mochi Gate.
There was great joy in the family, as the structures completion coincided with
the arrival of a male child to Bahadur Ali, giving the haveli its name -
Mubarak Haveli. Many years later, the grand structure was taken over by
Maharaja Ranjit Singh to serve as one of his residences and the royal guest
house.
The fugitive Afghan King
Shah Shuja and his family were kept in this premises and forced to hand over
the world famous Koh-e-Noor diamond to the great Sikh ruler. Passing through
many hands, the premises was finally bought and put under a trust by a leading
citizen of Lahore, who was also a descendant of the original owners. The haveli
was and remains the traditional starting point of major Muharram processions,
which wind their way through the city to culminate at Karbala Gamay Shah.
Haveli Mian Khanwas was located between Rang Mahal and Mochi Gate. Its
construction was begun by Nawab Saadullah Khan of Chiniot, who was the Prime
Minister of Emperor Shah Jahan, but it was completed after his death by Nawab
Mian Khan, his son. This haveli consisted of three parts - Mahal Sarai, Rang
Mahal and Kalai Khana. Rang Mahal was later converted into Rang Mahal Mission
School in the days of the British Raj. The size of the haveli can be gauged by
the fact that 10 wells supplied water to it. Perhaps, the biggest haveli in
Lahore was constructed close to an old Mughal era mosque known as Begum Shahi
Mosque or the Mosque of Mariam Zamani Jodha Bai, wife of Emperor Akbar. The
mosque is situated near Masti Gate of the Lahore Fort in the area known as
Chuna Mandi. This grand residence was built by the wealthy Nawab Asaf Khan,
father of Mumtaz Mahal, the wife of Emperor Shah Jahan and the inspiration for
TajMahal at Agra.
During the Sikh rule,
the premises were occupied by Raja Dhian Singh, who was the Prime Minister of
Maharaja Ranjeet Singh. Naunehal Singhs haveli in Maidan Bhaiyan, inside Mori
Gate is perhaps one of the most ornate structures of Lahore. It belonged to Naunehal
Singh, grandson of Ranjeet Singh, who met his death when a portion of masonry
fell on him, as his royal procession passed under an arch, while returning from
the funeral of his father Kharak Singh. The haveli consists of numerous
spacious chambers, halls and balconies, with their ceilings and walls decorated
with paintings and mirrors. It is now government property and houses the
Victoria Girls High School. Lahore's Lal Haveli, also known as Chandu Di
Haveli, was the place associated with the martyrdom of the fifth Guru Arjan Dev
and Bhai Mani Singh. It is said that the great Sikh guru was incarcerated and
tortured here by Chandu in 1606. When the sixth Guru Hargobind visited Lahore
in 1619, the Sikhs dragged Chandu through the streets and killed him near a
well in the haveli.
The spot is known as Lal
Khoo and is also the site of a Gurdwara. For the purpose of this weeks column,
I have picked up only a few of the grand structures that dot the old city of
Lahore. It will, however, be appropriate, in the least, to mention others such
as havelis associated with Judge Latif, Raja Dina Nath, Diwan Baij Nath, Nawab
Imamuddin Khan, Kabuli Mal, Dhyan Chand, Rai Diwan Chand, Asif Jah, Haveli
Barood Khana and Haveli Alif Shaheeyan. It may be worth its while for readers
to one day venture out from the isolation of suburban Lahore to explore these
heritage sites. n The writer is a freelance columnist.
READ MORE @ HAUNTED PLACES IN LAHORE
I Didn't Believe In Ghosts Until My Cousin Was Killed By Them In
The Nau Nihal Singh Haveli In Old Lahore
BY BAREERA | 12 FEB, 2021
Nau Nihal Singh haveli in old Lahore is a famous landmark, it is
also the place my cousin was killed in.
The death of my 12-years old
cousin, Maham, enigmatically goes back to the bloody tales of treachery and
wicked murders in the Sikh era in Nau Nihal Singh haveli. Sounds insane
but youβd know itβs true if you believe in ghosts. Itβs only fair that I tell
you a little something about the notorious stories of
the Maharajahs so you can put two and two together.
Nau Nihal Singh Haveli is
a haveli mansion located within the Walled City of Lahore
between Bhatti gate and Mori gate in an area known
as Bhaiyon ka Maidan. Maharajah Ranjit Singh built this
beautiful haveli in the mid 19th century for his grandson, Nau
Nihal Singh, as his personal residence.
Nau Nihal Singh haveli in
old Lahore is now a school but used to be a Sikh mansion
Nau Nihal Singh Haveli is
probably the only Sikh-era haveli that still stands intact and has
exquisitely maintained its original architectural embellishments. However,
the haveli was converted into the first public school for girls when
the British government took over Punjab in 1849. They called it Victoria
Girls High School and it is still serving the locals of the area.
The extensive structure of the
building is breathtaking with over 40 rooms, halls,
chambers, jharokas, and interior courtyard facades.
The haveli may look and feel like itβs absolute fun, though itβs
quite the opposite what actually happened inside its walls.
Ghosts of
the Maharajahs and Maharanis of olden times are rumored to
haunt the Nau Nihal Singh haveli in Lahore
On the darker side of
the haveli, there is a basement and some rooms which are closed for
everyone. It is believed that they are haunted by the ghosts of the
then Maharajahs and Maharanis.
The most fascinating or must I say
the harrowing part is a sort of a penthouse called Rang Mahal which
is artistically decorated with frescoes, mirrors, and painted stucco. This room
has managed to maintain its majesty and aura because it is believed that this
room is haunted by the ghost of Nau Nihal Singh. He died under mysterious
circumstances when the Roshnai gate collapsed over him while he was
passing through it. It is still a controversy whether the 19-year oldβs killing
was accidental or deliberate.
One of the most striking features
of the haveli is the balconies, it is also the site of a grisly
incidents On one of these balconies, the body of the mother of Nau Nihal Singh,
Chand Kaur, was found with her head smashed in. Other unnerving incidents have
happened here too, like when Nau Nihal Singhβs wife, Rani Sahib Kaur, had given
birth to a stillborn baby in one of the rooms in the haveli.
Many believe that this was a result
of the magic or poisoning carried out on the baby. Seems like a dubious claim
but circumstances do justify it. It is observed but not a proven fact that all
these murders were planned by the murderous puppet-master Raja Dhian Singh
Dogra. It seems the ghost of Raja Dhian still reigns there.
There are still statements that are
heard around the old city claiming βJammu Dogran de zulβm tay jadoo ne
nasβl mukka diti.β (Jammu Dograβs magic and treachery finished the royal
family). Itβs pretty hard to overlook the claim, given the facts.
Now, let me take you through the
story of my cousin, Maham, who studied at Victoria School in the haveli
The students were well informed about the restricted areas around the school
but sometimes you just canβt help it. She hurried out of the shower dressed in
uniform knowing she was late. It was her daily routine to shower, eat breakfast
and wince while her mother pulled her hair up neatly in a ponytail. But today
was a little different. She grabbed her sandwich from across the table, her
schoolbag dangling over her right shoulder. She was beaming with excitement as
it was her last exam that day. Her mother shouted after her βbaal baandh
lena raastay mein.β
Maham, unaware of her fate, was
running towards Victoria School which was walking distance away from where she
lived. Her hair still wet from the shower flipped right and left as she ran
through the narrow streets of Bhatti. She made it just in time. She
quickly got started on her exam. After what felt like ages to her, when she
finally looked up, she was surprised to see that the rest of the girls still
had their heads buried in their papers. Maham submitted her paper and was
allowed to leave. She was alone so she decided to kill some time. And then she
made the last mistake of her life by entering the forbidden room
Maham was drinking water from one
of the coolers when her eyes fell on that room. Actually, she wasnβt curious,
no. She had always joked that the stories of the ghosts in the room were all
made up to keep the kids away from the room for whatever reason. She held onto
the strap of her bag and unlatched the door, careful not to alert anyone. Maham
entered the room taking a last glance at the courtyard that stretched behind
her. Unfortunately, it is still a mystery to us what Maham saw in there, but
after a while, the whole school heard a loud, shrill shriek.
Maham was found outside the
forbidden room. She was lying on the ground floating in and out of
consciousness. The door was immediately locked and Maham was taken to her
house. After several medical checkups, it was clear that she had no medical
issues going on with her. Maham refused to speak whatsoever. For the next few
days, she had an impenetrable look with her cheeks drained of all color. Till
then, it was clear that something spooky had happened inside the room. When she
did try to talk, she made throttled sounds, muffled and inhuman, as if there
were a lump in her throat. Yet somehow she managed to give the details
mentioned above as to how she approached the closed room. Unable to reveal
more, Maham often woke up in her sleep scared as hell, completely drenched in
sweat. After almost three weeks of the incident, my cousin, Maham, died in her
sleep.
Yep. This is an original
story as was narrated to us by those at the school who saw or heard it
happen and itβs as twisted as it sounds. You might need answers, but there are
none. Weβre still waiting for answers ourselves. Rumors have
it that there have been many incidents of such kind over the past years. But
the school authorities donβt let the word go out as to not stir fear among the
public. After Mahamβs death, there was a round of talks about how the haunted
part of the haveli is still under a magic spell that was cast during
the Sikh rule.
So, what are your thoughts about
this incident? Tell us in the comments down below and share if youβve got a
scary jinn encounter of yours.
*Name has been changed to protect
the identity.
https://www.mangobaaz.com/i-didnt-believe-in-ghosts-until-my-cousin-was-killed-by-them-in-the-nau-nihal-singh-haveli-in-old-lahore
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