Hazuri Bagh
Hazuri Bagh is a
garden in
Lahore,
Pakistan, bounded by the
Lahore Fort (east side),
Badshahi Mosque (west side), the
Samadhi of Ranjit Singh (north side) and the
Roshnai Gate (south side). In the center is stands the
Hazuri Bagh Baradari, built by
Ranjit Singh.
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South section of the Hazuri Bagh, looking north towards the Baradari |
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South section of the Hazuri Bagh, looking south towards the Roshnai Gate |
The Hazuri Bagh is a small enclosure between the
Alamgiri Gate of the
Lahore Fort and eastern gate of the
Badshahi Mosque. This garden was built by Maharajah
Ranjit Singh in 1813 to celebrate the capture of the famous Koh-i-Noor Diamond from Shah Shujah of Afghanistan. The Serai Alamgiri formerly stood here.
The garden was planned and built under the supervision of Faqir Azizuddin. After its completion, it is said, Maharajah
Ranjit Singh, at the suggestion of Jamadar Khushhal Singh, ordered that marble be removed from various mausoleums of
Lahore to construct a baradari (pavilion) here. This task was given to Khalifa Nooruddin. Elegant carved marble pillars support the baradari's delicate cusped arches. The central area, where Ranjit Singh held court, has a mirrored ceiling. Both the garden and the baradari, originally a 45-foot, three-storey square with a basement approached by fifteen steps, suffered extensive damage during the fratricidal Sikh wars and was only reclaimed and laid out according to the original plan during the British period. On 19 July 1932, the uppermost story collapsed and was never reconstructed.
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List of gardens*
A photo of Hazuri Bagh*
An older photo of Hazuri Bagh
