Haveli Dhiyan Singh
We ramble around the historic streets, enjoy the local eateries of the Walled City, but hardly know the importance of the place we are visiting at that very moment. Each brick, balcony, street, shop, bazaar, shrine, mosque, haveli and everything we traverse clasps the historic impressions of the past. The commotions and the splendours of times gone by are shimmering in the relics of androon (interior) Lahore. That’s my city of marvels and I am proud of it!
I stood inside the Haveli of Dhiyan Singh with Samina and Asgar (my colleagues) photographing the area but I was oblivious to the historic significance of the place till a security guard came and asked if we were done with our pictures. My colleagues asked the guard about the history of the place, and to our surprise the story was stupefying. The place we were standing in was the first classroom of the Oriental College and Government College of Lahore. The preliminary classes of Government College and the Oriental College started in that building in 1864. The Haveli had sixty two rooms originally. At that time the Haveli covered an area of 47 kanals but it was reduced to two kanals after encroachments and division of land, maybe after 1947. It is also mentioned in the book “Lahore ka Chelsea” that many professors of Oriental and Government Colleges resided inside Bhatti Gate as it was close to the location of Haveli Dhiyan Singh. This was the reason that settlement of teachers and literary people started in Bhatti Gate.
The haveli was turned it into a school by the British, in 1854, and after a decade in 1864 the Government College and Oriental College Lahore started there
The haveli was turned it into a school by the British, in 1854, and after a decade in 1864 the Government College and Oriental College Lahore started there. After the shifting of the colleges, the Haveli was turned into a boys school “Dhiyan Singh School” which, after partition, was renamed City Muslim League High School, a broken board was also spotted in the main chamber of the Haveli. Till 2004 the Haveli was used as a boys’ school, but due to the decaying of the building it was declared unfit for the children and thus the school was shifted to a nearby locality. The Haveli was abandoned at last!
Digging more into its history, we got to know that it was the haveli of Raja Dhiyan Singh, a Sikh courtier who was born in 1796 and served Maharaja Ranjit Singh. According to Sikh history, Raja Dhiyan Sigh was one of the successful courtiers who gained various positions in the Sikh court because of his intelligence and astuteness. Later, Raja Dhiyan Singh became the prime minister of the court and died in 1843.
The place we were standing at was the public court of Raja Dhiyan Singh while the other portions of the Haveli had been demolished and in one portion a family is still residing. The balcony for public hearing was still seen in the main hall. The small openings in the floor endorsed the presence of a basement which was locked. The guard said that it was dangerous to go down as it has not been cleaned in ages. The main door leading to the basement was covered with cobwebs and the staircase was sealed. The basement was probably the private chamber of Raja Dhiyan Singh. It is mentioned in different books that this Haveli was more spacious than the Haveli of Khushhaal Singh and Jamadaar Singh which is today known as Chinna Mandi College.
Remains of old fresco work on some pillars and portions on walls are still seen, though much of it has vanished because of aging and negligence
A mixture of Mughal and Sikh Architecture is obvious from the arches and build of the Haveli. It is said to be built during the Mughal era and later on after the fall of Mughal Empire the Haveli was taken over by the Sikhs. The lotus flower petals on the pillars of the main hall and the Jharoka or balcony made for public hearings resemble the architecture of the Lahore Fort and other buildings of that era.
Remains of old fresco work on some pillars and portions on walls are still seen, though much of it has vanished because of aging and negligence. The Haveli is in a critical situation, with no one to clean or look after it. It does not house any institute but has given shelter to many pigeons, cats and dogs. The traces of green plantation, and wild growth, give a sign of hope for its restoration.
For my readers; the Haveli is located inside Taxali gate, near the shrine of Peer Nougaza in a street leading to Said Meetha Bazaar. One can see a sign of Haveli Dhiyan Singh at the entrance of the street.
This building should be conserved and restarting a school might be a good idea. It can also be turned into a small museum or an arts and crafts learning centre. Let’s see what future holds for this piece of heritage.
Almost its considered to be of some great nature and as we have seen in the early programs these are regarded to be of some nature, so looking forward to such more evident principles.
There is lot to write about the historical background of one's culture and same are the prospects and historical prospects have been shown here with effective details that will force the writers to write about at once.
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