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Home TFT E-Paper Archives

Ruins of Haveli Dhiyan Singh

Nadeem Dar by Nadeem Dar
June 12, 2015 - Updated on September 21, 2021
in TFT E-Paper Archives, Features, Main Slider

The haveli once had sixty two rooms

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While having coffee with a friend on a Saturday night, and discussing various heritage locations for photography, I found out about a haveli inside Taxali Gate – one of the thirteen gates of the Walled City of Lahore. I was astonished to find out that it was the birth place of the Government College Lahore, now known as Government College University. I, like many others, had always associated Taxali Gate with music and dance because of the Red Light Area and never thought that the place would be so enriched with heritage.

Early next morning, I reached Taxali Gate. Phaja Paye Wala (a local cuisine) tempted me to stop for a heavy breakfast, after which I took to one of the streets near Said Mitha Bazaar passing through an alley. I saw an old arch leading into a vast courtyard: the haveli of Raja Dhiyan Singh.

Piles of debris, damaged school furniture, stacked in the hall
Piles of debris, damaged school furniture, stacked in the hall
A notice board warning visitors against damaging the building
A notice board warning visitors against damaging the building
Reduced to 2 kanals after encroachments and division of land
Reduced to 2 kanals after encroachments and division of land

I had always associated Taxali Gate with music and dance

The same haveli my friend was talking about.  Luckily I met a small boy playing in the courtyard who told me about the guard who has the keys to the haveli. I met the guard and requested him to open up the gate. I told him that I wanted to capture images of the place. After a few arguments and reluctance on his part, the guard agreed to let me in.

I entered a huge hall which was the court of Raja Dhiyan Singh. The haveli was in shambles and pigeons and cats were the only form of life found there, other than the guard and myself. Piles of debris, damaged school furniture were stacked in the middle of the hall. The autumn leaves spread around mirrored the neglected conditions of the haveli.

I could not believe that the place I was photographing was the birth place of Government College of Lahore. The initial classes of Government College, and simultaneously the Oriental College, started in this building in 1864. The haveli had sixty two rooms at that time.

The lotus flower petals on the pillars resemble the architecture of Lahore Fort
The lotus flower petals on the pillars resemble the architecture of Lahore Fort
The remains of fresco work are still there
The remains of fresco work are still there

tft-18-p-16-g

I met a boy playing in the courtyard who told me about the guard with the haveli’s keys

Originally this haveli covered an area of 47 kanals but it was reduced to 2 kanals after encroachments and division of land. The historic accounts state that this haveli was larger than the haveli of Jamadar Khushal Singh, which is now the Chuna Mandi Girls College.

It was depressing to see that the foundation of an institute, which gave identity to many leaders, was in ruins today. And nobody to look after it…

The guard, gauging my passion, told me that it was the haveli of Raja Dhiyan Singh, who was born in 1796. The Raja along with his two brothers served Maharaja Ranjit Singh. According to Sikh history, Raja Dhiyan Sigh was one of the successful workers who gained respect and rose from the post of a trooper to a deorhidar or chamberlain to the royal household. In this capacity, he had ready access to the Maharaja and became a man of influence at the court. Later in 1822 he was made the Raja and gifted with land in Jammu and Punjab where we see the remains of his astounding palace today. Raja Dhiyan Singh became the prime minister of the court and died in 1843.

tft-18-p-16-h

tft-18-p-16-i

The balcony for public hearing is still intact in the hall
The balcony for public hearing is still intact in the hall

Pigeons and cats were the only form of life found there

The existing part of the haveli was the court of Raja Dhiyan Singh while the other portions have been demolished. The balcony for public hearing is still intact in the hall. The small ventilation openings in the floor endorse the presence of a basement. The main door leading to the basement now is covered with cobwebs and the staircase is sealed.

According to the guard he had seen the basement in his childhood. It was huge and used as a private chamber by the Raja. The haveli must have been a masterpiece embellished with ornaments and fresco work as per Sikh architecture. The remains of fresco work are still there in the haveli. It was a two storey building and at present the upper storey is being used as a residential part by the locals.

The construction of the building goes back to the Mughal era. The arches and features of the building reflect a mix of Mughal and Sikh architecture. The lotus flower petals on the pillars of the main hall and the jharoka, or balcony, made for public hearing, resemble the architecture of Lahore Fort and other buildings of that era.

tft-18-p-16-k

The door leading to the basement now is covered with cobwebs
The door leading to the basement now is covered with cobwebs

It was larger than the haveli of Jamadar Khushal Singh

After the fall of Sikh rule the palace was turned it into a school by the British, in 1854. Ten years later in 1864 it became the house of the Government College and Oriental College Lahore. As per history of Government College, it was to be opened up in 1856, but the tough criteria of foreign qualified teachers delayed it till 1864. After a few years in 1871, the Government College was moved near Anarkali.

After the shifting of the colleges, the premises were used as Dhiyan Singh School which after 1947 was named as City Muslim League High School. Till 2004 the haveli was used as a boys’ school, but following a fire incident, the building was damaged and the school was shifted.

The arches and features of the building reflect a mix of Mughal and Sikh architecture
The arches and features of the building reflect a mix of Mughal and Sikh architecture

tft-18-p-16-n

This is one sad story of our heritage. Not many of us know this place or the fact that Government College starting from this haveli. It should be turned into a tourist site by the concerned department, in order to save it from further deterioration. At present the haveli is under the possession of the Education Department of Punjab and some land has already been shared with the Government of Jammu Kashmir.

Other nations respect their heritage and cherish the old remains. We forget and neglect what we have of our ancestors. I hope to see this Haveli in a better state when I visit it the next time.

Also Read:

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Damages & Apologies: How UK Courts Cracked ARY

The writer is a professional heritage photographer and can be reached at nadeemdarphotography@gmail.com

Tags: Heritage
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Comments 6

  1. Gurpreet Singh Anand says:
    7 years ago

    Many Many thanks …..few people understand the anguish what Sikh historians feel when all their facets of glory have been left behind in West Punjab and in Lahore in particular .The tragedy is we are classified as enemies and hence visas are unobtainable ..the people living there have no love ,by large , in Sikh heritage for reasons their contemporaries castigate them as Kafirs and why they don’t write about excesses of Sikh rule as the archeology department points at every information board outside all monuments .
    So who will write about our decaying heritage for those living there having no interest and those who have interest as here are denied visas as visas giving authorities have no interest in issuing us visas .
    It is writers like the present writer to whom we are indebted for throwing light on our heritage and to whom many thank yous are due .
    Keep writing and throwing light on hidden artefacts and monuments of the Sikh glory .

  2. Tahmina Iqbal says:
    7 years ago

    it is very informative article. i, as part of team, am doing work on this haveli which is now know as govt. Fatima Jinnah College for Women Chuna Mandi Lahore. we are trying to locate the history of this building along with its surroundings so the new generation would able to tell something authentic about their glorious heritage. Jazak Allah.
    Stay Blessed

    • Jai Singh Sheikhupura says:
      6 years ago

      Hi Miss Iqbal. My grandfather is raja Dhiyan Singh. I would like to connect you with my father who was born in Lahore and lived in the haveli before partition. I am sure he would be able to provide you with all the information you need regarding the history of the building. You can contact me through Nadeem, the author of this article.

      • Bobby Singh says:
        6 years ago

        Dear Mr Sheikhupura,
        Please do contact me on bsingh009@hotmail.com.
        I am an historian based in UK, have written new book on Sikh structures in Pakistan which might be useful.

      • Bobby Singh says:
        6 years ago

        Hi Jai,

        If you are a descendant of Raja Dhyan Singh, please do contact me.

  3. Bobby Singh says:
    6 years ago

    Dear Jai Singh,
    I’m trying to connect with the families of Raja Dhyan Singh, are you a descendant of his, please do contact me as I would like to write about this family and its association with the Lahore Durbar.

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