Chuna Mandi

Photograph of the neighbourhood of Chuna Mandi in Lahore, Punjab, c.1910s

Chuna Mandi, also spelt as Choona Mandi, is a historic locality within the old Walled City of Lahore in Punjab, Pakistan. A number of historical figures are said to have resided in the area, such as Mughal emperors Akbar, and Jahangir two Sikh gurus, as well as Asif Jah, Khushal Singh, and Dhian Singh.

Etymology

According to Harish Dhillon, the name of the locality comes from the word chuna, meaning lime, which was used as a construction material as mortar, combined with the word mandi (marketplace).

History

According to Syad Muhammad Latif, the locality was originally classified as being a part of the Mohalla Sheikh Ishaq, alongside the Moti Bazaar. The area historically was associated with business and commerce, especially associated with the lime trade, with its streets being lined with many shops. The neighbourhood is linked to Sikhism, as it was the birthplace of the fourth Sikh guru, Guru Ram Das in September 1534. Guru Ram Das' grandfather and father, Thakar Das and Hari Das, were shop-keepers in Chuna Mandi. It was also the location where Guru Arjan, son of Guru Ram Das and the fifth guru, is believed to have lived for two-years while attending a relative's wedding. In 1801, Maharaja Ranjit Singh constructed a gurdwara commemorating Guru Ram Das on the occasion of the birth of his son, Kharak Singh.

Aside from Sikh gurdwaras, the neighbourhood contains a number of heritage structures, principally havelis. The area contains the largest, extant haveli located within the walled-city, the Choona Mandi Complex or Choona Mandi Haveli, which consists of Mughal, Sikh, and British architectural elements and constructions. The haveli-complex formerly housed the Central Investigation Agency (CIA) of the Punjab Police. It is now a girls' college managed by the Education Department. The haveli of Khushal Singh, popularly known as the Dhyan Singh Haveli or Asif Jah Haveli, is located in the neighbourhood. The actual haveli of Dhian Singh is instead located in the Ghalla Mandi (Grain Market) of Lahore, near Heera Mandi.

Landmarks located within the area

References

  1. 1 2 3 Munir, Sana (26 January 2020). "Wall apart". The News International. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 Dhillon, Harish (7 April 2015). "8: Guru Ram Das (1534–1581)". The Sikh Gurus. Hay House. ISBN 9789384544454.
  3. ↑ Latif, Syad Muhammad (1892). Lahore: Its History, Architectural Remains and Antiquities, with an Account of Its Modern Institutions, Inhabitants, Their Trade, Customs, &c. Lahore: New Imperial Press. p. 62.
  4. 1 2 Sheikh, Majid (8 November 2022). "Harking back: The two great Sikh gurus of Chuna Mandi". Dawn. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  5. 1 2 Singh, Prithi Pal (2006). The History of Sikh Gurus. Lotus Press. p. 54. ISBN 9788183820752.
  6. ↑ Taimoor, Ghazi (7 February 2025). "Beyond the walls in Lahore". Geo.tv. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  7. ↑ "Choona Mandi Haveli Conservation". Archnet. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  8. ↑ Hasnain, Khalid (10 January 2020). "Dhian Singh Haveli wall collapses as site remains unattended". Dawn. Retrieved 18 April 2026.