Taxali Gate is also known as the red light area (Heera Mandi). It is the only opening of the Walled City to the West. Once it was also called Lakhi Gate. Behind this gate is the single arterial route of the Walled City which runs from East to West and connects Taxali Gate with Delhi Gate. Starting from the West this very route is called the main bazaar Taxali Gate and as we head east it connects with Kashmiri Bazaar and this bazaar ends up at the start of Akbari Mandi. Now, the ancient gate has vanished but the route still persists. It is believed that behind this gate and close to the Lahore fort once lay the royal mint (Taxal) —- hence the name Taxali Gate. It was pulled down during the early British regime-The name, however, continues.
There is a bazaar in Taxali Gate called Heera Mandi. Most of the people have the misconception and call it the Diamond (heera) Market because of the beautiful girls there, inimitably like diamonds. However, that is not the real meaning or origin of the name. Actually this mandi is named after Heera Singh, who was the son of a minister of Ranjit Singh’s royal court. Heera Singh was also a minister of Sher Singh’s court during the Sikh period. A few decades ago this place was famous for dancing and music. People used to go there to give there eyes and ears a treat. Beautiful girls (kanjiries) used to sit in a stall shaped balconies called kootha and ply their trade of the oldest profession in the world. But basically the place was more famous for singing and dancing.
However, slowly the aesthetic pursuit became less arty and more tarty and became the centre of prostitution of the city. During the Zia-ul-Haq era a rigorous operation was conducted against these vendors of pleasure, because these so called musicians were actually running brothel houses in the guise of music and dance.
Of course, the operation didn’t root out this iniquity and instead it scattered all over the city, The Mughals were the founders of that trend of dancing and singing, but as far as I have read about them they never promoted the prostitution publicly. These brothel houses were first developed by the British in old Anarkali Bazaar for the recreation of the British soldiers. After that these were shifted to Lohari Gate and then to Taxali gate. They seemed to have spent more time at Taxali Gate than other places. Thus they settled in Heera Mandi. One can still find the traces of that at Heera Mandi.
There is a dark galli (street) where every naughty boy wonders to go and every gentleman fears to go. We can call it Sinner’s Street, and please don’t go there because not only is it sordid but very dirty. When we were passing through the street, please don’t get me wrong I was there on a journalistic survey; there were prostitutes were standing in the dark corners of that street and calling customers, strange isn’t it? We saw two motorbike riders enter the street. They accosted a prostitute. She asked them where they had got the bike. One of them replied, ‘I just lifted it, now its mine.’
This street is full of filth, with no proper sewerage system. It’s like you are walking in a drain. In a way it is the most poignant loss of heritage, as once prostitutes were hired by wealthy families to teach their children culture and social behavior. All that it left of a colorful, gay street with music and the sound of ghoongros coming out of the carved wooden porticos is some old prostitutes lurking in corners, lots of lots of filth, a rotten smell and last but not least some drug addicts —- we call them ‘jahaz’.
The story is not finished yet. Taxali gate was not famous for its brothel houses in the beginning. Some very noble people and historical figures used to live there. Mualana Altaf Hussain Haali and Allama Mohammad Iqbal were some very eminent residents. Still some noble people are living here, like Main Yousaf Sala-ud-din, the renowned socialite and grand son of Allama Mohammad Iqbal, in a beautiful and well preserved haveli one of the finest examples of the architecture of the Mughal Dynasty.
The bottom line is that, this place is not worth living any more. Pardon me for being blunt, I don’t want to hurt anybody’s feeling, but the truth is that there is an awful smell here. Yet some of the best delicacies of Lahore are sold here. Strange! Well not that strange, we can imagine that our authorities are more interested in the monkey business here than civic amenities. In the same way as these women are the cast-offs of our society, it seems this place has also been cast off. There are a lot of respectable people living here as well, and they too have to share this neglect. We mustn’t forget that these are humans living here and we should treat them as humans.
Video Report – Taxali Gate by Zohaib Butt
Zohaib Butt Started his career as a Sub-Editor at Pakistan Press International in 2004 and then joined ‘The Post’ Daily two years later. He also served as editor of Eyecandy magazine (the magazine distributed along with the paper) on Sunday.
Zohaib has worked as a production associate and researcher in infotainment department GEO TV Lahore. He is currently working as associate producer news on Planning Desk at Express news channels (both Express News and Express 24/7). His duties include planning the “week ahead,” and determining and distributing schedules and releases to the coordination desk. He is responsible for monitoring the news/current events to determine if the bureau will need to re-deploy, change release times, or advance packages. At the planning desk, Zohaib originates, plans, and delivers feature package items for use across the entire network. He also coordinates with all aspects of the desk regarding interviews, obtaining credentials, determining logistical aspects of particular story coverage, and assessing staffing needs. Presenting stories, contributing ideas for graphics, montages, Vox Pops, and debate issues is also a part of Planning Desk.
As a Producer on the planning desk at Express News, Zohaib has developed very friendly relations with all most all the politicians and public personalities of Pakistan, so calling them at anytime and inviting them for any talk show or news bulletin or for conformation of any news is never an issue. Zohaib has recently created a short film named “Via Dolorosa” based on the life of a common Pakistan boy.
