Chuna Mandi

Chuna Mandi, also spelt as Choona Mandi, is a historic locality located 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 two Sikh gurus, Akbar, Jahangir, Asif Jah, Khushal Singh, and Dhian Singh.[1]

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).[2]

History

According to Syad Muhammad Latif, the locality was originally classified as being a part of the Mohalla Sheikh Ishaq, alongside the Moti Bazaar.[3] The area historically was associated with business and commerce, especially associated with the lime trade, with its streets being lined with many shops.[2] The neighbourhood is linked to Sikhism, as it was the birthplace of the fourth Sikh guru, Guru Ram Das in September 1534.[4][5][2] Guru Ram Das' grandfather and father, Thakar Das and Hari Das, were shop-keepers in Chuna Mandi.[5] 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.[4]

Aside from Sikh gurdwaras,[6] 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.[7] The haveli of Khushal Singh, popularly known as the Dhyan Singh Haveli or Asif Jah Haveli, is located in the neighbourhood.[8][1] The actual haveli of Dhian Singh is instead located in the Ghalla Mandi (Grain Market) of Lahore, near Heera Mandi.[1]

Landmarks located within the area

References

  1. ^ a b c Munir, Sana (26 January 2020). "Wall apart". The News International. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  2. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b Sheikh, Majid (8 November 2022). "Harking back: The two great Sikh gurus of Chuna Mandi". Dawn. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  5. ^ a b 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.
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