Old Lahore -- anarkali bazaar
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Very Good.
Jinnay Lahore nahin wekhya
ao Jamiya hi nahin.
Jinnay Lahore nahin wekhya
ao Jamiya hi nahin.
ghazi52
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Dhani Ram: A dreamer and a visionary
The story of the celebrated trader of pre-partition Anarkali Bazaar, after whom Lahore's Dhani Ram Road was named
Over a period of more than a century, Anarkali Bazaar has been the busiest and oldest business district of downtown Lahore. The first cantonment area of city was established in Anarkali during the days of British Raj which was later shifted into Mian Mir, on the other side of Lahore Canal.
One can see the great white grandeur of King Edward Medical University on iconic Neela Gumbad Chowk. Ewing Road is adjacent to the university and at the end of this road, after taking a left turn, a road is leading towards the mid of Anarkali Bazaar, which is known as Dhani Ram Road. It has filled with ugly plazas and shopping malls. In the 90s it was famous for crockery shops, but now it has become a wholesale market of ready-made ladies garments.
The name suggests the Hindu origins of the road like many other old localities of the city. It is utmost important to explore the social history of Lahore through the names of the areas, roads and buildings of old city.
This piece is the very first installment of this series.
Dhani Ram (full name, Lala Dhani Ram Bhalla) was the celebrated trader of Anarkali Bazaar of pre-partitioned Lahore and a prominent member of the socialite of that time. He started a leather business and opened a shoe store. It was the time when leather business was considered a forbidden trade for Hindus and hence he broke a social taboo.
A poetic satire was created to mock him in these words:
“Hindu ho ke jutian veche, mat mari gayi dale di, peeli hati Bhalle di”
(Shame on Bhalla that being a Hindu, he is selling shoes at his yellow painted shop)
Dhani Ram cleverly rephrased it as:
“Shehr Lahore, Anarkali, tay wekh Bhallay de tul. Kinni sohni shay da mangda kinna thoda mul”
(Look the style of Bhalla in the Anarkali Bazaar of Lahore. He demands such a small price for a precious thing)
It later became a slogan for the shop.
Pran Nevile, the renowned author and considered an authority on old Lahore, writes:
“There were verses composed to publicize Bhalla’s shoes one of which read: 'Boot Bhalley de laidiyo sanoo, roz diyarhi, kavan tuhanoo' (Buy me Bhalla’s shoes, I request you every day).”
In the difficult times of Dhani Ram, his only support had come from Mahatma Hansraj, a well-known educationist of subcontinent who founded and served as principal of DAV College, later known as Civil Lines College, for 25 years. He was the first cousin of Dhani Ram.
Dhani Ram actually belonged to Bajwara, a nearby town of district Hoshiarpur (now in India) of Punjab and came to Lahore to make his destiny.
Dhani Ram built his awe-inspiring house in Nava Kot where he had hosted the towering figures of literature and politics including Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi. A photo of Dhani Ram with Tagore still exists which is the proof that Tagore had not only visited Lahore but had stayed there for a while.
Dhani Ram had a true rags to riches story. He knew how to show the wealth. He built a Banglow in Mussorie, Kanpur and bought a car too.
Nevertheless, the name of his store remained as Bhallay di Hatti.
At present a famous shoe company is selling its shoes on the same spot where Dhani Ram had been selling his leather shoes for a couple of decades and established a repute of leading shoe seller of the city in good old times. By doing so he courageously challenged the monopoly of Muslims on leather business and Bhallay di Hatti had become a household name in the city.
Dhani Ram also built a haveli (mansion) in Hoshiarpur with the wealth he earned from champ ka kum (leather business). This building was later donated to an institute which is now one of the best research institutes for the Sanskrit and Indian history in the world and known as Vishveshvarananad Vedic Research Institute, Hoshiarpur. This institute, in fact, initially started its working in Lahore in 1917 in the premises of DAV College.
On April 15th in 1919 Lahore saw the martial law after the tragedy of Jallianwala Bagh, all hell broke loose. Over ten thousands citizens were arrested including Dhani Ram. Ironically, he was kept for 50 days in custody without the trial.
Dhani Ram and his family migrated to India in 1947 during the partition of India, but he met the death soon in 1950. He has a great legacy and a research institute and a road still exist after his name in a country where the majority of non-Muslim names of the different cities, localities and roads have been changed.
Amrita Pritam was one of the most prominent residents of Dhani Ram Road and she witnessed the distressing and horrific communal riots on the roof of her house.
.........................
Ali Abbas is a journalist, researcher and blogger who occasionally finds the time to indulge in his greatest passion: storytelling
The story of the celebrated trader of pre-partition Anarkali Bazaar, after whom Lahore's Dhani Ram Road was named
Over a period of more than a century, Anarkali Bazaar has been the busiest and oldest business district of downtown Lahore. The first cantonment area of city was established in Anarkali during the days of British Raj which was later shifted into Mian Mir, on the other side of Lahore Canal.
One can see the great white grandeur of King Edward Medical University on iconic Neela Gumbad Chowk. Ewing Road is adjacent to the university and at the end of this road, after taking a left turn, a road is leading towards the mid of Anarkali Bazaar, which is known as Dhani Ram Road. It has filled with ugly plazas and shopping malls. In the 90s it was famous for crockery shops, but now it has become a wholesale market of ready-made ladies garments.
The name suggests the Hindu origins of the road like many other old localities of the city. It is utmost important to explore the social history of Lahore through the names of the areas, roads and buildings of old city.
This piece is the very first installment of this series.
Dhani Ram (full name, Lala Dhani Ram Bhalla) was the celebrated trader of Anarkali Bazaar of pre-partitioned Lahore and a prominent member of the socialite of that time. He started a leather business and opened a shoe store. It was the time when leather business was considered a forbidden trade for Hindus and hence he broke a social taboo.
A poetic satire was created to mock him in these words:
“Hindu ho ke jutian veche, mat mari gayi dale di, peeli hati Bhalle di”
(Shame on Bhalla that being a Hindu, he is selling shoes at his yellow painted shop)
Dhani Ram cleverly rephrased it as:
“Shehr Lahore, Anarkali, tay wekh Bhallay de tul. Kinni sohni shay da mangda kinna thoda mul”
(Look the style of Bhalla in the Anarkali Bazaar of Lahore. He demands such a small price for a precious thing)
It later became a slogan for the shop.
Pran Nevile, the renowned author and considered an authority on old Lahore, writes:
“There were verses composed to publicize Bhalla’s shoes one of which read: 'Boot Bhalley de laidiyo sanoo, roz diyarhi, kavan tuhanoo' (Buy me Bhalla’s shoes, I request you every day).”
In the difficult times of Dhani Ram, his only support had come from Mahatma Hansraj, a well-known educationist of subcontinent who founded and served as principal of DAV College, later known as Civil Lines College, for 25 years. He was the first cousin of Dhani Ram.
Dhani Ram actually belonged to Bajwara, a nearby town of district Hoshiarpur (now in India) of Punjab and came to Lahore to make his destiny.
Dhani Ram built his awe-inspiring house in Nava Kot where he had hosted the towering figures of literature and politics including Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi. A photo of Dhani Ram with Tagore still exists which is the proof that Tagore had not only visited Lahore but had stayed there for a while.
Dhani Ram had a true rags to riches story. He knew how to show the wealth. He built a Banglow in Mussorie, Kanpur and bought a car too.
Nevertheless, the name of his store remained as Bhallay di Hatti.
At present a famous shoe company is selling its shoes on the same spot where Dhani Ram had been selling his leather shoes for a couple of decades and established a repute of leading shoe seller of the city in good old times. By doing so he courageously challenged the monopoly of Muslims on leather business and Bhallay di Hatti had become a household name in the city.
Dhani Ram also built a haveli (mansion) in Hoshiarpur with the wealth he earned from champ ka kum (leather business). This building was later donated to an institute which is now one of the best research institutes for the Sanskrit and Indian history in the world and known as Vishveshvarananad Vedic Research Institute, Hoshiarpur. This institute, in fact, initially started its working in Lahore in 1917 in the premises of DAV College.
On April 15th in 1919 Lahore saw the martial law after the tragedy of Jallianwala Bagh, all hell broke loose. Over ten thousands citizens were arrested including Dhani Ram. Ironically, he was kept for 50 days in custody without the trial.
Dhani Ram and his family migrated to India in 1947 during the partition of India, but he met the death soon in 1950. He has a great legacy and a research institute and a road still exist after his name in a country where the majority of non-Muslim names of the different cities, localities and roads have been changed.
Amrita Pritam was one of the most prominent residents of Dhani Ram Road and she witnessed the distressing and horrific communal riots on the roof of her house.
.........................
Ali Abbas is a journalist, researcher and blogger who occasionally finds the time to indulge in his greatest passion: storytelling
ghazi52
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No rickshaws around... No drugs addicts around the data darbar.. no pollution.. no dust.. no smog.. no metro but the tangas were awesome..t from Mr Tarar and mr Nasir Kazmi and others i have learnt that lahore was heaven till 80s..
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