LAHORE: The historic Roshnai Gate, also known as the Gate of Lights, is one of the 13 gates of the Walled City of Lahore.

It was the main entry point into Lahore for emperors and nobles during the Mughal era for decades and later during the Sikh Empire.

This historic gate’s extended height and width is evidence that it was used by Mughal and Sikh emperors’ caravans of elephants, as written in folklore.

In the past, when the River Ravi used to flow alongside the northern wall of the historical Lahore Fort and one of the architectural marvels of the country Badshahi Mosque, Roshnai Gate used to be exuberantly illuminated during night. This illumination made travel easy for commuters who used to pass through this gate and this is probably one of the reasons that this gate is known as ‘Roshnai Darwaza’ or the gate of light. It is believed to be the oldest gate of Lahore and probably the only gate to have been preserved in its original shape.

Unfortunately, after its closure, it was neglected with no one passing through it since the past 12 years or so. The gate was closed down due to the worsening law and order situation of the country at that time. The country was fighting a war against terrorism and there were constant threats from banned militant outfits that they will destroy Allama Iqbal’s tomb and Lahore Fort which are located inside this gate.
The security agencies had closed this door and Rangers had taken control of the gate. No one used to go through this gate during this period. It was previously reportedly a busy place with passing commuters and social activities for centuries.

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However, after the law and order situation improved across the country, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar’s government decided to open this cultural and historic gate for the general public. The charge of this gate was reportedly given to the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) which is known for preserving Shahi Hammam (Royal Bath), Royal trail and other important monuments of old Lahore since the past many years.

History of Roshnai Gate

Faizan Naqvi, a Lahore-based historian told Bol News that Roshnai Gate along with the other 12 gates of the Walled City were constructed by Mughal Emperor Akbar around 1564.

This architecture blends the elements of Islamic, Persian and Hindu design, and it also sponsored some of the brightest and best minds of the era, he added.

Poets, musicians and artists as well as this historic gate all made their contributions to the Mughal style, he elaborated.

“This gate was later recognised as Roshnai Gate because during the Mughal and Sikh eras, it was located near River Ravi due to which the travellers who used to reach Lahore from Ravi bank at night would find it difficult to recognise the city by any other way.”

Due to this, the rulers of that time placed small oil lamps made of clay that used to help travellers in recognising the city. Since then it is known as the Roshnai Gate, the historian explained.

Naqvi commented that it is a good decision of the provincial government to open this gate for the public. “All the gates of this site should be open for the people so that they could come and witness the cultural sites and monuments in old Lahore.”

Easing traffic

Tabi Butt, who works at a paan shop, stated, “We are really grateful to the provincial government as this gate will also save the time of people who want to go to the fort road’s food street and Shahi Qila. When Roshnai Gate was closed, we would have to take a long route through Iqbal Park and Badami Bagh area. This required a lot of time and energy of visitors due to road congestion and other issues.”

Housewife Amina Hassan remarked, “It is a great initiative of the Punjab government to open this door as now we can go and enjoy our favourite cuisines at the food street and get a taste of other cultural foods of the Walled City. Access to the Roshnai Gate has made our visits easier.”

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We are really grateful to our local authorities for opening this gate after more than a decade, she added. “Now I can easily roam around the Walled City and visit my favourite eateries such as Das Kulcha, Khalifa Bakers and other delicacies of the Walled City.”

Protecting cultural heritage

Speaking to Bol News, WCLA Director General Kamran Lashari said that this gate was already preserved and now the authority will place guards at the gate. “The foot count at the site will definitely increase so in order to keep this historic gate intact and save it from any possible damage, the WCLA’s dedicated guards will be deployed in this area.”

When asked about the matter regarding the Rs50 ticket being introduced by WCLA, Lashari claimed that this was not true. “We have not introduced any ticket for entering from Roshnai Gate and it was not notified either.”

Abdul Basit, a culture enthusiast who often visits the Badshahi Mosque, Allama Iqbal’s tomb and Lahore Fort with his family and friends, stated that when he heard the news about Rs50 ticket on the provincial capital’s heritage sites, he was shocked. “In this period of rising inflation, people have few avenues to explore and with the advent of gadgets and mobile games, the younger generations are already not inclined towards visiting such historical sites.”

So in case the Rs50 ticket decision would have been made, it would prove to be a decisive blow, he remarked. “I am grateful to WCLA for making an all-out effort to preserve old Lahore and restore its lost glory.”

Activities planned for Roshnai Gate 

The WCLA DG stated that the authority has already developed and preserved the state-of-the-art Fort Road food street. “It is famous among the people of Lahore who throng it during the peak season. Similarly, we have planned cultural activities for Roshnai Gate. We will be present at Roshnai Gate every week.”

The DG added that now there would be ‘Dastangoi’ and ‘Heer goi’ activities regularly arranged at this historic gate where we would enlighten the visitors about the rich cultural history of Lahore.

“We will also educate our youth about the past glory of this city. The opening of this gate will help in promoting tourism and local food businesses [while] other businesses will also thrive because of this apart from making the lives of the local residents easier.”