Anarkal Tombi | Lahore | Pakistan | Historical | Beautiful Place

 

Anarkali Tomb

The catacomb of Anarkali is one of the greatest stimulating and noteworthy constructions of the Mughal era. Lore has it that the inventively deliberate octangular construction is the concluding latent place of Nadira Begum, the well-known lover of Crown Prince Saleem who went on to develop the next emperor.

The shrewd eight-sided construction characterizes infinity, like the eternal tale of love between the concubine and the prince, bestowing to some historiographers.

The construction also flaunts a marble dome, additional significant feature of the Islamic basic design, along with a garden, mentioned to as the Anarkali garden, which was place to several uses over the centuries.

Even with all the variations, the catacomb is still a immense example of the Mughal era, and adds value to the rich antiquity of the local capital.

Some historiographers consider that Anarkali was a adherent of Emperor Akbar's harem. She was suspect by the emperor of attracting the crown prince into an illegal relationship. She was late implemented over these charges in 1599.

Six years later, Sovereign Jahangir, popularly recollected as Prince Saleem, climbed the throne and well-ordered the building of a tomb in the reminiscence of his adored. It was accomplished in 1615.

The tomb initially stood at the center of a outstanding garden alike to the strategy of the Asif Khan Tomb.

In the early 1800s, the area was employed by Maharaja Kharak Singh, the son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and rehabilitated into the residence of General Jean Baptiste Ventura, a French officer in the Sikh army

Relishing the rich construction and the cultural-historical reserves of Lahore, one cannot help actuality overcome by the magnificence and the anonymous of a Mughal-age tomb’s pale-white dome located privileged the south-western margin wall of the Punjab Civil Secretariat. The tomb is known as the last dwelling of the famous romantic character Anarkali, a concubine of the Mughal emperor Akbar and his son Prince Saleem (Jahangir).

The character of Anarkali has always haunted the historians, in particular, and the people in general, with a strong feeling of suspense, mystery, awe and a passionate romance.

 The story of Anarkali is, initially, a traditional legend which has voyaged vocally from generation to generation. From whatever research information is accessible it is whispered that the lady, born Nadira Begum or Sharf-un-Nissa, was principally from Iran and approached to Lahore with a traders’ procession.

As she was very good-looking, she got access to Akbar’s court and was artistic with the appellation of Anarkali on the base of her beauty. It is really astonishing that neither Jahangir mentioned her in his book Tuzk-i-Jahangiri, nor any modern historiographer left any sign of her story.

The first past mention of Anarkali is found in the travel piece of the British traveler and trader, William Finch, who came to Lahore during 1608 to 1611. Bestowing to Finch’s explanation, Anarkali was one of the wives of Emperor Akbar and the mother of his son Danial Shah. Akbar developed doubts that Anarkali had incestuous relations with Prince Saleem (Jahangir) and, on this ground had her concealed alive in the wall of Lahore Fort. Jahangir, after mounting the authority, had this superb tomb constructed, at the present site, in memory of his beloved.

Other western visitors, who landed here during the next two centuries, including Haggle, Prince and Mason, only cited the charming gardens and captivating construction of the tomb, but nothing about the person buried in the grave or the incident of Anarkali.

Noor Ahmed Chishti, in his book Tehqiqaat-i-Chishtia (1860), has delivered some details about the splendor of the construction and the event of Anarkali, based on his own remarks as well as traditional stories. He writes, “Anarkali was a beautiful and a favorite paramour of Akbar the Great and her real name was Nadira Begum or Sharf-un-Nissa. Akbar’s immoderate love for her made his other two ladies envious and aggressive towards Anarkali. Now, some opinion that Akbar was on a call to Deccan when Anarkali fell ill and died and the other two paramours committed suicide to avoid the emperor’s rage. When the emperor returned he ordered to create this magnificent tomb.” Chishti also relates: “I saw the marble grave that has 99 names of Allah adorned on it, and the name Sultan Saleem Akbar was written on the head side”.

Syed Abdul Lateef, in his book Tareekh-i-Lahore (1892), mentions that Anarkali’s actual name was Nadira Begum or Sharf-un-Nisa and she was one of Akbar’s doxies. He assumed illegal relations between Prince Saleem and Antalkali and, therefore, ordered that Anarkali be concealed alive in a wall, and the tomb was later built there by Jahangir (Saleem) when he succeeded to the throne. A verse by Jahangir written on the grave in Farsi reads, “If I could behold my beloved only once, I would remain thankful to Allah till doomsday”.

This clearly concludes a zealous affair between Saleem and Anarkali. Two dates have been stated on the grave: 1008 Hijri (1599AD) and 1025 Hijri (1615AD) — possibly the date she died and the date of the completion of the tomb.

In his composing, titled Tareekh-i-Lahore (1897), Kanhaya Laal writes that Nadira was a beautiful concubine in the court of Akbar and was artistic with the name Anarkali on the basis of her pink appearance and gorgeous beauty. He also harangues that she died a natural death when Akbar was on a tour of Deccan. Later on, Akbar got this elegant tomb constructed, but it was demolished by the Sikh rulers and was later transformed into a Church by the British.

Though the accessible historical truths about the character as well as the tomb are unclear and confusing, the size and the splendor of the funeral chamber and the presence of a momentous inside it intensely recommend that the dead person was of great worth. Additionally, the hurried markets of New Anarkali and Old Anarkali in Lahore will not once allow us to established aside the character of Anarkali abruptly.