Written by: Moiz Abdul Majid
Posted on: March 19, 2020 | 
The Waazir Khan Baradari Then vs Now
Behind the Lahore Museum and the National College of Art, opposite the colonial era Tollinton market, sits a building that seems very out of place with the colonial buildings on Mall Road. This building is Wazir Khan’s baradari (twelve-door building), which seems as though it had escaped from the ancient walls of the Walled City, to reside as an unlikely companion to the Punjab Public Library.
The Wazir Khan baradari was built by the governor of Lahore, Hakim Ilmuddin Ansari (he was given the title of Wazir Khan by Shah Jahan). Wazir Khan, who was behind the construction of Wazir Khan Mosque and the Shahi Hammam near the old city’s Delhi Gate, has been credited as one of the main architects of Lahore. He constructed a garden outside the city walls in 1634, called ‘Nakhlistan-I-Wazir’ or ‘Nakhlia’. It was named as such because the garden had an abundance of date palms. The Wazir Khan Baradari was built at the center of his garden as a place to relax, and observe natural beauty.
A Portrait of Wazir Khan
The baradari is made in typical Mughal architecture, a square structure built on a high platform. It is a two story pavilion, with four belvedere towers in each corner. There are twelve arched openings or ‘peshtaqs’, with three on each side. It is surrounded by empty pools, which once held fountains for keeping the air moist during the hot and dry summers of Lahore.
Baradari from the inside
Much like the other buildings on the Upper Mall, this building was used by both by the Sikhs and British for various purposes. Over time, the garden that surrounded the baradari disappeared, and today it is very difficult to visualize a spectacular garden amid high fences and the busy Mall Road.
The Sikhs first used the monument as a garrison for the French-trained elite, the Fauj-i-Khas (Special Forces); this period brought much plunder and ruin to the compound. The British used this place as a telegraph office, and then as a settlement office in the Lahore Cantonment. It was the first building to house the Lahore Museum, but was vacated when the museum shifted to its current location. But in 1885, British Lieutenant Governor of Punjab, Sir Charles Atchison, decided to convert this building into a library that would reflect the rich texts and source material on Punjab.
The Punjb Public Library Main Building
In fact, the first site of the public library and sitting area was indeed the baradari, and it was not until 1939 that new blocks were added. The chief librarian in 1886 was Lala Kirpa Ram; he and Lala Labbha Ram, over a period of 35 years, ensured that the library contained the finest collection of books including rare ones.
Many British and Indian elites of the time donated to the library, including Atchison himself. Their donations over the years had turned the library into one of the largest and most comprehensive archives in North India Post-Partition. Today, the library still hosts a collection of 375,000 books, including the originally collected books and collections in Urdu, English, Punjabi, and Arabic. The library also archives newspapers and magazines with editions from the 1870s, and has Gazettes of Punjab which go back to the 1860s.
Though housing a very impressive collection, the state of the library is extremely precarious. The floors and shelves are dusty, decrepit and ironically inaccessible to the public. Some of the rarest books of our time are rotting on the floor, with little chance of rebinding, preservation or digitization. Because of the lack of clean space, funds and expertise, conservation efforts have been non-existent.
Current Condition of the Books
There is a very real threat of these archives and books disappearing over time. And to say it would be a great loss to South Asian history and research would be a big understatement. The baradari is also in a similar condition, used as a newspaper and study room for the students of surrounding universities. The two-storied building has been littered, chipped and defaced; the frescos have almost faded due to neglect and natural erosion.
The Punjab Public Library compound is not only a fascinating merger of ancient and colonial architecture, but also a place that has been affected by the city’s historic changes. People continue to utilize the library spaces for research or leisure. But it is equally important for the government to pay attention to conservation efforts in the library, and make sure such treasures are not lost forever.
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