Today we think of Landa Bazaar in certain terms of second hand things from abroad. But there were manufacturing units here of different kinds. One was the CHANDNI SWORD WORKS which manufactured swords for civilians as well as Army battalions. We have two swords, one for civilians and one for Army regiments stationed in Lahore. Interesting history.
Rudyard Kipling enfolds another role of the Serai of Mian Sultan. In his novel Kim, he points to the Serai as being meeting place of Spies. A certain Afghan spy met here in those times. And killings used to take place here. The interesting part is that the Serai was once the Market place of Prince Dara Shikoh and later as well the Serai of Nawab Wazeer Khan. Demolished by Maclagen in 1904 in Lahore. We have prints as well as photographs of same, which we will eventually share with others. The richness of the history of Lahore cannot be denied in any way.
Time hides and changes perceptions.
The bazaar tradition is as old as Dara Shikoh. Jahan ara made Chandni chowk and it’s bazaar in Delhi which is there even today. Landa bazaar is actually bazaar of Dara Shikoh and we have a Firman related to shops in Dara’s time which were forcibly occupied by others and the Prince ordered payment. Amazing history!
Farman?
Bahut kam log dil say kam kartay hain ap un logoan main hain jo nazaroan say gum ho gayain hain. Khuda ap ko zindagi dey.