Heera Mandi (

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' bazaar located in the

Walled City of Lahore The Walled City of Lahore ( Punjabi & ur, , ''"Inner City"''), also known as Old City, forms the historic core of Lahore, Pakistan. The city was established around 1000 CE in the western half of the Walled City, which was fortified by a mud w ...

. It is specifically known as the

red light district A red-light district or pleasure district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters, are found. In most cases, red-light districts are partic ...

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

. It is named after Hira Singh Emperor who established a food

grain market The grain trade refers to the local and international trade in cereals and other food grains such as wheat, barley, maize, and rice. Grain is an important trade item because it is easily stored and transported with limited spoilage, unlike other ...

in Shahi Mohallah, which later got the name 'Hira Singh Di Mandi', meaning Hira Singh's food grain market. This later got transformed to the modern name Heera Mandi. It is located inside the

, near the

Taxali Gate Taxali Gate ( ur, , ''Taxali Darwaza'') was one of several historic gates of the Walled City of Lahore in Lahore, Pakistan. Also known as the Taxal, or royal mint, it was built from 1575 -1585 during the reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar. There ...

, and south of the

Badshahi Mosque The Badshahi Mosque ( Urdu, Punjabi: ; literally ''The Royal Mosque'') is a Mughal-era congregational mosque in Lahore, capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab. The mosque is located west of Lahore Fort along the outskirts of the Walled ...

. The market had historically been the centre of the city's refined ''

tawaif A ''tawaif'' was a highly successful entertainer who catered to the nobility of the Indian subcontinent, particularly during the Mughal era. The tawaifs excelled in and contributed to music, dance ( mujra), theatre, and the Urdu literary tradi ...

'' culture since the 15th and 16th centuries.

Etymology

The area's name is traditionally described on heera singh son of Dhian Singh Dogra who was the Prime Minister of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

Historical background

The market was originally the centre of the city's ''

'' (concubine) culture for the Lahore's

Mughal era The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

elite during the 15th and 16th centuries. It was opened by Mughals who brought women mainly from Pakistan and India to savor the dances and entertainment they provided. Later, some women from other parts of Indian Subcontinent were also brought to perform classical Indian dances such as Kathak to entertain Mughals. Heera Mandi became first associated with prostitution during the invasion of

Ahmad Shah Abdali Ahmad Shāh Durrānī ( ps, احمد شاه دراني; prs, احمد شاه درانی), also known as Ahmad Shāh Abdālī (), was the founder of the Durrani Empire and is regarded as the founder of the modern Afghanistan. In July 1747, Ahm ...

. His troops set up brothels with the women they had captured from the towns and cities they sacked during their invasion of the Subcontinent. British colonial rule solidified Heera Mandi's reputation as a hub for prostitution. Within the market, women and khusra (transgenders) offered traditional and classical dances. From the British colonial period till the past few years, it remained a centre of prostitution in Lahore. Many Hijras, members of Pakistan's transgender community, frequent the area and are involved in the area's dance culture.

Prostitution

The brothel houses were further developed by the British in old

Anarkali Bazaar Anarkali Bazaar (Punjabi, ur, ) is a major bazaar in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Anarkali also serves as a neighbourhood and union council of Data Gunj Buksh Tehsil of Lahore. It is situated in the region that extends from the south of Lahori ...

for the recreation of the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

soldiers during the

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was him ...

. After that these were shifted to

Lohari Gate The Lahori Gate or Lohari Gate is located within Walled City of Lahore in Lahore, Pakistan. Lahori Gate is one of the 13 gates of the Walled City of Lahore. Being one of the oldest gates of the old city, Lahori Gate is also known as Lohar ...

and then to

. After 1947, many governments have made efforts to increase amenities for customers of prostitution at the Heera Mandi area of Lahore but have failed. During the day, Heera Mandi is much like any other

i bazaar and is known for its good food, wide range of

Khussa Multani Khussa or simply Khussa ( ur, ), is a style of Punjabi handcrafted footwear produced in Multan, Punjab, Pakistan. Khussa are made by artisans mostly using vegetable-tanned leather. The uppers are made of one piece of leather or textile ...

(traditional Mughal footwear), and shops for musical instruments and dance. At night, the brothels above the shops open. The place is also considered as a symbol for the city of

and sometimes the words 'Heera Mandi' themselves are considered to be offensive informal talks.

Crackdown on Prostitution

During

Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq HI, GCSJ, ร.ม.ภ, (Urdu: ; 12 August 1924 – 17 August 1988) was a Pakistani four-star general and politician who became the sixth President of Pakistan following a coup and declaration of martial law in ...

's reign, an operation was conducted against music and dance houses, which were alleged to be dens of prostitution. The operation served to spread the practice throughout the city. In recent times, the area has become known for prostitution again, though the practice in the neighbourhood is in decline with the rise of online escort services.

Civic administration

The neighbourhood forms part of Taxali Gate's Union Council 30.

Cultural portrayal

Heera Mandi is referred to in the

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...

movie '' Kalank''.

Etymology

Historical background

Prostitution

Crackdown on Prostitution

Civic administration

Cultural portrayal

See also

References

Further reading