Lahore, Lahore.... A Travel Guide

IN A NUTSHELL

Who hold Zam-Zammah, that 'fire-breathing dragon', hold the Punjab, for the great green-bronze piece is always first of the conqueror's loot.

                                                                                                Rudyard Kipling, Kim

Kipling’s most famous work opens outside Lahore Museum with his boy protagonist, Kim, illicitly straddling the giant cannon, Zam-Zammah. The city was Kipling’s own childhood stomping ground, and all those who read his picaresque novel cannot fail to be charmed by his evocative descriptions of Lahore.

Today the city is a bustling metropolis and Pakistan’s undisputed cultural capital. Two millennia of history compete for space with world-class cricket stadiums, brand new mosques and the city’s eponymous film industry: Lollywood. The city’s elite hangs out at the colonial era Country Club and brand new Oasis golf resort, whilst bright young things party the night away at secret nightclubs and underground raves. 

GETTING THERE AND AROUND

Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport is Pakistan’s second largest, and it is well connected to Europe and the Middle East. PIA also flies to Bangkok, Beijing and Tokyo, though these flights are a little less regular. Pakistan’s train network is a relic of the British but is still a cheap and relatively efficient way to get around the country.

Within Lahore, buses and auto-rickshaws are inexpensive, though the traffic is something to behold and you take your life in your hands by venturing out! Taxis are a little more pricey, and not always well maintained, but you’re guaranteed more personal space. Do not, however, expect a taxi driver to necessarily know his way around. Excitingly, a mass rapid transit system (MRT) is on the cards for Lahore, but it is unlikely to open before 2020.

5 PLUSES

1. Fantastic food

2. Well preserved historical buildings

3. Rich and accessible culture

4. Few other foreign tourists

5. English widely spoken 

5 MINUSES

1. Over-population

2. Chaotic traffic

3. Sporadic security concerns

4. Smog

5. Pakistan is dry

10 MUST-SEES AND MUST-DOS

1. Shalimar Gardens: Lahore is known as the City of Gardens, and the Shalimar is undoubtedly its most famous. Laid out during the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (r. 1628-58), the garden is on a north-south axis with three terraces, pavilions and baths, 410 fountains and a complex irrigation system. The garden is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

2. Food Street: Foodies flock to Gawal Mandi like mosquitos around a lamp. Pedestrianised after dark, numerous small cafes spill out tables and chairs onto the street, and serve a mouth-watering array of traditional Punjabi meals and snacks. Kebabs spitting on the open grills smell divine, whilst biryanis, fried fish and haleem (thick soup with lentils, meat and grain) are also perennial favourites 

3. Anarkali: Lahore’s oldest bazaar, which sells traditional foods, embroideries and cloth, takes its name from a slave girl who was supposedly buried alive by Emperor Akbar for having an affair with his son (the future Jahangir). Her octagonal mausoleum is still here, and it is in Anarkali you will most likely catch a glimpse or hear the jingling bells of her modern counterparts, Lahore’s dancing girls.

4. Badshahi Mosque: The largest mosque in the world until 1986, the Badshahi was constructed in 1671 at the order of Emperor Aurangzeb. Each of the mosque’s four minarets is taller than the Taj Mahal, and it is capable of accommodating some 100,000 worshippers thanks to its vast sandstone courtyard. The mosque’s small museum contains relics of the Prophet Muhammed, his cousin Ali and his daughter Fatima. Exceptionally busy on Fridays. 

5. Lahore Fort: Lahore’s other UNESCO World Heritage Site. Archaeologists have found remains from the 11^th century AD  within the grounds, but the current structure dates from the late 1500s. Of particular interest are the impressive Alamgiri Gate, the Naulakha Pavilion, and original wall paintings. Tip: watch a majestic sunset over the fort from the rooftop of Cooco’s restaurant (see below). 

6. Minar-e Pakistan: This 92m high tower in Iqbal Park commemorates the Muslim League’s first request for an independent Pakistan back in 1940. Constructed from white marble, the minaret is engraved with Quranic verses, the text of the Lahore Resolution, Pakistan’s National Anthem, poetic couplets by Allama Iqbal, and excerpts from speeches by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan.

7. Lahore Museum: This impressive red sandstone building on The Mall was the architectural centrepiece of colonial Lahore. Built in the so-called Mughal-Gothic style, Kipling’s father, John Lockwood Kipling, was its most famous curator. The collection includes Graeco-Buddhist sculptures, Hellenistic and Mughal coins, pottery and paintings as well, of course, as the infamous cannon, Zam-Zammah. Check out the virtual tour at www.lahoremuseum.org.

8. Data Darbar: One of the oldest shrines in the Indian Subcontinent, the Data Darbar houses the remains of the 11^th century Sufi saint Abul Hassan Ali Hajvery. A popular pilgrimage site for both Muslims and Hindus prior to Partition,  the shrine is particularly atmospheric during religious holidays when it is decorated with lights and food is served to hundreds of people, accompanied by  the dulcet tones of Sufi singers and their instruments. Visitors of all religions are welcome to watch or join in the dancing.

9. Samadhi of Ranjit Singh: Known as the ‘Lion of the Punjab’, Ranjit Singh was crowned in 1801 as the leader of the Sikh Empire. A fierce and capable warrior, Ranjit Singh is best known for his patronage of the Golden Temple in Amritsar but also for annexing Kashmir. When he died in 1848, he was buried beneath this ornate tomb, his ashes encased in a lotus shaped urn. The pietra dura work in the marble pavilion is especially fine.

10. Wagah Border: 26km east of Lahore is the Indo-Pakistani border. Every day since 1959, Wagah has hosted an elaborate and nationalism-fuelled retreat ceremony, where soldiers from both sides compete to see who can shout loudest and goose step highest.  Join the good-natured crowds of supporters, wave your flag, and chant until you are hoarse. Note that spectators on the Pakistani side are segregated by sex. 

5 ESSENTIAL EATS

1. Cooco’s: A Lahore institution, this rooftop restaurant overlooks both the Badshahi Mosque and Lahore Fort. Owner Iqbal Hussain’s paintings and objet d’art provide plenty of food for thought, and hearty meals are winched up the outside of the building in an earthenware pot before serving. Get there early to guarantee a table and relax as you watch the sunset.

Roshnai Gate, Fort Rd

2. Bundu Khan: Ever popular (and now with a sister-branch in London), Bundu Khan serves up gloriously rich mutton in gravy, brain masala (far tastier than it sounds) and other spicy treats. Take away is available at lunchtime.

The Mall

3. Dumpukht: Named for the favoured cuisine of the Nawabs of Avadh, this is indeed a restaurant fit for a king! Delicately flavoured dishes such as the Raan-e-Dum Pukht (a leg of lamb marinated and stuffed with onions, cheese, and mint) are a pleasant change to the usual Punjabi dishes.

Pearl Continental Hotel, The Mall

4. Food Street: Follow your nose, grab a table wherever you can, and sink your teeth into divine mutton and chicken kebabs, washed down with a refreshing lassi (yoghurt drink) or Kashmiri tea. 

Gowal Mandi, Anarkali

5. Iceberg: This American-style ice cream parlour offers the perfect retreat from the heat and chaos outside. There are 20+ flavours of ice cream and frozen yoghurt, and a bewildering array of sauces and toppings.

Allama Iqbal Rd

5 ESSENTIAL STAYS

1. Avari: Set back from The Mall, this award-winning hotel is surrounded by gorgeous and surprisingly peaceful gardens. Regularly rated as the best hotel in Pakistan, guests are warmly welcomed and have every amenity at their fingertips. Doubles from US $190 per night. The Mall. www.avari.com

2. Pearl Continental is a 500-room megalith with an impressive modern façade and atrium.  Primarily used by business travellers and wedding parties, the hotel is pricy for Lahore but appropriately luxurious. Rates from US $190 per night. The Mall. www.pchotels.com

3. Park Plaza: A new addition to the chain, the Park Plaza is an archetypal international hotel with neutral décor and pleasant, English-speaking staff. The his and hers spas are an added bonus. Doubles from US $125 per night. MM Alam Rd. www.parkplaza.com

4. Hospitality Inn Lahore: Formerly the Holiday Inn, this conveniently located property has 120 immaculate rooms, five restaurants and cafes, and friendly, attentive staff. There is also a beauty salon and health club on site. Rates from US $110 per night. 26/26 Egerton Rd. www.hospitalityinnlahore.com

5. The Residency describes itself as the first boutique hotel in Lahore. What you’ll find is an imaginatively presented modern property with a slightly colonial feel. Staff are attentive to detail and security is reassuringly tight. Gulberg V. www.rh.com.pk  

Kim's Game: The Great Game

I heard The Jungle Book and The Just So Stories as a sleepy-eyed child and, from time to time since, have come across snippets of Kipling’s writings, or the reminder of one, here and there. One hasty taxi ride across Lahore gave me a brief glance of Zam-Zammah; a dark-skinned child in red shorts, splashing in a stream, is Disney’s Mowgli; and a tiger-like cat is appropriately named Sher Khan.

Among the free downloads for Kindle, I found Kipling’s Kim, a book about which I had inevitably heard but, for whatever reason, never quite got around to reading. Two hours on buses and trains, the same again sat waiting around at Heathrow airport, and a nine hour flight from London to Bishkek provided an ideal opportunity to absorb myself in attempted murders and intrigue, spiritual quests and shape-changing in the heart of British India.

Before I talk about the Great Game, one of the book’s central themes, I want to touch upon the lesser game to which Kim gave his name. It has never occurred to me until yesterday that the Kim’s Game beloved of elderly relatives, scout masters and parents desperately trying to quieten children might have its origins in classic literature.  Whilst staying in Shimla during his holiday from St. Xavier’s, the shop owner turned spy teaches Kim to observe the tiniest details of a tray of precious stones, and then of household things. Kim’s rival in Shimla, a 10-year old Hindu boy, has mastered the game to such an extent that he can make his mental list blindfolded, relying solely on his touch, and still recall in detail everything on the tray when it is then hidden beneath the cloth.

Although this seems quite literally to be child’s play, the shop keeper is in fact training his protégées early in the observational skills and ability to accurately recall information required for a future successful career in espionage. Kim is, as far as the senior spies are concerned, perfect material for one following in their footsteps on account of his fluency in vernacular languages and the ease with which he understands and can engage in local cultures. Indian bureaucrats who spoke, lived and dressed as per their western counterparts are often referred to as brown sahibs; in Kim’s case it is entirely the opposite: he is a white native who, as and when required, can even darken his skin to enable seamless integration with the local population.

Having spent the past three years physically traipsing what I’ve always assumed to be the core battlegrounds of the Great Game – Central Asia, Afghanistan, northern Pakistan and western China – I was fascinated to see in Kim that the game’s reach spread far further than I ever thought: not only are Kim and his acquaintances embroiled in events in Shimla and the Himalayan foothills, but also in Lahore, Delhi and Banaras and, on one occasion, well in to the south of India. Quite what interest the Russians had so many thousand miles further south from the warm water ports they desired I am unsure, but clearly their presence was felt.

The guises the spies, both Russian and British, take on throughout the novel are both intriguing and charming. Those easiest to spot are the cartographers, surveyors and anthropologists who range across the Subcontinent observing, scientifically measuring and recording everything in minute detail. It is telling that more than one of the characters longs for a fellowship at the Royal Society: the scientific methodology and rigorous information gathering, not the cultural content of what they are examining, is their real interest.  It is their supposedly higher scientific or cultural purpose that gives these men the freedom to travel and collect information unchallenged by the population at large: in that respect they are little different from the numerous ‘cultural attaches’ employed by foreign embassies across Central Asia today.

Rather more subtle and, with the exception of Kim, an option really open only to native spies is to travel the roads as a wandering holy man, dispensing charms and spiritual advice in exchange for alms and lodging. The Russians are completely oblivious to the true identity of Kim when he is dressed in Tibetan garb and travelling in the company of his Lama; likewise, the Mahrattan is able to slip through the police’s grasp at Delhi railway station once Kim has transformed his appearance with ash and caste marks.

Disappearing amongst India’s vast ascetic community was certainly not a strategy pioneered by Great Game spies, but it appears to have served them well. For centuries and, indeed, to the present day, it is not uncommon to find convicts and other outcasts passing themselves off as mendicants. Not only will people not question the identity of holy man but, more often than not, they will feed and water him, give him money and somewhere to rest his head. To do otherwise would harm one’s karma, and the curses of a holy man are to be feared. 

Kim is very much on the edge of the Great Game: although he is earmarked for future missions, he is throughout the course of the book only a messenger boy and a chance participant in events. The information he gathers is undoubtedly valuable but, particularly in the early stages, he is unaware of the game in which he plays, assuming innocently that the message about the white stallion must in fact relate to a woman. It makes me question how many of the Great Game’s players were spies by profession (or deliberately pursued a career that could be run in parallel with espionage) and how many people simply collected and passed on information as an when it was profitable to do so. I think probably that the majority of informants fell into the latter category.

Kim gives insight into various sides of Indian life in the 19^th century, in this case all tied together by their connection with Kim himself. The fine and oft crossed lines between military and politics, religion and social authority are so blurred that Kim seems to breeze from one to the next effortlessly, to the point it seems they are but multiple facets of the same thing.  No one of these things takes absolute precedence, save perhaps one’s personal quest, spiritual or otherwise, but even that can be temporarily laid to one side in pursuit of a little information, a silver coin, and a hearty good meal.