Lahore is the second largest city in Pakistan with a population of roughly 8.5 million. The traditional capital of Punjab for a thousand years, it had been the cultural center of Northern India extending from Peshawar to New Delhi. This preeminent position it holds in Pakistan as well. The people of Lahore, when they want to emphasize the uniqueness of their town say " Lahore is Lahore". Lahore is the city of poets, artists and the center of film industry. It has the largest number of educational institutions in the country and some of the finest gardens in the continent.

    Apart from being the cultural and academic centre of the country, Lahore is the showcase for Mughal architecture in Pakistan. For more than 200 years, beginning from about 1524 AD, Lahore was a thriving cultural centre of the great Mughal Empire. Mughal Emperors beautified Lahore, with palaces, gardens and mosques.  

    The original citadel city is situated one mile to the south of the river Ravi, and some 23 miles from the eastern border of the Punjab district. The walls of the city, when they were still standing, gave it a shape of a parallelogram. The total area inside the walls encompassed roughly 461 acres of land. The city is slightly elevated above the plain, and has a high ridge within it, running east and west on its northern side. The whole of this elevated ground is composed of the accumulated debris of many centuries.

    The origins of Lahore are shrouded in the mists of antiquity but Lahore is undoubtedly ancient. Legend has it that it was founded about 4,000 years ago by Loh, son of Rama, the hero of the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. Reminiscence of its hoary past is the remains of a subterranean temple attributed to Rama, in the northern part of the Royal Fort. Historically, it has been proved that Lahore is at least 2,000 years old. Hieun-tasng, the famous Chinese pilgrim has given a vivid description of Lahore which he visited in the early parts of the 7 th century AD. Lying on the main trade and invasion routes to South Asia, Lahore has been ruled and plundered by a number of dynasties and hordes. Muslim rule began here when Qutub-ud-din Aibak was crowned in Lahore in 1206 and thus became the first Muslim Sultan of the subcontinent. It waxed and waned in importance during the Sultanate. However, it touched the zenith of its glory during the Mughal rule from 1524 to 1752. The Mughals, who were famous as builders, gave Lahore some of its finest architectural monuments, many of which are extinct today.

    It was Akbar's capital for 14 years from 1584 to 1598. He built the massive Lahore Fort on the foundations of a previous fort and enclosed the city within a red brick wall boasting 12 gates. Jahangir and Shah Jahan (who was born in Lahore) extended the fort, built palaces and tombs, and laid out gardens. Jahangir loved the city and he and his wife Noor Jahan are buried at Shahdara. The last of the great Mughals, Aurangzeb (1658-1707), gave Lahore its most famous monument, the great Badshahi Masjid (Royal Mosque) and the Alamgiri gateway to the fort.

    During the eighteenth century, as Mughal power dwindled, there were constant invasions by the likes of Nadir Shah and Ahmed Shah Abdali. Lahore was a suba, a province of the Empire, governed by provincial rulers with their own court. These governors managed as best they could though for much of the time it must have been a rather thankless task to even attempt. The 1740s were years of chaos and between 1745 and 1756 there were nine changes of governors. Invasions and chaos in local government allowed bands of warring Sikhs to gain control in some areas. Lahore ended up being ruled by a triumvirate of Sikhs of dubious distinction for about 30 years before Maharaja Ranjit Singh came to power in 1799 and finally managed to bring order for 40 odd years. He tried to bring back a glimmer of Mughal glory by renovating some of the monuments while adding some of his own. Because of scarcity of building material, marble and semi-precious gems were appropriated from the existing buildings to be used in the Sikh projects all over the empire. In general however, the Sikh period was bad news for the protection of ancient buildings. Some survived, misused and knocked about a bit and a few new ones were added. Nevertheless, descriptions of Lahore during the early 19th century refer to it as a "melancholy picture of fallen splendor."

    The British, following their invasion of Lahore in 1849, added many buildings in "Mughal-Gothic" style as well as some shady bungalows and gardens. Early on, the British tended to build workaday structures in sites like the Fort, though later they did start to make an effort to preserve some ancient buildings. The Lahore Cantonment, the British residential district of wide, tree-lined streets and white bungalows set in large, shaded gardens, is the prettiest cantonment in Pakistan. Since Independence in 1947, Lahore has expanded rapidly as the capital of Pakistani Punjab.

    Today, Lahore can be best described as a city that is just so wonderful, so very fabulous, that every nook and corner of the city speaks of certain vibrance, certain zeal, a spirit of life, which cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Perhaps it is the maturity of the city, which manifests itself in the various parts of Lahore. It is present in the monuments, in the bazaars, in the old buildings lining the Mall, or in the vast expanses of the sports grounds in the Cantonment. But most vividly, this great Lahori spirit is visible in the people of Lahore, the Zinda dilan-e-Lahore (The Zealous of Lahore).

    Lahore is a city of culture, of history, of an unrivaled charm that sets it apart from every other city on earth. It seems that great Lahori spirit has invaded and saturated this city over the centuries, to the effect that Lahore today is not just a city, not just a place in one corner of this planet, but a whole universe in itself; what to say of similarities to other Mughal cities...the average Lahori is that same old Mughal prince of bygone ages, one only has to get to know him. There is an old saying, that in every Lahori, there is a Mughal prince.

    The description of the pure Lahori spirit conveniently evades the mind, adding to the mysteries of this city. At best, it can be said that this spirit pervades the citadel and the slum alike. The city has known ages of cultural, intellectual, musical, literary and humanistic evolution, which has consequently led to the fermentation and over fermentation of this rich brew we call Lahore. Few cities of the world, if indeed any, can lay claim to such a wonderful past or present.

    All this makes Lahore a truly rewarding experience. The buildings, the roads, the trees and the gardens, in fact the very air of Lahore is enough to set the mind spinning in admiration. Many a poet has written about this phenomenon one experiences in the environs of Lahore. When the wind whistles through the tall trees, when the twilight floods the beautiful face of the Fort, when the silent canal lights up to herald the end of another chapter in history, the Ravi is absorbed in harmony, mist fills the ancient streets, and the havelis come alive with strains of classical music, the spirit of Lahore pervades even the hardiest of souls.

Old Names of Lahore

Laha-war

Laha-noor

Loh-pur

Mahmood-pur

Labokla

Samandpal Nagiri

    Lahore is cultural, intellectual and artistic center of the nation. Its faded elegance, busy streets and bazaars, and wide variety of Islamic and British architecture make it a city full of atmosphere, contrast and surprise.
The warm and receptive people of Lahore are known for their traditional hospitality. This is a city of vivid differences, of haunting nuances; where bustling bazaars, frenetic streets, glorious fading elegance, British Architecture and echoing atmosphere of city's many mosques merge together into a history that is both dramatic and fascinating.
Lahore is country's undisputed centre of Cultural life. When somebody is asked to define the particular charm of their city, Lahoris are apt to shrug and respond with a laconic, ' Lahore is Lahore'.
Being the center of cultural and literary activities it may rightly be called the cultural capital of Pakistan .

Marriages and Betrothal
     Betrothal always precedes a marriage. The proposal is initiated by the near relatives of the boy or girl and the women of both the sides take leading part in finalizing the proposal. The wedding may take place at any time after the betrothal. Marriage between the same sections of tribe or caste is customary. But inter-marriage between people of different tribes and castes in cities and towns is becoming more frequent.

     The usual age of marriage for boys is 20 to 30 years and that for girls is from 18 to 25 years. On the wedding day the relatives and friends of the boy assemble and proceed in procession to the girl's house. The marriage procession is generally headed by a musical band.

     A marriage party is received by the relatives and friends of the parents of the girl. The party is then entertained. Thereafter the Nikah ceremony is performed by the Nikah registrar and a feast is given to the party. Alms are distributed to beggars and Village Mueens are fed.
Then the party returns to the house of the bride groom with the bride but in a doli or in a car. She stays for a couple of days and then returns to her father's house. The final bringing home of the bride is called Muklawa. The dowry in the shape of ornaments, clothing and furniture etc. is given to the girl from her parents.

Houses
     Houses are a mixture of old and modern style of architecture. House are mostly built of bricks and Concrete. Since independence many new residential colonies have been built in and around Lahore city.

Food
     The staple food of the city people is wheat, rice and pulses. Meat is frequently taken especially in cities. Pulses and vegetables are quite common items of diet. The chief meals are taken just before mid day and in the evening soon before sunset. But the city folk generally have three meals, one early in the morning the other at mid day and the third after sunset.

     The ordinary food of villagers, roti made from flour of wheat, grams, barley, maize, or jawar. In villages morning meal is usually taken with skimmed yogurt or curd mixed with water known as Lassi. The special dish for guests in rural areas consists of Halwa, Sewaiyan, chicken, mutton, or sometimes beefs.
While in urban areas, Pulao, Zarda, Buriyani and qorma are served. Tea is almost universal popular in cities and regulary taken at breakfast and in the evening. Villagers also take tea especially after meal.

Dress and Ornaments
     In urban areas semi-western dress is worn by educated people while indigenous dress is worn at home. The local dress consists of the Kurta and Shalwar. Achkan and Sherwani are worn on formal occasions. The women's colors are generally more colorful. The important items of the women clothing are Shalwar Kamiz and Dopatta or Chaddar to cover their heads and upper parts of their body. Sari is only worn by women of the upper classes in cities on formal occasion. Shoes are worn by those living in city while women folk wear sandals and slippers , Purdah is not generally observed by city women.

Births
     The birth of a male child is considered an occasion of great rejoicing and is followed by the distribution of sweets to friends and relatives who come to offer congratulations to the parents. Soon after the birth of a child, the Mullah or an elderly male member of the family recites Azan (call for Muslim prayer) into the ears of the child. Money is also given to the Mueens (village artisans) on the birth of a male child at the time of circumcision ceremony which is either performed soon after the birth or less commonly after a few years.

     Circumcision is performed by a barber in the villages and generally by a surgeon in towns and cities. Aqiqa ceremony is performed both for a male and a female child. One goat is sacrificed in case of a girl and two in case of a boy.

Deaths
     On the death of a person, neighbourers, relatives and friends assemble at the house of the deceased to console the bereaved family. Just after the death, the face of the deceased is turned towards the Ka'aba and the dead-body is kept in a proper posture. The corpse is bathed, and wrapped in a coffin of new cotton sheet. Comphor and rose water are sprinkled over the body which is placed on a Charpai and those present have a last look. The dead body accompanied by the mourners is then carried to the grave-yard where Namaz-e-Janaza is offered before it is lowered into the grave.

     The death is mourned for three days, when Qul ceremony is performed. The women-folk mourn with great vehemence. On the 40th day, called Chaliswan, meals are served to friends, relatives and the poor. Christians also bury their dead. Immediately after death, the local Church authorities are informed of the occurrence and bells start tolling in the Church.

     The dead body is washed and then dressed in the best available garments, is carried to the Church and placed there for last sight. The mourners then go past the body and either sprinkle scent or place flower wreaths on the dead body. The service for the dead is held in the Church where verses from the Bible are recited and a brief sermon delivered.

     The body is then taken to the graveyard and interred. Hindues, Budhists and Jain burn their dead. A funeral procession often departs from the house of the dead with musicians in the vanguard. The body is shifted to a nearby temple, if available in the vicinity, where mantra-chanting priests lead the prayer. The body is then taken to 'Ghaat' where it is placed under a pile of dried wood and burnt. Rich Hindus still use Ghee and Sandal wood to burn their dead. After the body is completely burnt and reduced to ashes the same are collected and thrown in river or tossed to the winds.