Naulakha Pavilion
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| Naulakha Pavilion | |
 |
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| Building | |
|---|---|
| Type | Public monument |
| Architectural Style | Mughal |
| Location |  Lahore, Pakistan |
| Coordinates | |
| Construction | |
| Started | 1631 |
| Completed | 1633 |
| Design Team | |
| Architect | Wazir Khan |
| Civil engineer | Abd al-Karim |
The Naulakha Pavilion is a prominent white marble personal chamber with curvilinear roof, located besides the Sheesh Mahal courtyard, in the northern section of Lahore Fort in Lahore, Pakistan. The structure was originally inlaid with precious and semi-precious stones and overlooked the Ravi river. Today, it is one of the 21 monuments situated within the Lahore Fort, with its western façade providing a panoramic view of the ancient city of Lahore. In 1981, as part of the larger Lahore Fort Complex, it became inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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[edit] Etymology
When the pavilion was built in 1633 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a small summer house, it cost around 900,000 rupees, an exorbitant amount at the time.[1] It is called Naulakha because in Urdu language, the word means 'worth 9 lakhs rupees'.[2] This also brought the word Naulakha into common use to signify something precious.[3]
[edit] History
The Lahore Fort was built in 1566 under the rule of Mughal emperor Akbar the Great on the location of an earlier mud-fort. The solid brick masonry complex was later extended and modified by subsequent emperors. Naulakha Pavilion is among the buildings that were erected or reconstructed between 1628 and 1634 under Shah Jahan's rule.[4] Due to his personal interest in the design and construction, Shah Jahan's architectural traditions manifest distinctive symmetry and hierarchical accents. Naulakha Pavilion is part of the Shah Burj block in the northwest section of the fort that was actually built by his predecessor Jahangir.[4]
In 1927, the building was listed by the Department of Archaeology of British India. In 1975, it was listed as a protected monument under the Antiquities Act by Pakistan's Department of Archaeology, whereas in 1981, as part of the larger Lahore Fort Complex, it became inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[5]
More recently, the building and its materials have started showing signs of damage and discolouration due to the air pollution. The pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and other emissions, have already affected the white marble of the nearby Sheesh Mahal in the Lahore Fort Complex.[6]
[edit] Design
The pavilion is rectangular in shape, situated in the west of Sheesh Mahal, and is prominent because of its centrally arched and extraordinarily curved roof. This unique feature is symbolic of Shajahani architecture[7]. It reflects a mixture of contemporary traditions (at the time of its construction) of sloping-roof from Bengal, and Baldachin from Europe. This demonstrates the imperial as well as religious image of the subject.[8] The original roof was probably gilded.[9] The inner walls are minutely inlaid with precious and semi-precious stones[10] and silver with delicate parchin kari ornamentation are considered among the finest in the world.[9]Glazed tile mosaics have been used to decorate the spandrels of the arched openings with floral designs and images of angels, genies, and solomonic symbols.[11] The marble screens of the pavilion are crowned with merlons to prevent inmates being seen from the grounds in between the Fort and the river.[12] The overall quadrangle comprises private quarters for royal family[13] and closely resembles Agra fort.
[edit] Inspirations
As a unique but impressive monument of Mughal architecture,[14] the building became a source of inspiration to Rudyard Kipling during his early days in Lahore. One of his novels is titled The Naulakha was written in collaboration with Wolcott Balestier, the brother of his fiancee, who died of typhus a few weeks before the wedding.[15] The novel is about a precious necklace, which is called Naulakha. When Kipling settled in his house in Dummerston, Vermont, he named it Naulakha, after the pavilion.[16] To him, Naulakha symbolised the virtues, peacefulness, and solitude of the rural Vermont[17].
The Naulakha Pavilion motif was used on the reverse of Pakistani banknote of One Rupee value, issued by the Government of Pakistan in 1964. The motif was subsequently replaced with Tomb of Muhammad Iqbal in 1980s, until the Banknotes of one rupee denomination were taken out of circulation in 2005.[18] Another visual inspiration of the pavilion is reflected from the design of the Pakistan Embassy building in Washington D.C. that is partly modelled on the Naulakha Pavilion.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Rajput (1963), pp. 8-9
- ^ In the monetary system consolidated by Mughals across India, they adopted Indian numbering system, in which one lakh denotes 100,000 units.
- ^ Dogar (1995), p. 65
- ^ a b Koch (1991), p. 114
- ^ Khan (1997)
- ^ Khan, Shehar Bano (2004) Wither heritage? Dawn (newspaper). July 11. Retrieved on 12 March, 2008
- ^ Koch (1991), p. 93
- ^ Asher (1992), p. 180
- ^ a b Lahore Fort Complex: Naulakha Pavilion at Archnet. Retrieved on 4 May 2008.
- ^ Turner (1996) p. 365
- ^ Chaudhry (1998), Asher (1992)
- ^ Khan (1997) p. 117
- ^ Fergusson (1967) p. 304
- ^ Wilber (1964) p. 195
- ^ Kaplan, Robert D. (1989) Lahore as Kipling Knew It. The New York Times. Retrieved on 8 March, 2008
- ^ Kipling (1996). see p.36 and p.173
- ^ Naulakha (Kipling House) in rural Vermont. Retrieved on 8 March, 2008
- ^ Naulakha Pavilion motif on reverse of One Rupee Pakistani Note in Purple and Blue at Reference Site for Islamic Banknotes. Retrieved on 4 May 2008
[edit] References
- Asher, Catherine E G (1992) Architecture of Mughal India. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521267285
- Burki, Shahid Javed (1991) Historical Dictionary of Pakistan. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0810824116
- Chaudhry, Nazir Ahmed (1998) Lahore: Glimpses of a Glorious Heritage . Sang-e-Meel Publications. ISBN 9693509447
- Dogar, Muhammad Aasim (1995) Splendour of Lahore Fort. Ilm Dost Publishers.
- Fergusson, James (1967) History of Indian and Eastern Architecture. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers.
- Haider, Zulqarnain (1978) Pietra Dura Decorations of Naulakha at Lahore Fort. (Mujallah-e-Taḥqĭq, Kullīyah-e-ʻUlūm-e-Islāmiyah va Adabiyāt-e-Sharqiyah). Faculty of Islamic and Oriental Learning University of the Punjab.
- Khan, Ahmed Nabi (1997) Studies in Islamic Archaeology of Pakistan. Sang-e-Meel Publications. ISBN 9693507177
- Kipling, Rudyard (1996) Writings on Writing. Cambridge University Press. 241 pages. ISBN 0521445272
- Koch, Ebba (1991). Mughal Architecture: An Outline of Its History and Development, 1526-1858. Prestel. ISBN 3791310704
- Rajput A B (1963) Architecture in Pakistan. Pakistan Publications
- Taher, Muhammad (1997) Encyclopaedic Survey of Islamic Culture. Anmol Publications. ISBN 8174884874
- Turner, Jane (1996) The Dictionary of Art. Grove. ISBN 1884446000
- Wilber, Donald Newton (1964) Pakistan, Its People, Its Society. HRAF Press
[edit] Gallery
 Side-view of the pavilion |
 Close-up view |
 Wider view of the quadrangle, minarets of Badshahi Mosque visible in background |
 Inner details |
 Kipling's Naulakha House |
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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