PAKISTAN'S *MUSICAL TAXALI* PANORAMA

MUSICAL, tunes, pleasing melodies, rhythms of life, harmonious beats, colourful flutes, table, dholak, harmoniums, daf and many other melodic instruments and tunes-

Would welcome you upon entering the popular bazaar inside - Taxali gate of Walled City of Lahore.

You will be surrounded numerous spell bounding real tunes and dispositions which would make your mood pleasant, as music is soothing for soul and mind.

This is the Lahnga Mandi, the music market inside Taxali gate Lahore which was one of the thirteen gates of the Walled City at Lahore and had been once famous for the dancing girls and musicians.

Unfortunately, the structure of the gate does not exist today but the remains of the intangible and tangible cultural heritage are still visible through its feeble bricks and balconies. I must say the stories of past are still roaming in the air there.

As you enter inside Taxali Gate take your route to Chowk Heera mandi and little ahead from the shrine of  Peer Naugaza you will start seeing the interesting music shops and the most amazing part is that that the artisans making those music instruments are still sitting there and practicing their art   and talent.

This music market depicts the real picture of  the past and includes that were once the life of this gate. Let me tell you that this is the  oldest market  of musical instruments  here in Pakistan and was the  center of red-light area.

Once there were more than hundred shops of  musical instruments and artisans were seen sitting on   thara  [platform] outside the shops tuning their instruments.

Now the shops have reduced in number but still in almost hundred shops you will find all types of  traditional and modern musical instruments.

Before partition most of the shops were owned by Hindus. This area supplied the locals with musical instruments and many musicians practiced their symphonies here in these shops.

Till now each shop has a singer working there and if by chance you are there to buy something, it would be a treat to listen to those unpopular and superb singers.

This is a historic market and was once the hub of music, arts and culture and the remains we can still see here inside the Lahnga Mandi.

The World Students Society thanks author and researcher Tania Querishi.