Field guides / Punjab / Roshnai Gate
Field guide · Heritage
Roshnai Gate
The Gate of Lights, between Lahore Fort and the Badshahi Mosque: a lamp-lit Mughal entrance to the Walled City, later the gate to the Hazuri Bagh.
Roshnai Gate, the Gate of Lights, stands between the Lahore Fort and the Badshahi Mosque, on the north side of the Hazuri Bagh. It was the main way into the Walled City for emperors and nobles, and it is taller and wider than most of Lahore's gates, as elephant caravans needed. It was kept lit through the night in Mughal times, which is how it got its name.
Why go
- ✦The Mughal Gate of Lights
- ✦Between Lahore Fort and the Badshahi Mosque
- ✦Tall enough for elephant caravans
- ✦Opens onto the Hazuri Bagh
History
The register treats it as part of the earliest phase of the city wall built under Akbar around 1566. From Ranjit Singh's time, caravans came through it into the Hazuri Bagh, which the Sikh ruler laid out as a garden square between the fort and the mosque.
How to Reach
On the north side of the Hazuri Bagh, between the Lahore Fort and the Badshahi Mosque; walk from the fort's Alamgiri Gate.
Planning tip
Best Time to Visit, October to March. Go in the morning, before the old city's lanes fill with traffic.
Getting there, On the north side of the Hazuri Bagh, between the Lahore Fort and the Badshahi Mosque; walk from the fort's Alamgiri Gate.
Allow, 15 minutes on its own; most visitors take it in with the fort and mosque.
What to Do
Nearby
Straight-line distance from Roshnai Gate, within 5 km.
