Lahore Travel Information.

Lahore is the Capital city of Punjab Province of Pakistan. With the population of approximately 10 Million it is a very lively city. The main attraction of the city is its beautiful Architecture and bustling Bazaars. The tradition of buildings is centuries old in Lahore but the Moghuls (1500AD to 1800AD) have contributed the most to it.

The Moghul buildings are the most attractive. On an average one can easily spend two full days of sightseeing here. There are numerous mosques monuments bazaars, evening Musical programs and a variety Lifestyle in the city. The Lahore Museum is the largest in the country and houses articles from all over the country. The city of Lahore is located just 25 KMS away from the Indian border on the grand Trunk road. This makes it a transit point before going into India from Pakistan.

There is a train from Lahore to Arrester on Thursdays & Tuesdays, beside regular road transport. It is also well connected internationally by PIA and a few other local & Foreign carriers. There are also regular flight from all major cities of Pakistan to Lahore operated by Private airlines and PIA Airblue and Shaheen Air. Temperature in Lahore is usually warm except in the months of January & February it is chili.

History

Read the detailed history of Lahore

According to a legend Lahore was known in ancient times as Lavapuri ("City of Lava" in Sanskrit), was founded by Prince Lava or Loh, the son of Rama, the Hindu deity. To this day, Lahore Fort has a vacant temple dedicated to Lava (also pronounced Loh, hence Loh-awar or "The Fort of Loh").

Ptolemy, the 2nd-century Egyptian astronomer mentions in his Geographia a city called Labokla being somewhere between the Indus River and Palibothra, (Patna). It was described as extending along the rivers Bidastes or Vitasta (Jhelum), Sandabal or Chandra Bhaga (Chenab), and Adris or Iravati (Ravi).

The oldest authentic mention of Lahore appears in Hudud-i-Alam (The Regions of the World) written in 982. In this document, Lahore is mentioned as a shehr or town inhabited by non-muslims having "impressive temples, large markets and huge orchards." It refers to "two major markets around which dwellings exist," and it also mentions "the mud walls that enclose these two dwellings to make it one."

Hindu Shahi Period

Lahore is mentioned capital of the Punjab during the rein of Anandapala- the Hindu Shahi king who is referred to as the ruler of (hakim-e-lahur) after leaving the earlier capital of Waihind

Ghaznavid Empire to Delhi Sultanate

In 11th century the city was captured by Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni. The sultan took Lahore after a long siege and battle in which the city was burned and depopulated.

Lohanas

In the 13th Century, the Loharana king, Chahir Ray, Mongol invader Changez Khan, attacked Multan and was killed by Dada Jashraj, Rana of Lohargadh.

After the death of Dada Jashraj, the decline of Lohana kingdom began and their reign at Lohargadh ended. King Dahir (Raja Dhahir) ruled for a while from Daibal (Banbhore 60 kilometers from today's Karachi).

Mughals 1524 to 1752 AD

In the 16th century after the arrival of the Moghul king Babur Lahore came to a new glory, Moghuals made Lahore their winter captal to escape the harsh winter of Delhi. The Mughals, were famous as builders, gave Lahore great care and attention they built some of the finest architectural monuments in Lahore, many of which are becoming extant today.

Sikh reign

During the late 18th century, frequent invasions by Ahmad Shah Abdali and the Durrani Empire led to a lack of governance in the Punjab region. Invasions and chaos allowed bands of warring Sikhs to gain control in some areas. The Sikhs were gaining momentum at an enormous rate. In 1801, the twelve Sikh misls joined into one to form a new empire and sovereign Sikh state ruled by Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

ARTICLE SOURCE:WWW.NEWSPAMA.COM