Hiran Minar

Hiran Minar is one of the historical monuments constructed during the Mughal reign. It is located some 6 km northeast of Sheikhupura city.

Historical Background

Mughal Emperor Jahangir wrote in his biographical book, Tuzke Jahangiri.

On Tuesday, I reside in Jahangirpura. According to my order, a Minar and a grave for my deer Mansraj were constructed here. He is best of all the wild Deer. On this Minar, Mullah Muhammad Hassan Kashmiri who was the teacher of all the calligraphists wrote that in this ground King Jahangir caught a Deer. After a month, when he became familiar with his surroundings he became the leader of all the Deer. In the love of that deer I have given the order that no more wild Deer will be hunted.

When his beloved Deer died then he was buried and a tomb was constructed here. The name of the Deer was Mansraj.

Many royal buildings were constructed here because of his importance. Shah Jahan came here on April 1634. He spent three days here and ordered to maintain the Barahdari. Eighty thousand rupees were spent on it.

The water in the pond came from the River Chinab through a little canal and then the whole pond used to be filled with this water. All the animals drank the water from here. In the beginning, the Hiran Minar used to have 5 stories but it has only left with 3.

In the Sikh reign, the Sikhs used to come here for hunting. Maharajah Ranjeet Ringh was also one of them.

From last few years the Government has used this pond for fishing. A fishing contest also take place here once in a year. Many national and international tourists came here to see this Mughal’s monument.

Physical layout

When the construction of the Hiran Minar was completed it was some 130 feet high but later due to some accident its top story fall down and now it is 110 feet high. A spiral staircase consisting of 108 steps has been provided inside the Minar. Alongside the staircase, there are 11 ascending rectangular arched openings provided for air and light. From these ventilation’s there is a good view of the pool, the Baradari and the surrounding areas. The Minar is entirely built of red stone with which gray stone has been used, in inlay to highlight the out lines, arch-forms and simple designs, precisely to provide a simple color combination to relieve the monotony of red stones but for a unique and wonderful feature which give the Minar a distinctive place in Indo-Muslim Architecture, it would have been common place and ordinary relic of Akbar’s reign.

There's a large pool of water which is 750 feet wide and 890 feet long (with the area of 892*750) in the Hiran Minar. In the last few years, Government has used this pool for fishing context which occurs once in a year.

Back to top

Site Powered by: VanishedSoul