Hosting events within Lahore’s historic sites

SOPs prohibit playing Indian music, painting walls or altering anything which change the structure of the building

LAHORE:

Following viral videos of various ceremonies, The Walled City of Lahore Authority has highlighted a list of SOPs and standard charges for all future events held within the inner city’s three historical sites.

“Other than the three historic sites, the Wazir Khan Mosque and the Lahore Fort, all old mansions in the walled city such are private properties. The owners of these mansions can host any function on their property,” said The Walled City lahore Authority Spokesperson Tania Qureshi.

In addition to that, the spokesperson also said that the owners of these properties can allow or disallow anyone to host any kind of event on their realty. “Sites like Haveli Dina Nath, Faqir Khana, Museum, Nisar Haveli and Mubarak Haveli are all private properties. People wishing to hold events there may contact the owners, the authority has nothing to do with it,” she commented.

According to Qureshi, The Walled City of Lahore Authority has three locations where cultural activities are allowed. These include the Shahi Hamam, Hazoori Bagh and Lahore Fort’s Asleha Khanna and Royal Kitchen.

These areas, the spokesperson said, charge a certain amount of fee for event access. It costs Rs200,000 to hold a ceremony in the Shahi Hamam, Rs2,500,000 for Hazoori Bagh, Rs500,000 for the Royal Kitchen and Rs200,000 for the Ashleha Khanna.

“However, it is still not permissible to hold flamboyant weddings and parties here, while SOPs strictly prohibit playing Indian music, painting the walls or altering anything which change the structure of these buildings. Similarly, nails cannot be driven into the walls or floors and no artificial sets can be installed here which may harm any aspect of the site,” informed Qureshi.

The Wazir Khan Mosque and the Badshahi Mosque are managed by the Punjab Endowment Department.

Speaking about site policy Punjab Endowment Department Spokesperson Asif Ejaz said professional photography and videography at these sites is charged and requires a special permission of the endowment department.

“Filming and photography fee for Badshahi Mosque, Wazir Khan Mosque and Data Darbar can go up to Rs50,000 but at present we have placed a complete ban on all professional recordings at these sites,” said Ejaz. “We still allow marriage ceremonies to take place here, with the approval of the mosque’s khatib. That being said, it is mandatory for all ceremonies to respect the mosque’s sanctity, which means that excessive bridal photoshoots are prohibited,” he added.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Farwa, a student of sociology, said that cultural events held in ancient buildings are a great means of adding to their usefulness, while also funding their upkeep. “That being said however, people also tend to misuse functions by taking no-objection certificates (NOCs) from government agencies, which also creates problems for other people in the future.”

Per sources, the ban on professional recordings at these sites is a recent development, which was stirred following a similar incident concerning a leading actress’ music video shoot within the premises of the historic Wazir Khan Mosque.

The incident, after coming into public eye, was alleged to be a desecration of the religious site, while the two actors featured in the video were summoned by the court for clarifications.

According to Badshahi Mosque Khatib Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, nikkha ceremonies in the mosque are a Sunnah of the Prophet and cannot be outlawed by any department.

“However, the mosque’s sanctity must also be respected, which is why we prohibit professional shoots. The bride and groom can of course take a few photographs to commemorate the union, but excessive modeling and photoshoots still out of the question,” told the Khatib.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 6^th, 2020.