Kamran's Baradari (Lahore)

 monument, Mughal Empire, interesting place

The earliest extant structure belonging to the Mughal period in Lahore is believed to be Baradari (pavilion) of Mirza Kamran, son of Babur and brother of Emperor Humayun. Mirza Kamran was actually a step brother of Emperor Humayun and the first Mughal Governor of Lahore. The baradari was part of the garden laid out by Kamran, where he received his father Babur, on his visit to Lahore.

Until the 18th century, the garden remained a recreational place for the Mughal imperial family, when the emperor and his entourage would arrive here by boat to enjoy the verdant scenery.

It was originally built on the right bank of the river Ravi but now stands in the middle, unaffected by the ebb and flow of the river. It can be reached from the south end of the new bridge linking Lahore with Shahdara. At the beginning of the bridge, a flight of steps leads down to the river bed, from where one can hire a boat for a trip to the baradari, visible on the left in the centre of the river Ravi. The river that once flowed close to the city walls changed course during the first half of the 18th century, and destroyed many of the edifices and gardens laid out by Mughal nobility. Mirza Kamran's garden shared the same fate, although a few traces of old garden paths can still be seen.

The structure itself is a testimony to the engineering skills of Mughal builders. The structure built of massive brick masonry, consists of an octagonal central chamber 24’ wide, and four corner octagonal rooms 11’ wide, the core encircled by an 11’ wide arcaded veranda. The 80’ sides of the square structure are punctured by 5 cusped arches. The central 17’6” arch is flanked by two 9’ arches on either side. Parts of the structure were washed away when the river changed course, however; they have been overzealously ‘restored’ now in an attempt to preserve.