Hiran Minar—A Forgotten Treasure

This Minaret is situated in Sheikhupura near Lahore (40 km away to be exact) in Punjab Province. This monument can easily be accessed from the M2 Motorway road between Lahore and Islamabad through the Hiran Minar Interchange. Many panoramic photographs of this beauty would be available over the Internet but the true feeling of enjoying this glorious Tourist attractive place is by visiting this site.

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If we talk about the History of Hiran Minar also known as 'The Deer Tower', it reflects to the Mughal Emperor Jahangir’s Era. He had a pet Antelope named ‘Mansraj’ meaning ‘Lord of All Animal Beings’, who was very close to his heart. The Mughal Emperor Jahangir (also known as Sheikhu) had different taste like being fond of Nature, Hunting and much more. He frequently used to visit this place which was later on remembered by his name (Sheikhupura). During his Hunt, one day, Mansraj died at this spot. According to some researchers, Jahangir unknowingly hunted Mansraj himself. This Minaret shaped 100-foot-long Tomb/Tower was constructed in 1606 as a monument for his beloved Antelope.

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Talking about the site, the main reason for it being a major Tourist Attractive place is its calmness and the magnificent view. Not many people know about this place but whoever visits it, wishes to come back over and over again. The attractiveness of this place is that the foreigners and the localians can come here for multi-purpose fulfilment as it is best for picnic, for boating, for photography, for mesmerizing themselves with its admiring beauty. Many Historians also visit this place in order to get to know about the History of this place and contemplate the Mughal Era.

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The Minaret/Tomb is actually surrounded by plain ground. The sightseers enter through the gate and walk all the way on the connecting bridge that leads them to the water surrounded Pavilion at the east of The Minar. This octagonal Pavilion is most of the time delusively considered as the Hiran Minar.  There are four ramp type boundaries of the water which connect each other, each having some stairs.

The tomb was built in Jahangir’s Era but the extensions such as the Octagonal Pavilion and a large Water Tank in the center of the water were made by the order of Shahjahan (Jahangir’s son) in his era. The water tank is used to maintain the level of water and is accessible for the animals nearby. The Octagonal pavilion was a kind of residence of the Emperor.

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The Minaret also has the crafts and remains of Mansraj and the beautiful art that reflects the Mughal time period. Moreover, the tower consists of more than 200 holes that were left open to fit in the animal trophies of the Emperor. All of this becomes one of the reasons for desire of visiting this place.

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Let’s get into its harsh reality, unfortunately, The Hiran Minar has been a forgotten gem of Pakistan. It is not getting that much attention in the present as it used to get. The reason for this could be its location not being that much popular or not near to any civilized society. The countryside population is mostly rural, also the area is situated near forests. But this is one of the reasons which makes it scenic, pleasant and attractive for the tourists and adventurers. The water there is a bit filthy but safe for boating, yet not allowed for swimming.  

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This Forgotten Gem has got a lot more in it but lets just leave it for you to visit this ancient yet scenic piece of art and get to know about each and everything we missed or could not cater. Comment down below and let us know if you feel like we missed out on something.