Heera Mandi
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Heera Mandi

Heera Mandi (Urdu and Punjabi: ہیرا منڈی, lit.'Diamond Market'), sometimes referred to as Shahi Mohallah ("Royal Neighbourhood"), is a neighbourhood and bazaar located in the Walled City of Lahore.

It is specifically known as the red light district of Lahore, Pakistan. It is believed to have been originally named 'Hira Singh Di Mandi', meaning Hira Singh's food grain market. Later, this transformed to the modern name Heera Mandi as it evolved into a ‘red light district’ for the city.

Heera Mandi is located inside the Walled City of Lahore, near the Taxali Gate, and south of the Badshahi Mosque. Heeramandi, originally a song and dance community rooted in the 'tawaif' culture during the Mughal period, first evolved into a hotspot for prostitution during the Ahmad Shah Durrani (1747- 1772) invasions of India. Following British colonization, Heera Mandi gradually transformed into a red-light district.

Heera Mandi translates literally to "diamond market". Hira Singh Dogra, a prime minister of the Punjab, during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh thought that Shahi Mohalla in the heart of the city may be used as an economic hub, similar to a bazaar, in addition to housing tawaifs. He established a food grains market in the neighborhood which first became familiar as ‘Hira Singh di Mandi’ (Hira Singh's market). The area's name is traditionally ascribed to Heera Singh, son of Dhian Singh Dogra. Dhian Singh was the Prime Minister during Maharaja Ranjit Singh's reign.

Established during the Mughal Empire in the 15th and 16th centuries, this place gained prominence during the reign of the third Mughal emperor, Akbar. During the Mughal period, women from Afghanistan and Uzbekistan were brought to Heera Mandi to entertain the royal court.

An area south of the Lahore Fort was developed as a residential neighborhood for attendants and servants of the royal court and the Emperor. It later came to be known as Shahi Mohalla, which translates to "royal neighborhood" in English. The area became home to tawaifs, who were professional entertainers associated with the royal court. The market remained the centre of the city's tawaif (courtesan) culture for the Lahore's Mughal era elite during the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. The name "Heera Mandi" was chosen in honor of Heera Singh, an officer who resided in that area.

Following invasions by Ahmad Shah Abdali who is also called Ahmad Shah Durrani, Heera Mandi became known for prostitution. Abdali made it a Prostitution hub for his army

Maharaja Ranjit Singh reinstated various Mughal royal rituals in Lahore, including the culture of tawaifs and their court performances, the tawaifs continued to receive royal patronage from the court. Brothels run by Afghans in Heeramandi were shut down.

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