Heera Mandi
Heera Mandi
ہیرا منڈی Shahi Mohallah | |
|---|---|
Heera Mandi ہیرا منڈی | |
| Coordinates: 31°35′10″N 74°18′35″E / 31.586167101203753°N 74.30980680775039°E | |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Province | Punjab |
| City | Lahore |
| Administrative town | Ravi |
| Union council | 30 (Taxali Gate) |
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.