Gawalmandi

Gawalmandi is a town located in the central part of Lahore. It is regarded as the cultural centre of Lahore. The famous Food Street of Lahore is located here. Gawalmandi is a made of two words Gawala meaning Milkman and Mandi meaning Market. Formally Gawalmandi was one of the largest buffalo milk producing market in Punjab, until large number of Kashmiris started settling in after 1947. Gawalmandi is the hub of Butt family and many UK Butt nationals can derive their ancestry directly from these families. Formally known for wrestlers and thugs, culture in Gawalmandi shifted highly after Zia regime as more and more people started pursuing higher and even post graduate education. Gawalmandi has significantly high literacy rate.

Historical places

The area of Gawalmandi is surrounded by four road making an irregular trapezium. 3 out of four roads are named after Lords of British Empire such as:

  • Lord Nisbet
  • Lord Chamberlain
  • Lord McLeod

At the end of Nisbet road and just at the junction of Qilla Gujr Singh neighbourhood. The square is called Lakshmi chowk named after the Lakshmi building of the same name.[1] However both the name and building has now been renovated and renamed as Maulana Zafar Ali Chowk respectively for increasing demand of name change by the locals. Lahore's third largest flea market is located at Gawalmandi chowk.

King Edward Medical University, which is the second oldest medical college in the Indo-Pak subcontinent after King Edward College in Pakistan is also found here. Mayo Hospital, which is largest tertiary care hospital in South Asia is located here as well, situated between Gawalmandi and the famous Anarkali bazaar.

The tomb of Shah Abdul-Maali is located within the vicinity of town as well as one of the oldest mosque called "Mai Laado" (Elder lady Laado) is located near Mayo Hospital.

References
  1. https://www.youlinmagazine.com/article/lakshmi-chowk-ode-to-a-changing-lahore/MTY1Ng==

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