Portals To The Holy City
The 12 Gates of Amritsar
The city of Amritsar is rich in its history, culture, and sanctitude. However, the formation of the city was not an easy feat, as the city lived through many hardships during its formative years. The city endured numerous attacks from enemies. Amritsar was founded in the 16th century by the fourth Sikh master, Guru Ram Das Ji. It wasn’t until the 19th century, under the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, that he began to fortify the city with the construction of a wall, alongside twelve gates. His objective was to enhance the city’s security and demonstrate his ownership of the city, as this was his second capital. Amritsar is historically known to be a walled city, but that all changed when the British took over Punjab in 1849 and demolished the wall fortifications alongside other historical landmarks.
The Wall & The 12 Gates of Amritsar
The construction of the wall commenced with unbaked bricks, which were utilized to construct a thick outer wall. The outer wall was surrounded by a moat. The inner wall was also surrounded by a moat but was constructed with baked bricks. Twelve gates were constructed, and soldiers were appointed to all entrances and exits of the gates. The gates, also referred to as darwazas, were named as follows: Lahori, Khazana, Hakiman, Rangar Nanglia, Gilwali, Ramgarhia, Doburji, Ahluwalia, Sheran Wala, Deorhi-i-Kalan, Ram Bagh, Shahzada, and Lohgarh. A few of the names have changed over time. Rangar Nanglia is now Bhagtanwala, Ramgarhia is Chatiwind, Doburji is Sultanwind, Ahluwalia is Ghee Mandi, Deorhi-i-Kalan is Mahan Singh, and Shahzada is Hathi. The cost of this construction equated to 12 lacs of rupees. Most of the gates have little to no remnants left.
Hall Gate
The British demolished the city’s double wall in its entirety. They decided to execute their own procedures in the reconstruction of Amritsar and constructed a new wall to replace the double wall. One of their new constructions was the Hall Gate, which was named after C.H. Hall — Amritsar’s Deputy Commissioner in 1872. The Hall Gate was constructed in 1873. This gate is also referred to as Gandhi Gate, though it is best known as Hall Gate. The construction resulted in the wall between Ram Bagh Gate and Shahzada Gate (Hathi Gate) breaking. The Hall Bazaar was also established within this gate, as businesses were opened to attract Europeans now residing in the city. Presently, the only remnants of Hall Gate are two brick pillars that are connected to each other. On both pillars, Hall Gate is inscribed — so the name is read across, from left to right. There is also a heritage wall clock installed on top of the gate, but it is reported to be inoperative most of the time.
Hathi Gate ( Elephant Gate )
Hathi Gate is situated between Hall Gate and Lohgarh Gate. It is said that many baghs (gardens) used to reside outside of this gate. It is also said to have received its name from an elephant shelter nearby. Presently, two brick pillars that are connected to each other stand at this location. ‘Hathi Gate’ is inscribed on one of the pillars, though it is illegible.
Lohgarh Gate
Lohgarh Gate is situated between Hathi Gate and Lahori Gate. It is also a short distance from Gobindgarh Fort. A Gurdwara In memory of Sixth Gur Sri Gur Hargobind sahib Ji, is located where Lohgarh Fort (lit. Steel Fort (fort)), built by Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji, once stood. Situated at about one km to the northwest of the Harimandar Sahib, the fort was constructed for the defence of the town.
The main battle of Amritsar between the Guru and an imperial force under Mukhlis Khan in May 1629 was fought here. The present Gurdwara stands on the ruined mound of the fort, which was razed by Ahmad Shah Durrani during one of his invasions in the mid-eighteenth century. The nearby gate in the city wall constructed by Maharaja Raṇjit Singh is also known as Lohgarh Gate. Presently, there is no indication that a gate existed here, except for a green signboard that reads ‘Lohgarh Gate’.
Lahori Gate (Lahori Darwaza)
Since Lahore was also Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s capital, Lahori Gate was born. It was one of the two gates that received the most attention from him. It was the primary route to Lahore (now in Punjab, Pakistan). Lahori was also the closest to Gobindgarh Fort, which was another historical landmark completed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1809. Presently, the only remnants of Lahori Gate are two brick pillars that are connected to each other. On one of the pillars, ‘Lahori Gate’ is inscribed into it.
Khazana Gate ( Khazana Darwaza )
Khazana Gate is located between Lahori Gate and Hakiman Gate. It is rumored that this gate is named after Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s repository, but the name is derived from a servant named Khazana — who is said to have owned the land on this side of the city. The government went along with this rumor and eventually installed a sandook (chest) in the bazaar (marketplace) nearby to represent Maharaja’s supposed repository. A road from this gate also linked Amritsar to the city of Kasur (now in Punjab, Pakistan). Presently, two brick pillars that are connected to each other are standing at this location. The name ‘Khazana Gate’ is inscribed into one of the pillars.
Hakiman Gate | Hakimanwala Gate ( Hakiman Darwaza )
Hakiman Gate is situated between Khazana Gate and Bhagtanwala Gate. Two Hakeem — Noor-ud-Din and Chirag-ud-Din had a hand in constructing the Hakiman Gate. The road from this gate was also connected to Bharariwal and Fatehpur. Presently, the only remnants of Hakiman Gate are two brick pillars that stand across from each other. The name ‘Hakimanwala Gate’ is inscribed into one of the pillars.
Bhagtanwala Gate ( formerly Rangar Nanglia Darwaza )
Bhagtanwala Gate, formerly known as Rangar Nanglia Gate, is situated between Hakiman Gate and Giwali Gate. It is said that a railway station named Bhagtanwala Station once existed outside of the gate and was built in 1908. The only indication of a gate existing here is a green signboard that shows the name ‘Bhagtanwala Gate.’
Gilwali Gate
Giwali Gate is situated between Bhagtanwala Gate and Chatiwind Gate. There are no remnants of a gate present today. The only indication of a gate existing here is a green signboard that reads ‘Giwali Gate’. This gate was known for linking Amritsar to Gilwali.
Chatiwind Gate ( formerly Ramgarhia Darwaza )
Chatiwind Gate is situated between Gilwali Gate and Sultanwind Gate. Tarn Taran can also be accessed by a road from this gate. This gate is also new, as it has been reconstructed in 2015. Presently, two pillars are connected to each other at this location. On one of the pillars, ‘Ramgarhia Gate’ is inscribed on it and ‘Ramgarhia Fort’ can also be found inscribed on top. Two Khanda symbols can also be found on both pillars. A Khanda is a religious, historical symbol that is prominent in Sikhism.
Sultanwind Gate ( Doburji Gate )
Sultanwind Gate is situated between Chatiwind Gate and Ghee Mandi Gate (Ahluwalia Gate). This gate joins Amritsar to the following three villages: Sultanwind, Verka, and Doburji. Doburji’s primary route was also linked to Jandiala. Presently, two brick pillars exist at this location. The name ‘Sultanwind Gate’ is inscribed onto one of the pillars. There is also a green signboard by the gate. The sign denotes that Darbar Sahib (also called the Golden Temple) is situated 700 meters away from this location.
Ghee Mandi Gate ( Ahluwalia Gate )
Ghee Mandi Gate is situated between Sultanwind Gate (Doburji Gate) and Sheran Wala Gate. This gate was destroyed during British rule in 1849. An alleged plan was made in 2003 by the Municipal Corporation to reconstruct the gate; unfortunately, no progress has ever been made. There is no indication of a gate present at this site today.
Sheran Wala Gate (Sheranwala Darwaza)
Sheran Wala Gate is situated between Ghee Mandi Gate (Ahluwalia Gate) and Mahan Singh Gate (Deorhi-i-Kalan Gate). It is also referred to as the “Lion Gate”. This gate is said to have received its name from a prominent Sikh warrior named Sardar Desa Singh Majithia, who was also referred to as Shera. He was a part of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s army in the 19th century. The architectural style of this gate exemplifies both Sikh and Mughal architecture. The gate consists of two white towers that are connected to each other, with a dome-shaped entrance in the middle. There are also small windows on the towers and walls. The gate is located near an occupied roundabout. Lion statues can also be found in some areas near the gate.
Deorhi-i-Kalan Gate ( Mahan Singh Gate )
Mahan Singh Gate, formerly called Deorhi-i-Kalan, is situated between Sheran Wala Gate and Ram Bagh Gate. There is no indication of a gate being present here, but there is a signboard that reads ‘Mahan Singh Gate’. This route is one of the primary routes utilized to access the Darbar Sahib, as there is a bus stand nearby.
Ram Bagh Gate
Ram Bagh Gate is situated between Mahan Singh Gate (Deorhi-i-Kalan Gate) and Hall Gate. This is the second gate that received the most attention from Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Fazir Azizuddin supervised the construction of the gate, while Delhi architects constructed the gate. The name of the gate is derived from Ram Bagh palace, as it served as an entrance to Amritsar from the palace. It is the only gate that remains intact.
Preservation of 12 Gates
Renovation work for all 12 gates was planned to occur by the National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) in 2019. Sadly, there hasn’t been any recent updates as to what the future holds for these historical landmarks. Preserving these 12 gates would be immensely worthwhile, as it would keep Amritsar’s foundational history indelible among older and younger generations.
Credits
Maybelline Zamora: She possesses three Associate in Arts degrees in Photography, Arts and Humanities, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. She also has a background in Information Technology & Cyber Security. She enjoys reading fiction novels, editing photos in Photoshop, and eating Punjabi food. She also enjoys learning about the history and culture of Punjab and is currently volunteering with Itihaas as a Research & Content Analyst.
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