Heeramandi is now a food hub! Pakistani influencer shares current state of Diamond Bazaar

Once, Heeramadi was synonymous with unrivalled glamour, refined culture, and celebrations of the arts. It was commanded by a bevy of courtesans who excelled in dance, poetry, and the art of seduction. The once-glorious street of Heeramandi has been a subject of both curiosity and infamy. The street is now the talk of the town, thanks to Sanjay Leela Bhansali's opulent web series, which showcased a fictionalised account of the lives of courtesans who ruled Heeramandi.

A Pakistani influencer recently gave ‘Heeramandi’ fans an unfiltered view of the street today. As is evident from the clip, the street is a shadow of its former self. The magnificent kothas have been replaced with decrepit houses. The proud and majestic courtesans of yore are nowhere in sight as well. However, the street is now a “food hub for local cuisine and history enthusiasts,” according to the video.

The video is posted on the Instagram page The Orange Wall. “To those who can’t visit in person, here is a virtual tour of present-day Heeramandi, Lahore. Known now as the Old City and Androon Shehr, it is still holding on to the grandeur and magnanimity of days gone by. Broken, worn down in some places, but still full of life. It is now a food hub for local cuisine and history enthusiasts, alike,” read the caption.


The video begins with the live performance of a Qawwali singer. The montage then shifts to live puppet shows and people enjoying delicious food.

The video, posted earlier this month, has garnered nearly 4.1 lakh views and has amassed nearly 47,000 likes.

From Cultural Hub To Street Of Infamy

Located in the northern part of the Walled City, near the Lahore Fort, Heeramandi was once a celebrated cultural hub, frequented by nawabs and aristocrats who were the patron of arts.

Heeramandi was established under the directive of Hira Singh Dogra, who served as the prime minister of the Sikh Kingdom of Lahore from 17 September 1843 to 21 December 1844. Hira Singh, the son of Dhian Singh Dogra, a trusted general of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, made a significant move to bolster the local economy. He decided to establish a grain market, known as "Heera Singh Di Mandi," in the Shahi Mohalla, which was considered the royal neighborhood due to its proximity to the royal court. This area already housed the tawaifs of the Walled City of Lahore. With the establishment of the grain market, which transformed the region into an economic center, the tawaif quarters of Heeramandi also gained prominence.

Under the patronage of the Mughals, the tawaifs (courtesans) reached their apogee. They were regarded as exponents of culture, etiquette, and the performing arts. Tawaifs were influential women who entertained and hobnobbed with the nawabs. Historian Pran Neville’s seminal work ‘Nautch Girls Of The Raj’ summed up their influence: “…To be associated with a tawaif was considered to be a symbol of status, wealth, sophistication and culture…no one considered her to be a bad woman or an object of pity.”

In the early 18th century, the strength of the Mughal rule in Punjab was undermined by frequent invasions from the Afghans, particularly led by Ahmad Shah Durrani. During Afghan governance, the state's patronage of the tawaifs ceased, leading to the decline of the traditional concubine system and the rise of prostitution. However, following Durrani's demise, Lahore was captured by Ranjit Singh, the inaugural Maharaja of the Sikh Empire, revered as Sher-e-Punjab (the Lion of Punjab).

Decline In The British Raj

Patronage and support declined considerably in the British Raj. As the aristocrats, who once served as benefactors of the courtesans, lost their lands and titles, they gradually withdrew their support and safeguard. British officers began referring to Heeramandi as “Bazaar-e-Husn” (Market of Beauty), thereby transforming one of the most affluent cultural hubs into a center for prostitution. With the departure of royal patrons, the royal tawaifs were supplanted by wealthy urbanites and British soldiers, relegating them to the status of common local sex workers.

Moreover, the Victorian social mores led to the further marginalisation of the tawaifs as the British failed to distinguish between the courtesan and the common prostitute. The lively cultural hubspot gradually gave way to a seedy red-light district. In 1914, the British built a brothel to cater to the soldiers at the garrison.

Bhansali’s magnum opus revolves around the lives and the intricate politics in the lives of courtesans who inhabited Heeramandi at a time when it was beginning to transition from tawaif culture to sex work. The Netflix series has Manisha Koirala, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Sonakshi Sinha, and Sharmin Segal in pivotal roles.