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Nau Nihal Singh Haveli, Lahore

• Any one who is looking for significant and superb examples of Sikh architecture in Lahore, Punjab,
would definitely not overlook the Haveli of Naunihal Singh, the son of Maharaja Kharak Singh and
Rani Chand Kaur, and grandson of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. In 1840, after the death of Kharak Singh
- contrived by a scheme between the British and the Dogra brothers - Naunihal Singh became the
Maharaja of Punjab. But, a few days later, he too died in a mysterious incident, obviously a
conspiracy hatched by the same vested interests. After the death of Naunihal Singh, his mother
took his place as regent for her grandson, the rightful successor of the throne but after some
time, under pressure, she relinquished the throne to Sher Singh, another son of Mahraja Ranjit
Singh. Rani Chand Kaur retired to her son's Haveli after her withdrawal from the throne.
Ultimately the British took over Punjab in 1849 and this Haveli also went under the possession of
the British colonial power. In 1860, a girl’s school began here.
• One of the few remaining royal residences from the Sikh period, this Haveli is situated inside the
old walled city.
• Currently, there is no remnant of the garden but the Haveli survives with its full glamour and
decorative patterns. It is an intact structure of over forty rooms with most elements of its original
ornamentation preserved on the two main elevations and the interior courtyard facades.
Rectangular in plan, the Haveli is a fairly large building. Its entrance is on the west side and the
façade has been divided into two clear sections: one housing the entrance gate, which is
abundantly decorated and the other is simple but has plenty of fenestration.
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Nau Nihal Singh Haveli, Lahore

• The building has a basement and four levels above the ground level. Of the four, two levels encompass the
whole area; the third story is partially crumbled while the fourth stands in the northwestern corner and is called
“Rang Mahal” - "The Palace of Colours". The “Rang Mahal”, like the Mughal “Hawa Mahal” or Palace of Winds,
was traditionally built on the top of royal residences where fresh breeze could be enjoyed along with a view of
the surroundings. The “Rang Mahal” of Naunihal Singh’s Haveli serves this purpose well. It is a jewel of artistic
achievement. The wooden roof is richly decorated, divided into several geometrical compartments. Each is
fitted with a small mirror in the center. The northern and western walls have fenestrations in the form of
windows and ventilators. There are blind arches in between the windows and ventilators. These arches house
miniature paintings depicting mythological scenes (e.g. the fables of Krishna), as well as landscapes and natural
scenes. The paintings are done in Kangra style, a school which flourished in Kashmir, Lahore and Amritsar during
the reign of Ranjit Singh. The colors of these paintings are still fresh and speak a lot of the expertise of the Sikh
artists. Although this valuable piece of architectural heritage has lost a lot of its interior ornament due to its
heavy use as a school building for over a hundred years, this room has been saved due to its location on the top
floor. Also, its notoriety as a haunted room has also proved to be a reasonable deterrent. The rise of Maharaja
Ranjit Singh to power and his establishing Lahore as the royal seat, created a new center of arts and the
painters of Kashmir found new patronage at the Lahore Darbar. Thus, a new sub-style of painting known as the
Sikh school was developed. It was not an original style of art but created by amalgam.
• Beside the miniature paintings, there are several other kinds of decorative works such as cut brick work,
woodwork including carvings and engravings, painted floral motifs and stucco work. The cut brick work,
however, is of the finest kind. It seems that Sikh craftsmen especially excelled in this kind of masonry.
• The carving of the bricks is so sharp, precise and accurate that bricks seem to be made of wax rather than of
baked clay.
• The wood carving on doors and windows and miniature columns introduced at the corners of the oriel windows
are also remarkable.
 Nanak shahi bricks
• More often than not, the structures on which they
were used, especially the Sikh temples (Gurudwaras),
were a combination of two systems: treated and post-
and-lintel, or based on arches; the surfaces were
treated with lime or gypsum plaster which was molded
into cornices, pilasters, and other structural as well as
non-structural embellishments. Brick and lime mortar
as well as lime or gypsum plaster, and lime concrete
were the most favored building materials, although
stone (such as red stone and white marble) were also
used in a number of shrines. Many fortresses were
built using these bricks.
External look with
Chhatri/Jharokha with
Arches.

It is a common element
In Gurudwara and
Mughal/Rajput architecture.
Exterior View
Exterior View
Exterior View
Exterior View
Exterior View
Details -Exterior View
Details of
Jarokha with
arch, pillar
& Jali work.

Details of
decorative
motifs &
paintings.
Exterior View
Exterior View
Exterior View
Exterior View
Arches, pillars and
False decorative arches
False decorative arches
False
decorativ
e arches
Exterior View
Exterior View
Main Door details
Details of main gate
View from
central
courtyard
Top floor- jali details
Top floor- jali details
Interior- Sheesh Mahal
Mural
paintings-
view
from
central
court
yard
Interior mural painting of rang Mahal/ Sheesh Mahal
Interior mural painting of rang
Mahal/ Sheesh Mahal
Interior mural painting of rang
Mahal/ Sheesh Mahal
Interior mural painting of rang
Mahal/ Sheesh Mahal
Interior mural painting of rang
Mahal/ Sheesh Mahal
Interior mural painting of rang
Mahal/ Sheesh Mahal
Interior mural painting of rang
Mahal/ Sheesh Mahal with ceiling
Interior mural painting of rang
Mahal/ Sheesh Mahal with ceiling
Interior mural painting of rang
Mahal/ Sheesh Mahal
Interior mural painting of rang
Mahal/ Sheesh Mahal with ceiling
Details of ceiling
Details of ceiling
interior
Multi arches
Jali details
Grill Design details
Grill Design details
Details of Arch
Motifs for jali and mural
Motifs for mural / wall decor
Motifs for mural / wall decor
Modern usage of Arches, Jali & Chhatri
Modern usage of Arches, Jali & Chhatri
Modern usage of Arches inside the rooms
Modern usage of Arches & Chhatri
Modern usage of Arches and Mural decoration
Modern usage of Arches.
Modern usage of Arches.
Modern usage of Arches. And Mural decoration
Modern usage of Arches. And Mural decoration
Modern usage of Arches & decoration
Modern usage of jarokha
Modern usage of Arches and Mural decoration
Modern usage of Arches