Mall Road in Lahore offers many visitors a place of splendid serenity, an oasis of natural beauty steeped in a rich history – the Lawrence Gardens.
Dating back to the mid-19th century, Lawrence Gardens was originally built as a botanical garden and named after John Lawrence – the Governor General and Viceroy of India from 1864 to 1869.
Today it continues to offer respite to the weary tourists through its wide pathways lined with majestic trees, vast green expanses and well-manicured lawns which are reminiscent of a typical English garden; and the resemblance is no mere coincidence.
The Agriculture Horticulture Society of India established it in 1860 and years later, in 1904, the department of agriculture assumed maintenance responsibilities. Since 1912, approximately seven acres of the park have been managed by the Government College, Lahore; to this day, it maintains a delightful botanical garden replete with a greenhouse and experimental fields.
The three main gates were originally called the Victoria Gate (on the Mall), the Rivaz Gate (on Lawrence Road) and the Montgomery Gate (on Racecourse Road). Time has erased these names.
The Lawrence Gardens maintain a rich collection of rare trees and shrubs, both indigenous and exotic, with more than 6,000 trees. The speaking banyans, rustic keekars and shishams, mystical pipals , quiet oaks and the haunting camphors constitute the universe of the Gardens.
The Lawrence Gardens also nurture two fabulous, man-made “hills,” which were probably brick kilns in the Mughal era. The famous principal of Lahore’s Government College, Mr. Sondhi, contributed to the creation of an open air theatre where performances by the College dramatic society were often held. Sadequain frequented this place for a few years in the 1970s, in order to paint some of his great works.
Quick Facts:
Area – 141 acres
Facilities –
- Open-air theatre
- walking track
- cricket ground
- library – with more than 100,000 books
- tennis courts