O City of Lahore, may you

stay ever lively,

The breeze of your streets

has lured me here.

– Nasir Kazmi

he first time I read about Bradlaugh Hall was in Majid Sheikh’s book Lahore: Tales Without End. The place and its rich history fascinated me immensely. Despite spending two years as a student at a public university with a campus located directly in front of this hidden gem, I had never noticed the building.

One day, when I dropped a friend at the university, I decided to explore the vicinity of Bilal Ganj, an area notorious for the sale of stolen items. Two streets lay right in front of the Bilal Ganj Road gate of the University of Education. While I had visited one of those streets earlier, I had never had the chance to explore the other. Perhaps it had not been particularly visible to me either.

On an instinct, I took a right turn, and out of nowhere, the once-stately edifice of Bradlaugh Hall – now in ruins – came into view. Large posters for the Lahore Biennale 2024 adorned its façade. I must admit that these posters played a pivotal role in my decision to approach the building and learn more about it.

Built in 1893, Bradlaugh Hall is attributed to Charles Bradlaugh, a British MP and staunch advocate for Indian self-governance. This historic building was frequented by many notable freedom fighters, including Allama Muhammad Iqbal, Mian Iftikhar-ud-Din and Maulana Zafar Ali Khan.

I entered the hall through a door on its left side. The building bore a faint resemblance to Miss Havisham’s mansion from Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations. It was dark and dingy, exuding the air of a warehouse. Some woodwork appeared to be under way. Most strikingly, there was a massive art installation titled Museo Aero Solar by Tomás Saraceno.

The artwork was created in Lahore with the collaboration of professors, staff members and students from the Fine Arts Department of Kinnaird College for Women University. A label placed beside the installation read: Museo Aero Solar is a project begun in 2007 that sounds the alarm about the proliferation of plastic bags by reclaiming them for community and art.

Inside the hall, two enthusiastic young volunteers – one from Punjab University and the other from Kinnaird College for Women University – were present to guide visitors. They explained the artwork and its concept clearly and concisely. Out of curiosity, I asked them, “How many people visit it on average?” Their response was unsurprising: “Sometimes three, other times four or five. The number of visitors reaches double digits when university students come here on organised trips.”

Despite the low footfall, the volunteers radiated energy and hope – a testament to the resilience and optimism of youth.

It is important that this historic site is made more accessible to history and art enthusiasts through the installation of signboards and signposts. It is unfortunate that those eager to learn about it often fail to find their way. While the Walled City of Lahore Authority has ostensibly carried out some conservation work, much more remains to be done to preserve and promote this remarkable landmark.

The writer is an MPhil scholar. He may be reached at usama.malick183@gmail.com