Heera Mandi

Heera Mandi (Punjabi: ہیرا منڈی) literally meaning "Diamond Market", also known as Shahi Mohalla (meaning: The Royal Neighbourhood) is a red-light district and a bazaar in Taxali Gate, Lahore (Punjab), Pakistan.

"Actually this mandi is named after Heera Singh, who was the son of a minister of Ranjit Singh's court. Heera Singh was also a minister of Sher Singh's court during the Sikh period." The market was originally the center of the city's tawaif culture in the Mughal era. However, under the British colonial period it became a hub of prostitution. Within the market, women and khusras' (transsexuals) offered traditional and classical dances. From the British colonial period till today, it remained a centre of prostitution in Lahore under the veil of dances, such as mujra, a branch of classical South-Asian sensual dancing. Many Hijras (transsexuals) frequent the area and are involved in this dance culture.

During any day the place is much like other Pakistani bazaars and is known for its good food, wide range of Khussa (traditional Mughal footwear) and shops for musical instruments. The place is also considered as a symbol for the city of Lahore and sometimes the words 'heera mandi' themselves are considered to be offensive in formal talks.

Heera means diamond in Urdu and was supposedly used by locals to describe the beauty of the girls in the market. The people called the courtesans "heeras" or diamonds. The name eventually stuck and the market was traditionally called Heera Mandi ("Diamond Market").

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Wikipedia