• Source:JND
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The Punjab government in Pakistan approved the proposal of renaming several streets and lanes in Lahore to revive the city's pre-Partition cultural heritage. Over the years many of these names related to the Hindu and Jain communities were replaced with Pakistani, Islamic, and local historical figures.

Which Places Were Renamed?

The cultural identity underwent a major change when places had their new names. Queen's Road was renamed Fatima Jinnah Road, Jail Road became Allama Iqbal Road, Davies Road's name was changed to Sir Aga Khan Road, whereas Lawrence Road turned to Bagh-i-Jinnah Road. Empress Road turned to Shahrah-i-Abdul Hameed bin Badees. What was Krishnan Nagar became Islampura; Santnagar was renamed Sunnat Nagar; Dharampura became Mustafabad; Brandreth Road became Nishtar Road; and Temple Street turned to Hameed Nizami Road.

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Laxmi Chowk was renamed Maulana Zafar Ali Khan Chowk, Jain Mandir Road changed to Babri Masjid Chowk, Ram Gali became Rehman Gali, whereas Kumharpura became Ghaziabad, and Outfall Road was renamed Jeelani Road.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, at the Punjab Cabinet Meeting, gave the green signal to the plan for restoring the original and historical names of the lanes of Lahore and its neighbourhood, the PTI news agency reported. The decision was taken to revive the cultural identity and heritage of the historic city. The CM revealed that the proposal was headed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who leads Lahore Heritage Areas Revival Project. His proposal received cabinet approval last week.

Before Partition, Indian cricketer Lala Amarnath was also training at one of the cricket grounds of Minto Park. When Amarnath visited Lahore with the Indian cricket team in 1978, he spent time with players of the Crescent Cricket Club, for whom he played before Partition.

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The demolished wrestling arena at Minto Park once hosted renowned wrestlers such as Gama Pehalwan, Goonga Pehalwan, and Imam Baksh. Hindus celebrated the Dussehra festival at Minto Park.

For decades, historians on both sides of the border lamented the systematic renaming of areas like Krishnanagar (to Islampura) and Santnagar (to Sunnat Nagar) during Pakistan's Islamization eras. The current Punjab government’s decision serves as a rare, official bridge to a shared cultural past that India and Pakistan still hold in common.

How Do Names Reflect Cultural Transition?

For the Lahoris, the older names never disappeared from daily conversation despite official changes. Locals continued to use several traditional names informally, preserving memories of the city’s pre-Partition character.

The restoration project openly embraces Lahore’s intertwined Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Christian, and colonial histories. Located barely 50 kilometres from Amritsar, Lahore once stood as a cultural heartland shared by Punjabis across religious communities before Partition divided the region in 1947.

Prior to the communal upheaval, the city’s identity was shaped by bustling bazaars, temples, gurdwaras, shrines, gardens, wrestling arenas, and educational institutions frequented by people of all faiths. As people have witnessed for ages, the religious violence and rehabilitation paved the way towards transitioning the historical city's social fabric. People got displaced beyond borders. The following years witnessed changes in the names.

Krishan Nagar became Islampura, Dharampura was rechristened Mustafaabad, and Jain Mandir Road transformed into Babri Masjid Chowk.


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