Buddhu's Tomb (Buddhu ka Awa), Lahore: History and Visiting

Buddhu ka Awa, or Buddhu's Tomb, is a small domed Mughal tomb from about 1641 on the Grand Trunk Road in Lahore, opposite the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) and near the Gulabi Bagh gateway. Its name means "Buddhu's kiln", after a brick maker who is said to have worked here, but historians think it was built for the wife of a Mughal noble, Khan-e-Dauran Bahadur Nusrat Jang, who was buried in it himself in 1643. It stands right beside the road behind a fence, so you can see it in a few minutes on the way to Shalimar Gardens.

Who is buried in Buddhu ka Awa?

There are three stories attached to this tomb, and they do not agree.

The local legend is that it belongs to Buddhu, son of Suddhu, a brick maker who supplied bricks for Shah Jahan's buildings in Lahore and whose kiln (awa) stood here. That is where the name comes from, and it is still the name everyone in Lahore uses.

Historical records point elsewhere. They suggest the tomb was built for the wife of Khan-e-Dauran Bahadur Nusrat Jang, a noble at Shah Jahan's court, and that Khan-e-Dauran was buried beside her after he died in 1643. Most heritage sources now accept this, while noting that the brick maker's kiln may well have been nearby.

Sikh tradition tells a third story. It holds that Bhai Buddhu was a Sikh who ran a brick kiln on this spot. Another Sikh, Bhai Kamalia, cursed his kiln so that the bricks would not bake, and when Buddhu appealed to Guru Arjan Dev, the Guru said the curse could not be undone but that the unbaked bricks would sell at full price. In gratitude, Buddhu built a gurdwara here, and some Sikhs regard the site as a gurdwara rather than a Muslim tomb.

You don't have to choose one. The layers of story are part of what makes this small building interesting.

What does Buddhu's Tomb look like?

The tomb is brick, built on a square base with an arched doorway on each side. Above the square sits an octagonal stage, then a high round drum carrying a low dome about 32 feet (about 10 m) across.

What sets it apart is the tile work. The dome and drum were covered in glazed tiles in blue, yellow, green, white and light brown, laid in zigzag and floral patterns. Only patches survive, mostly high up on the dome and drum, so bring a phone with a good zoom. The exterior walls are panelled and plastered.

In 1841, during the fighting for Lahore after Ranjit Singh's death, Prince Sher Singh is said to have used the tomb as his army headquarters.

What condition is it in?

The Punjab Archaeology Department partly restored the tomb in 2014 and carried out another round of restoration in 2018. By December 2018 Pakistan Today reported that it was already in poor shape again, with litter, overgrowth, crumbling brick and people using it at night, despite an iron fence. The Orange Line metro, which runs along the middle of GT Road here, also raised concerns among conservationists about vibration and setting.

We could not find a more recent report on its condition. Expect a fenced, somewhat neglected roadside monument rather than a landscaped site.

How do I get to Buddhu ka Awa?

Head for UET on GT Road. The tomb is on the roadside facing the university, close to the Gulabi Bagh gateway. The Orange Line's UET station is the nearest stop; our Orange Line guide explains how to ride it. By rickshaw or ride-hailing car, ask for "Buddhu ka Awa, UET".

GT Road is busy and fast here, so cross at a signal or by the metro station rather than through traffic. Go in daylight. We could not confirm set opening hours or whether the gate in the fence is unlocked, so plan on viewing it from the fence if it is shut.

What can I combine with Buddhu's Tomb?

This stretch of GT Road has several Mughal monuments within a few minutes of each other:

1. Start at Buddhu ka Awa, opposite UET.
2. Look for the lane to the tomb of Ali Mardan Khan, the tall octagonal tomb directly behind it on railway land. Access there is often restricted, so ask locally.
3. Cross to the Gulabi Bagh gateway and walk into Begumpura to find the Cypress Tomb with its tile panels.
4. Finish at Shalimar Gardens, a few minutes further east, which has proper facilities and opening hours.

Allow half a day for all four, with most of the time at Shalimar. For other heritage ideas, see our experiences page.

Is Buddhu's Tomb worth stopping for?

Yes, as a short stop on the way to Shalimar Gardens. The tile work on the dome is some of the better surviving Mughal glazed decoration on this side of Lahore, and the competing stories make it more interesting than its size suggests. It is not worth a separate trip, and there are no facilities, so don't plan to spend long.

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