Massey Gate, Rawalpindi

Massey Gate, Rawalpindi

Massey Gate, Rawalpindi.

Massey Gate was erected in the 1880s on the main road from Kashmir Road towards Chota Bazaar in Saddar. It was named after the first Commissioner of Rawalpindi, Col. Charles Massey. This was a place for bibliophiles and knowledge lovers, for on the top of this gate was the Dhunjibhouy Jain Public Library – the city’s oldest and premier public library, established by a Parsi trader and philanthropist of Rawalpindi, Fakirji Dhunjibhouy (famous for for inventing the Tonga ambulance for the British).
Unfortunately, in the exact location where Massey Gate once stood, there are no direct remains of that structure. It has now been half a century or so since it was demolished. Despite that, the congested bazaar that stands there still bears some signs of the former Gate. One can find written alongside the names of banks, shops and other such establishments their address – referring to Massey Gate, Saddar, Rawalpindi.

Source: Dawn, Friday Times
Photos: Vintage Pakistan
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