NAULAKHA PAVILION

It is named so because it was built with 9 Lac rupees in the Mughal times. This pavilion is located in the western side of the Shish Mahal court. It consists of a single rectangular room, covered with a curvilinear roof. Three marble screens occupy the western side.

The pavilion is famous for its exquisite workmanship of delicate pietra-dura work. The stalactite decoration of the capital of half pillars contains miniature niches. In one such niche, about 102 minute pieces of semi precious stones have been inlaid to form one floral pattern.

Naulakha Pavilion has been conserved by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and Punjab Walled Cities and Heritage Area’s Authority in 2021 with the funding of Royal Norwegian Embassy. Consolidation of the entire pavilion was carried out by dismantling the damaged area in piecemeal and fixing the cracked marble pieces using thick epoxy and replacing the iron clamps with stainless steel clamps. For the decorative work a detailed grouting process was carried out using lime-based mortar in varying consistency filling the gaps behind the panels and ensuring reattachment with the brickwork.