Lahore is situated at the bank of River Ravi. Ravi and the ancient walled city have hundreds of years old association. Hundreds of tales are related to river Ravi. Ravi used to be the pride of the city. Lahoris would come for a picnic at the river side and struggling with the ores, they would row their boats in the river.

Times have changed and so has the charm of Ravi. Now, this river is nothing more than a drain of wastewater from the city. Right in the centre of the Ravi, there is a monument that was once a popular picnic point. It is known as Kamran's Baradari.

Mirza Kamran was the first Mughal Governor of Lahore. He was the son of Mughal Emperor Babur and step brother of Humayun. In 1527, Kamran laid out a beautiful garden at the right bank of River Ravi. 'Bara' means 12 and 'dar' means door. Thus baradari was a 12-door monument that was a part of this garden and used to serve as a recreational spot for Mughal kings. They would visit the place in a boat and enjoy the beautiful scenery. River changed its flow so now baradari is situated almost in the midst of River Ravi while the gardens have deteriorated.
When I was young, I used to visit this place quite often with my family. A bridge is built near baradari that connects Lahore with Shahdara. It is from this bridge that stairs come down to the river bed. A number of boatmen were present there with their decked up boats to take the visitors to the baradari. These boats were and still are traditional boats with ores. Only a few motor boats are available here. But as the journey from the river bank to the baradari is short, I prefer enjoying it in a traditional boat.

As you reach baradari, you find a simple structure built of massive brick masonry. It consists of an octagonal central chamber with four corner octagonal rooms. The walls are simple and plain and do not contain any floral designs painted on them. In fact, just like walls of public colleges, walls of the baradari are like a public whiteboard for visitors to pent out their frustration. So, on these walls you will find all sorts of written messages ranging from political views of the visitors to the drawings of arrows piercing a heart with initials of the beloved written alongside. Water chambers and small-sized fountains are built around the monument to give the place a calm look. Since last two decades,  a shrine of a sufi has been established at the back side of baradari. A handful of visitors are found in and around the shrine. There is a small canteen to entertain the visitors.

Kamran's Baradari was basically built for Mughal Emperors to enjoy the view of the river. It is the only place in Lahore from where you can enjoy the river's beauty. However, Ravi remains dry for most part of the year. It is only during the monsoon that the river attains its flow and a large number of visitors come here to enjoy the river side.

The present Punjab government has plans to install a water treatment plant on Ravi. If the plan is carried out, it is  expected that the beauty of the river will be restored and thus that of baradari too. But prior to that, Kamran's Baradari is a nice place to visit during the monsoon season.