Mystical Form of Islam Suits Sufis in Pakistan

Posted by Raza Rumi

A New York Times piece where I was quoted.

By SABRINA TAVERNISE- LAHORE, Pakistan — For those who think Pakistan is all hard-liners, all the time, three activities at an annual festival here may come as a surprise.

Thousands of Muslim worshipers paid tribute to the patron saint of this eastern Pakistani city this month by dancing, drumming and smoking pot.

It is not an image one ordinarily associates with Pakistan, a country whose tormented western border region dominates the news. But it is an important part of how Islam is practiced here, a tradition that goes back a thousand years to Islam’s roots in South Asia.

Subway gets ripped off

“copyright violation? What? You are say there is similarly named and branded restaurant in the Amricka? Lies! We picked very original graphic design and branding.

No YOU tell them that THEY are copying US”

The Joy of Used Books in Lahore

By Mohammad A. Qayyum
- Newbie Guide to Secondhand and/or cheap books around Lahore –

With the exchange rate ever spiraling away from us, reading English books in Lahore has become a prohibitively expensive past time. Moreover, the type of books in terms of substance and genre – why don’t we ever have original texts when we carry biographies and criticisms of writers is beyond me – is relatively limited. The old ports-of-call like Ferozesons on the Mall, Marwa books next to it and Variety Books in Liberty and the new (the lovely Last Word inside Hotspot in Gaddafi Stadium) tend to be expensive, so the book addict has to look elsewhere for his fix these days.

‘Readings’ on Main Boulevard above all stands as an oasis for the book reading public, a shop by a book lover for booklovers. The prices on new books are relatively low and while the secondhand books collection is now less than before, Readings does keep replenishing its stock. So, a regular visit is often merited. Lastly, and perhaps most significantly, the books available at Readings are not just limited to the old standards of English Literature that are found around town. A lot of the books you get at Readings are not available elsewhere (for any price, much less cut-price.)

The other must visit quasi-new-books bookshop in town is the basement bookshop next to Yummy 36 (behind the Shell petrol station) in Liberty. The owners there bring in containers of books (mostly from Australia) and one gets some really nice bargains. If you are looking for technical, management or computer books, this should be your first port of call.

Lahore Fort, Lahore, Pakistan

By Hummingbird5356

Lahore Fort also known as Shahi Qila (Royal Fort)

No one knows exactly when Lahore Fort was built but it was first mentioned around 1021 AD when Mahmud of Ghazna conquered it. Over the centuries Lahore was conquered many times. Lahore has also been an important city for a long time. The best time for Lahore was during the Mughal reign from 1525 to 1721. Jalal-ud-Din Muhammad Akbar (Akbar the Great) built the present structure as we know it today. Jahangir and Shah Jahan constructed palaces in the Fort and Emperor Auranzeb Alamgir built the Badshahi Mosque which is opposite the Alamgiri Gate of the Fort. This is the huge entrance which has two large pillars which resemble elephants feet.

I visited in November 2008 and at this time of the year the weather is very pleasant. As a result, hundreds of school children go on visits to museums and monuments. Not only schoolchildren but families too. During this time there was a Sikh gathering at the Gurdwara which is next to the Fort and Mosque and there were many Sikhs visiting too.

 

Pakistan Fashion Week lights up Lahore

By Halima Khan

Saturday night Royal Palm kick started the much controversy stricken and the much awaited and the much talked about but Lahore’s very own and very first Fashion Week. Cooperate commercialism has been kind once again and the event is being publicized as Sunsilk fashion Week. The grandeur of Royal Palm and Golf Club does justice to the glitz and ripples Pakistan fashion industry definitely causes now. Colors splashed in ways many out of us never deemed a possibility. The world sat up and took notice, they were forced to. Executed with class and hints of demure talent was amply obvious even to the blind. Pakistan Fashion Design Council the organizers of the even managed to not go wrong with almost anything. 

Governor Salman Taseer and US Consulate Principal Officer Carmela Conroy played chief guest at the opening reception which was prelude to a four-day event and the galore of 32 designers. Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad came together as emerging and existing and the struggling and the established all came together to define Pakistan fashion in their own enlightened way. 

Eight ramp shows, eight designers, twenty creations each; no 24 hour day gets more lucky with style than this.

Strings wow Lahore audience with classic Pakistani pop

Strings duo Faisal Kapadia and Bilal Maqsood are currently going through the major cities of Pakistan as part of a concert tour. Having played a Valentine’s Day show for the Isloo crowd, Strings made their way to LUMS in Lahore on February 17, and sent an already keyed-up audience into absolute adrenaline-rushed mode.

The best revenge- a picture from Lahore

Members of the People’s Lawyers Forum and civil society activists hold a candle-lit vigil in support of democracy, at Charing Cross on Thursday. daily times

For the love of art and photography

* Paintings of Old Lahore on display at Royaat, photographs of fresco art at Rohtas 2

Staff Report

LAHORE: The city’s art aficionados were treated to burst of colour once again as two exhibitions titled the ‘Old Lahore’ and ‘We are the Mirror and the Face in It’ opened at the Royaat Art Gallery and the Rohtas 2 respectively on Thursday.

‘Old Lahore’ was a group show showcasing paintings by senior artists including Mehmood Ali, Zafar Iqbal, Sarfraz Musawwir, Munawar Mohiuddin, Neela Aamir and Ejaz Anwar.

The paintings included depictions of various places and buildings of old Lahore. Not only is the true aura and beauty of the old city brilliantly captured on canvas but the paintings also allow a close glimpse into life in the ancient city.

Paintings included beautiful displays of the Basant festival with splashes of colour as well as the antiquated architecture of the Walled City.

A total of 35 paintings were put on display with prices ranging between Rs 15,000 to Rs 45,000. The exhibition will continue for ten days. Simultaneously, a photography exhibition by Sadaf Chughtai opened at the Rohtas 2. The exhibition features photographs of contemporary fresco art at the Lahore Fort.

“The surface of a historical monument is much more complex than its physical composition. It bears the mark of the maker, the invader, the conqueror, the resident and the visitor. It stands as witness not only to a history of glory but also the inglorious. How do we want to see our history? How do we want to see ourselves? We are both, the mirror, and the face in it,” Sadaf said about her works.

She expressed immense gratitude to the Punjab Archaeology Department for facilitating her photographic endeavours.

“The selective framing of the images in Sadaf Chughtai’s long-awaited body of work, attempts not only to document the visible and historic but strives to add layer to social attitude in asserting one’s existence and being: a result of cultural history,” said Farida Batool.

The exhibition will remain open until February 28.

Scared, lonely and on the wrong side

I am posting this interesting story written by Sarabjit Pandher and published in the The Hindu newspaper. Hope the readers will enjoy this and comment Raza Rumi

Fearing punishment from his stern father, a 13-year-old Lahore boy boarded the first train he spotted at the Lahore station. He had no idea that it was the Samjhauta Express, nor an inkling that his little adventure would land him in prison on the Indian side of the border. That was on January 11, and over a month later, the youngster is desperate to go home. A class VII student in a government school, he sorely misses his mother and little sister and the group of friends he used to hang out with. Even his father’s scolding is a sweet memory compared to the situation he now finds himself in. On Friday, the bewildered boy, along with 15 others, was produced before Principal Magistrate for Juvenile Justice Ajaib Singh in the Amritsar district court. Sharing his handcuffs was a 15-year-old from Bangladesh.

Sunsilk Fashion Week

 Daily Times Staff Report

LAHORE: Pakistan Fashion Design Council’s (PFDC) Sunsilk Fashion Week kept creating ripples with its colours on its third day at the Royal Palm Golf and Country Club on Thursday.

Eight ramp shows featured outfits by Rehana Saigol, the Sarah-Salman duo, Hajra Hayat, Nayna, Ammar Belal, Shamoon Sultan (Khaadi), Tazeen Hassan and
Maheen Kardar (Karma).

Ammar Belal’s western wear collection, “The King Of Pop” – inspired by Michael Jackson, or more specifically, the “Thriller” era and the subsequent punk-rock movement – ranged from casual wear and street wear to cocktail dresses and gowns. “I am very

Lahore: the motif of art and culture

Hazoori Bagh: A place where people would gather to listen to the best of literature.

By Sher Ali Khan

During the time of the British rule in India, Lahore was known as the “Paris of India”. The reasons are quite clear. To begin with, romance in the east can be defined as the individualistic struggle of the heart. Romantics provide inspiration to a society in their daily lives. The romance of ones city is judged by the general ambience created within the realm of that society. A romantic culture is sustained through literature and arts. Writers, poets, and artists would frequent teahouses where they would orate and document the experiences of the city.

To start out, the Mughals instilled a romantic quality into Lahore by developing monuments such as the elegant Badshahi Masjid and the Lahore Fort and then the British gave to the city one of the most beautiful green spaces known as Lawrence Gardens. Furthermore, the Mughals created a proud and close people culture that would inspire literature and art for many years.

One of the stories from the Mughal era is regarding the wealthy emperor Shah Jahan who constructed a palace in the imposing confines of the Lahore Fort to honour his wife Mumtaz Mahal. As the mother of his sixteen children, Mumtaz Mahal was the love of his life. The general assumption is that she passed without ever seeing the Shish Mahal.

Ajoka’s new play on “Dara Shikoh”

Posted by Raza Rumi

It is absolutely a great development. Ajoka has decided to stage a play on a personality that has been neglected by India and Pakistan. His views and role in history challenges the myths of Indian and Pakistani nationalism and confronts religious militancy rampant in the two countries. Had Dara – the visionary, sage and believer in humanism – lived, we may have avoided blood, carnage and violence that defines South Asia of today. Those interested to explore the hidden history, removed from textbook propaganda must watch this play. The venue and timings can be found at the end of this post. Now the formal introduction to the play:

Dara – A play on the life and times of Mughal prince Dara Shikoh

Ajoka’s new play “Dara” is about the less-known but extremely dramatic and moving story of Dara Shikoh, eldest son of Emperor Shahjahan, who was imprisoned and executed by his younger brother Aurangzeb. Dara was not only a crown prince but also a poet, a painter and a Sufi. He wanted to build on the vision of Akbar the Great and bring the ruling Muslim elite closer to the local religions. His search for the Truth and shared teachings of all major religions is reflected in his scholarly works such as Sakeena-tul-Aulia, Safina-tul-Aulia and Majma-ul-Bahrain. The play also explores the existential conflict between Dara the crown prince, and Dara the Sufi and the poet.

Belated Valentine’s Greetings

To the love of my life:

You don’t need no fancy red hearts and sugary cakes.

You just need to know how badass you were, currently are not, but soon-enough, will be, once more.

If your people must go about expressing their love to only those they deem important enough, know that this native son- still loves you; flaws and all.

“Tu barri thop cheez hai.”

Don’t lose faith in yourself Lahore.

The Only Valentine's Card That Matters.

Lahore’s love for renowned poet

Faiz was not just a phase
The poet, who died in 1984, remains well loved in the city he made his home for
decades.

By Kamila Hyat’s story for The Gulf News

Lahore: A celebration of what would have been the 99th birthday of poet Faiz Ahmad
Faiz is on in Lahore, with a series of art exhibitions, poetry recitations and more.
The poet, who died in 1984, remains well loved in the city he made his home for
decades.

A museum set up in a private house as ‘Faiz Ghar’ (the house of Faiz) pays tribute to the
poet while his verses remain a feature in many school text-books.

Sad news: Kite-flying to stay banned

Raza Rumi

I know that Lahore Nama has been visited in the recent days by hundreds and thousands of Basant enthusiasts. This is unfortunate that an age-old fetival is being banned and denied to people only because the government cannot regulate malpractices by a few business people and the bankrupt, failed WAPDA.

Hope that this festival will come back to Lahore. We strongly protest against this policy decision. Pakistan cannot be made a afe haven for roaming terrorists and suicide bombers while the peaceful citizens are denied the opportunity to celebrate a festival that is so deeply a part of our culture.

Here is the Daily Times story on this:

* District administration warns violators of stern action
* DCO says ‘Governor’s House’ no exception to kite-flying ban
* Police crack down on kite makers

Daily Times Monitor/Staff Report

LAHORE: The district administration has decided to maintain the ban on kite-flying in the provincial capital as per the orders of the Lahore High Court (LHC), warning that those violating the law would be dealt with sternly, a private TV channel reported on Friday.

According to the channel, a meeting presided over by Lahore District Coordination Officer (DCO) Sajjad Bhutta, decided that those found violating the court orders would be dealt with strictly under the law.

The DCO said the LHC had declared that permission to celebrate Basant could be given if a

Basant: Only festival where people come together

by Sher Ali Khan and Aoun Sahi

The News on Sunday: How can we make basant safe?

Yousuf Salahuddin: To start with, you have to ban motorcycles from Saturday night to Sunday evening because a majority of accidental deaths have been of motorcyclists.

Secondly, there are two companies manufacturing these dangerous strings. The issue is not kite-flying or celebrating the festival; it’s about the deadly string. Children are buying these strings regardless of the danger these put their lives in. So, the manufacturers should be held accountable.

Thirdly, aerial firing has to be stopped. This was done during Shabhaz Sharif’s last term. If he gives the stick to the police, this can be regulated.

Sports for Life

Two men are working to promote leadership and improve education standards through reintegration of sports into school curriculum.

While the rest of the world continues to mix both sports and education to grow well-rounded individuals, Pakistan continues to lag behind in its attempt to reinvigorate its education system.

Two crusaders by the name of Nawab Ashiq Hussain Qureshi and Amir Bilal have been working together to promote organized sports at school level. Bilal is the founder of an organization called the Sports Development Foundation, and Qureshi, who lives in Lahore and is a member of the Pak Veterans cricket team, founded the organization Sports for Life. Their paths crossed and so far their resolve to promote sports in educational institutions has not wavered.

Explore the walled city of Lahore and its historic gates

By Tariq Maqbool

Lahore is the capital of Punjab, the most populated province of Pakistan, and is known as one of the ancient cities in South Asia with its rich historical and cultural heritage.
The early history of the city is cloaked in obscurity and it is pretty difficult to establish exact date of its foundation. It was a town of not much importance in the first and second century of Christian era and was ruled by Rajput princes. In the eighth and ninth century, it became the capital of a powerful Brahman family, who, in the tenth century, were invaded by Sabuktagin and his son Mahmud Ghaznivide. For the next eight centuries, Lahore was ruled by different Muslim dynasties and served as the capital of Ghaznivides, Ghorians, and Mughals from time to time. At the onset of the 19th century, the Sikhs ascended to the throne of Punjab and Lahore was made the seat of government. Shortly after the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1839, the British defeated the Sikhs and took over their domains. It served as the capital of the undivided province of Punjab until 1947 under the British rule and after independence, it became the capital of the province of Punjab in Pakistan.

Lahore Ring Road Project

Owais Mughal

This is one topic I’ve been wanting to write about for a while now. But instead of me writing on it, we want to do an experiment here. We would like our readers to tell us what do they know about the project. I will then compile the information collected from your replies here and I am sure in few days we’ll have a treasure of knowledge on this project. This will test the power of our little blogistan where everyone contributes. Your participation is a key here. Try to send authentic information – suni sunaai pe naa jaaeN. The idea is that overtime this post will grow into a information storehouse on Lahore Ring Road Project.

Read the full post at Pakistaniat

Nadira Begum’s tomb – faded glory of Lahore

Saad Sarfraz Shiekh’s excellent article and photos

The tomb of Nadira Begum…

Finding Nadira Begum’s Tomb isn’t hard since its right next to Sufi Saint Hazrat Mian Mir’s shrine.

Nadira Saleem Banu was the wife of Mughal Prince Dara Shikoh, the ill-fated heir to Shah Jahan’s throne and the crown prince of his Indian empire.

She died in 1659, several months before Dara Shikoh execution, and was survived by two daughters. No sons survived thanks to Aurangzeb Alamgir, who got rid of all male threats.

Stories of Nadira Banu’s beauty and intelligence were famous throughout the empire. She was the daughter of Shah Jahan’s half-brother, Prince Perwez, and therefore Dara Shikoh’s cousin.

Her would-be husband Dara Shikoh was eager to marry her and had a good relationship with her throughout his turbulent life. He never remarried, in spite of the common Mughal practice of persistent polygamy and overflowing harems. Shah Jahan’s wife Mumtaz Mahal, Dara’s mother, arranged the marriage when both Dara and Nadira were teenagers.

Dara Shikoh’s sister Jahanara Begum got along with Nadira quite well, as reflected by her involvement and interest in Nadira’s wedding and her closeness to him.