October 2, 2009. Traveling and working, moving from one country to another, has served as an effective substitute for a time travel machine. With each adventure come vibrant colors, nostalgia-provoking scents, savory flavors, distinct sounds, rich cultures, enlightening histories, awe-inspiring sites, and astounding natural beauty that evoke the sensation of transcending time and reality. The experience resembles diving in and out of chapters of multiple historical, religious, and cultural texts. During the past two weeks, we were taken on a journey through the great Hindu epics of the Ramayanam and Mahabharatham, conquest under the British Raj, and the reign of Akbar under the Mughal empire in the cultural concoction that is Pakistan.
We began the adventure with a visit to a colleague’s home in Hassan Abdal, located approximately 20 kilometers outside of Islamabad. Hassan Abdal is renowned for its flowing rivers and Mughal gardens, but it is probably best known as the home of the Panjasahib Gurudhwara, which is one of the three holiest sites of Sikhism. After enjoying the warm hospitality shown by our colleague’s family, we concluded our time there with an annual Iftar party his family hosts each year.
En route to Lahore, there are several shrines and holy sites for both Hindus and Muslims that we visited. We started the day just before sunrise and began the drive through the green pastures, peppered with the distinct, tall brick oven chimneys, and finally arrived at the first shrine, dedicated to Hazrat Sayedna Mohammad Is’haq “Nor-e-Alam” and Hazrat Sayedna Mohammad Yaquq “Faiz-e-Alam.” We continued on to the village of Katas in the Chakwal district of Punjab province in search of the elusive Katasraj Temple. It was with great sadness that I came to know of the many religious/historic sites of incredible importance in the Hindu religion that are no more due to neglect or destruction during the partition rage. The Katasraj temple, primarily dedicated to Lord Shiva, is believed to have been in existence since the time of the Mahabharatham. It is also believed that the Pandavas and Draupadi spent four or more of their fourteen years in exile here and constructed one of the seven ancient temples known as Satgraha. As we walked through the grounds of this holy site, I couldn’t resist indulging in the images that my mind conjured up of what the place might have been like as Draupadi gazed out from one of the balconies onto the rich, blue-ish green waters of the pond, named “Siva’s tears” around which the temples are built. Many Hindus believe in the mystic powers of these waters and its ability to cleanse one of all her sins.
Our last stop before Lahore was to the Khewra salt range, an unpredictably fascinating site. Its excavation is uncovering an archaeological treasure of fossils, including those possibly of the mammoth and dinosaur species, dating as far back as 6,000 B.C. We went down to the second level of the mines, only to discover that we were still 15 levels above its base. The salt deposits along the walls and ceilings of the mine resemble rose quartz, while the inner layers are of amber and other golden hues.
Our primary purpose for visiting Pakistan was to attend my very good friend’s wedding, which happened to fall during the Eid holidays. The combined celebration of these two major events resulted in some of the most colorful, vibrant festivities I’ve ever experienced. Chand raath, the night before Eid, was celebrated in Liberty Market, just after an evening of music and dance at the bride’s dolkhi. On Eid day, we celebrated at the home of the aunt’s bride before enjoying sunset at the site of the Lahore Fort and Badshahi Mosque in old Lahore, remnants of a great Mughal past. We concluded the night with Eid dinner at the renowned Cuckoo’s Den restaurant, overlooking old Lahore. The restaurant has an interesting background and is located in one of the oldest buildings in this part of the city and is full of traces of a major Hindu influence. The owner, Iqbal Hussein, is a renowned artist of Pakistan, who was born in a brothel that had lost its glory as a courtesan’s home from days gone. His childhood was certainly a unique one and was influenced by the prostitutes-cum-mothers whose world he was constantly exposed to. He began translating his childhood memories into art, and his paintings are included in private collections worldwide. The wedding events continued for another week more, taking place in both Lahore and Islamabad. These included the mayoon, nikah and mehndi, baraat, and finally concluded with the valima.
Lahore is a remarkable city with a rather unexpected background. Legend suggests that it was founded over 4,000 years ago by Lava, one of the son’s of Rama, whom the city is named after. A shrine has been built over his cremation site, located within the walls of the Lahore Fort. The city is rich with such history and as quoted from Wikitravel, “has known ages of cultural, intellectual, musical, literary, and humanistic evolution, which has consequently led to the fermentation and over fermentation of this rich brew we call Lahore.” A major highlight of our visit was to witness the lowering of the flags ceremony at the border of India and Pakistan. Amritsar meets Wagah here, and the theatrical performance of closing the border gates and lowering the countries’ flags enlivens the crowds on both sides as they playfully compete for auditory dominance. Hindustan Zindabad! Pakistan Zindabad!
Our final destination in Pakistan was to Islamabad and also included brief visits to the outskirt cities of Rawalpindi and Murree. Islamabad proved to be a pleasant surprise due to its greenery, cooler climate, and reasonably good infrastructure. Murree, a hill station located in the mountains outside of Islamabad, proved to be even more of a surprise with its thick pine and deodar forests amidst lush green, mountainous terrain. The former colonial presence is certainly more apparent here and reminded me of Nuwara Eliya in Sri Lanka’s hill country.
Our journey through Pakistan changed my perceptions of the country, as a whole, as chaotic, unsafe, and plagued with civil strife. Though the NWFP (North West Frontier Province) and FATA (Federally Administered Northern Areas) are indeed challenged with such complexities, not to mention a political environment devoid of transparency and stability, this visit exposed a side of Pakistan that has failed to make headlines since perhaps the collapse of the Mughal empire and that is of its fine architectural feats and cultural, intellectual, and religious wealth.
We began the adventure with a visit to a colleague’s home in Hassan Abdal, located approximately 20 kilometers outside of Islamabad. Hassan Abdal is renowned for its flowing rivers and Mughal gardens, but it is probably best known as the home of the Panjasahib Gurudhwara, which is one of the three holiest sites of Sikhism. After enjoying the warm hospitality shown by our colleague’s family, we concluded our time there with an annual Iftar party his family hosts each year.
En route to Lahore, there are several shrines and holy sites for both Hindus and Muslims that we visited. We started the day just before sunrise and began the drive through the green pastures, peppered with the distinct, tall brick oven chimneys, and finally arrived at the first shrine, dedicated to Hazrat Sayedna Mohammad Is’haq “Nor-e-Alam” and Hazrat Sayedna Mohammad Yaquq “Faiz-e-Alam.” We continued on to the village of Katas in the Chakwal district of Punjab province in search of the elusive Katasraj Temple. It was with great sadness that I came to know of the many religious/historic sites of incredible importance in the Hindu religion that are no more due to neglect or destruction during the partition rage. The Katasraj temple, primarily dedicated to Lord Shiva, is believed to have been in existence since the time of the Mahabharatham. It is also believed that the Pandavas and Draupadi spent four or more of their fourteen years in exile here and constructed one of the seven ancient temples known as Satgraha. As we walked through the grounds of this holy site, I couldn’t resist indulging in the images that my mind conjured up of what the place might have been like as Draupadi gazed out from one of the balconies onto the rich, blue-ish green waters of the pond, named “Siva’s tears” around which the temples are built. Many Hindus believe in the mystic powers of these waters and its ability to cleanse one of all her sins.
Our last stop before Lahore was to the Khewra salt range, an unpredictably fascinating site. Its excavation is uncovering an archaeological treasure of fossils, including those possibly of the mammoth and dinosaur species, dating as far back as 6,000 B.C. We went down to the second level of the mines, only to discover that we were still 15 levels above its base. The salt deposits along the walls and ceilings of the mine resemble rose quartz, while the inner layers are of amber and other golden hues.
Our primary purpose for visiting Pakistan was to attend my very good friend’s wedding, which happened to fall during the Eid holidays. The combined celebration of these two major events resulted in some of the most colorful, vibrant festivities I’ve ever experienced. Chand raath, the night before Eid, was celebrated in Liberty Market, just after an evening of music and dance at the bride’s dolkhi. On Eid day, we celebrated at the home of the aunt’s bride before enjoying sunset at the site of the Lahore Fort and Badshahi Mosque in old Lahore, remnants of a great Mughal past. We concluded the night with Eid dinner at the renowned Cuckoo’s Den restaurant, overlooking old Lahore. The restaurant has an interesting background and is located in one of the oldest buildings in this part of the city and is full of traces of a major Hindu influence. The owner, Iqbal Hussein, is a renowned artist of Pakistan, who was born in a brothel that had lost its glory as a courtesan’s home from days gone. His childhood was certainly a unique one and was influenced by the prostitutes-cum-mothers whose world he was constantly exposed to. He began translating his childhood memories into art, and his paintings are included in private collections worldwide. The wedding events continued for another week more, taking place in both Lahore and Islamabad. These included the mayoon, nikah and mehndi, baraat, and finally concluded with the valima.
Lahore is a remarkable city with a rather unexpected background. Legend suggests that it was founded over 4,000 years ago by Lava, one of the son’s of Rama, whom the city is named after. A shrine has been built over his cremation site, located within the walls of the Lahore Fort. The city is rich with such history and as quoted from Wikitravel, “has known ages of cultural, intellectual, musical, literary, and humanistic evolution, which has consequently led to the fermentation and over fermentation of this rich brew we call Lahore.” A major highlight of our visit was to witness the lowering of the flags ceremony at the border of India and Pakistan. Amritsar meets Wagah here, and the theatrical performance of closing the border gates and lowering the countries’ flags enlivens the crowds on both sides as they playfully compete for auditory dominance. Hindustan Zindabad! Pakistan Zindabad!
Our final destination in Pakistan was to Islamabad and also included brief visits to the outskirt cities of Rawalpindi and Murree. Islamabad proved to be a pleasant surprise due to its greenery, cooler climate, and reasonably good infrastructure. Murree, a hill station located in the mountains outside of Islamabad, proved to be even more of a surprise with its thick pine and deodar forests amidst lush green, mountainous terrain. The former colonial presence is certainly more apparent here and reminded me of Nuwara Eliya in Sri Lanka’s hill country.
Our journey through Pakistan changed my perceptions of the country, as a whole, as chaotic, unsafe, and plagued with civil strife. Though the NWFP (North West Frontier Province) and FATA (Federally Administered Northern Areas) are indeed challenged with such complexities, not to mention a political environment devoid of transparency and stability, this visit exposed a side of Pakistan that has failed to make headlines since perhaps the collapse of the Mughal empire and that is of its fine architectural feats and cultural, intellectual, and religious wealth.
An interesting piece Luckshmi, especially the historical context you fused with your experiences there. Glad to see that you had a great time. As you mentioned, its unfortunate that all the delightful experiences Pakistan has to offer, they rarely make the headlines. Hope things change for the better soon!
ReplyDeleteIn case you were wondering about the comment above, its Usman here :)
ReplyDeleteBy the way, great blog - keep it going!
I was wondering! Though, I should have guessed by the name. :) Glad you enjoyed the piece and the blog! I definitely look forward to visiting Pakistan again.
ReplyDelete