Spice of Life: Revelling in glory of jewel in the crown of Pakistan

The legendary Aitchison College, stunning General Post Office, Lahore Museum, Ganga Ram Hospital and Model Town, a vast beautifully planned residential suburb, are a salute to the extraordinarily gifted Sir Ganga Ram, a renowned civil engineer and architect in Lahore during the British rule

Never in my wildest dreams had I, living in India, ever imagined that I would have the good fortune to set foot in Pakistan, especially in these trying times, when trade and travel are restricted between both countries.

I, living in India, had never imagined that I would have the good fortune to set foot in Pakistan. (HT File)

But visit Lahore and Faisalabad I did recently with a dear friend.

Between bouts of trepidation and excitement, we exited the Indian border at Wagah, Amritsar, from a massive iron gate guarded by the ever-vigilant Border Security Force and entered an equally mammoth gate on the Pakistani side only to be greeted with a wide, welcoming smile by a dashing Pathan soldier.

Sher Khan, our host’s garrulous driver met and ushered us with great deference into the car and then we were off into Lahore, the Paris of the East.

Wide-eyed I kept looking around, waiting to see something different from India in the landscape but every village and little hut was exactly like I had left behind in my own country. The only oddity was my inability to decipher the numerous boards and hoardings because they were in Urdu!

Lahore stands magnificent, royal and proud, rightly the Jewel in the Crown of Pakistan.

Its wide clean boulevards, massive houses with elegant, tasteful facades protected by tall walls and heavy foliage were actually reminiscent of a European city.

The Old City has buildings with marked Hindu, Zoroastrian, Jain and Sikh influence along with stunning Muslim heritage. Lahori architecture includes the 13 gates through which one can enter the city from various vantage points. The legendary Aitchison College, the stunning General Post Office, Lahore Museum, Ganga Ram Hospital and Model Town, a vast beautifully planned residential suburb, are a salute to the extraordinarily gifted Sir Ganga Ram, a renowned civil engineer and architect in Lahore during the British rule.

Lahoris are celebrated for their remarkable hospitality and our hosts won our hearts with their love, generosity and humility. They were untiring in their open-hearted welcome and showed us around with indefatigable zest.

Pakistan is a dry state where alcohol consumption and sale is forbidden by the government, but we were astonished to see a multitude of shops, small and big, at every corner of the city advertising and selling tobacco, fancy cigarettes and organic, fruity vapes!

Haveli Khalil Khan, where we had our final meal of mouthwatering, silky kebabs and the traditional fermented bread, has a stunning view of the mausoleum of the Lion of Punjab, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and the statuesque Badshahi Mosque, which glows surreally at night.

The Anarkali Bazaar and the infamous Heera Mandi, oft the subject of curiosity, have unfortunately faced neglect and disuse in recent years with the latter converted to a shabby parking lot! As I stood mesmerised in that haunted spot, I could envision it in full regalia with plush furnishings, sound of laughter wafting through the net curtains, the tinkle of anklets adorning the delicate ankles of the nautch girls, the musicians sitting with their harmoniums and tablas and the plump, betel-spewing courtesans paying homage to the royal audiences of yore.

As we made our way to Nankana Sahib near Faisalabad, the sacred birthplace of Guru Nanak, my friend and I were silent during the drive, quietly in awe and wonder, to be so blessed as to set foot on that holy ground. The gurdwara is full of grace and serenity and we were taken around by the Sikh granthis (priests) who have made their home in Pakistan.

After five days of this magical trip, we bade our delightful hosts an emotional goodbye and made our way back, rejoicing at the rare opportunity to visit the land of our forefathers when I recalled the oft repeated phrase: Jis Lahore nai dekhya o janmyai nai (One who hasn’t seen Lahore has simply not lived).

Praise be to the Lord!

pallavisingh358@gmail.com

The writer is a Jalandhar-based freelance contributor