Basant as a Cultural Heritage of Lahore Essay Example for Free

Basant as a Cultural Heritage of Lahore Essay Basant as a cultural heritage of Lahore by Yasir Raza Naqvi Lahore is an exceptionally festive city. The people of Lahore commemorate many festivals and events throughout the year, amalgamating Mughal, Western and current trends. This blending is extended to include the grand and historically significant festival of Basant. Though religiously not a Muslim cultural event, it is widely celebrated by the Muslim majority population Lahore. It is precisely due to the same reason coupled with other ‘non-Islamic’ practices that it has come under severe criticism by the mullahs. The celebration of Basant grew at an increasing rate in the late 90’s till 2005 where it suddenly came under ban due to an increasing number of deaths caused by highly tensile glass coated threads. Due to the official recognition during Musharraf’s early regime, kite making had become an industry, employing hundreds of thousands of people. The implementation of ban of kite flying followed by the ban on kite making left almost 500,000 families employed. Political turmoil followed by the ban on Basant added misery to the already crawling economy of Pakistan as the number of tourists who came to Lahore just to see the magnificent event of Basant fell tremendously. Therefore, In this essay, I tend to analyze the tri fold significance that Basant holds for Lahore. I would briefly shed light on the history of Basant and its transformation over the years till today coupled with the criticism it faced by religious elements of Pakistan. I would later explain how Basant becomes the center of tourist attraction, and generates a lot of revenue for the local industry thus securing an important position in translating the cultural heritage of Lahore. I would also seek to mention the reasons for the implementation of ban on Basant and propose solutions to uplift it. In the pre-partitioned Punjab, Hindus, especially of Lahore- celebrated Basant by flying kites. It was precisely during that time that the Muslims of Lahore, almost equal in number-comprising of the 48% of the population of Lahore, were instructed by the mullahs of that time to refrain from celebrating the event as it was typically a Hindu festival. However, the youth of that time did take part in the event by flying kites. After partition, almost all the Hindus had left Lahore for India but their tradition of Basant remained; and even today Lahoris take pride in Basant and fly kites from their rooftops with the same enthusiasm. Being the historic capital of Punjab there is no other place where Basant is elebrated with as much vigour and enthusiasm as the ancient city of Lahore. Traditionally, a festival confined to the old-walled city, it has now spread throughout the city. The celebration of Basant is incomplete without the kites and it is for the same reason that Michael Palin in his book Himalaya says: â€Å"Everyone in Lahore flies their kites for a day. † (Palin) Marshall Cavendish in his book People of Western Asia briefly states about the history of Basant and its celebration in the following words: â€Å"Lahore’s spring festival, Basant (buh-SAHNT): also known as Jashen-e- Baharan), is celebrated in February or March each year. It is an ancient festival that has become increasingly popular in recent years, attracting visitors from other parts of the country. Basant is celebrated with feasting, music, dance and crafts, and the wearing of yellow costumes or scarves, a symbol of the new spring. The most striking feature of the festival is the kite flying. Thousands of kites of all shapes, sizes and colors fill the skies and soar from parks and city roofs. At night, music rings and while white kites are flown, which reflect lights and fireworks. Throughout Pakistan there are local spring fairs with folk dancing; feasting; fairground attractions, such as swings and ferries wheels (sometimes made of wood in rural areas); music; and sporting contests. † (Cavendish) The celebration of this event which includes the spending on the purchase of kites has constantly being termed by the mullahs as un Islamic. In an interesting piece written by Roy McCarthy in The Guardian (17th May 2003), a young woman supporter of the Jamiyat (religious party) is reported as vehemently arguing against Basant. It is not Pakistani culture. Pakistanis don’t need new festivals. The most obnoxious part of the Basant is that it encourages young men and women to dance together and drink alcohol. This is not Islam. This is not Pakistan. This is not part of our civilization. † (The Guardian) The cry by the Jamiyat and other religious parties to impose ban on purely religious grounds, that is, Basant being a Hindu festival and thus unIslamic; therefore it should not be celebrated for the same reason might not be a reasonable argument. Firstly because, Basant is more of an ethnic event and it was celebrated by the Hindus and Muslims (the younger lot) alike by flying kites on Basant day and kite flying is more of a sport in the contemporary world, so the question of kite flying being Islamic or unIslamic does not arise . Secondly, ‘there is no denial to the fact that religion is very important and integral part of the culture of Pakistan but we should remember that cultural traditions are also a cause to celebrate and if nothing else the celebration of Basant can be viewed by the specific gathering of the ethnic group. This is further strengthened by the statement made by Sheikh Saleem, lahori and a local kite maker, â€Å"eid musalmanon ki hoti hai or Basant lahoriyon ki†. Thus it is purely a cultural event and Basant and kite-flying contrary to fundamentalist perceptions had nothing to do with religion. Thirdly, Basant has always been supported by the sufis of the past who were the early preachers of Islam in the subcontinent and were all very close to religion of Islam. However, during times when the state comes under religious influences (MMA had an impressive victory in October 2002), there are efforts to discourage what is, after all, not a religious festival. Pakistan† (Rengel) Sufis of Sub-Continent have a convention of adjusting to the local culture and language of the places they visited to spread Islam. The Chishti sufis, have not only tried to relate to the South Asian culture and music, they even tested and developed different cultural forms. Basant is a living example of religious open-mindedness and respectfulness of other creations of God. Previously, it was these Dargahs and Khaneqahs, which served as basis where people could share equal liberty, message of transparency and oneness. Basant is a tradition initiated eight hundred years ago by the famous poet Amir Khusro. Thus, the sufis of the past, namely Nizamuddin Auliya, Baba Zaheen Shah, Amir Khusro also took part in celebrating the event of Basant through songs. The song sung on Basant commemorates a special event in a saint’s life. Blum and Neuman) Kite-making and kite-flying interdependent on one another spread from the confines of ‘undroon sheher’ across Lahore, and as the city of Lahore expanded, so did the trade. It grew to such a degree that it attracted people from around the world and made Lahore a place of great tourism for Pakistan and a dynamic source of income for its residents. The festival of Basant transformed over the years due to the introduction of kites of different shapes, sizes and colors and as Saeed writes â€Å"Kite Fighting is an integral part of the Basant Kite festival. Saeed) It is precisely this magnificent display of kite flying on Basant day that made Lahore famous and thus it became the center of tourist attraction. People belonging to upper as well as lower economic classes from around the country and beyond packed city hotels for a few days of late-night festivities. Thus, as the celebrations of Basant got bigger and bigger, more and more support started coming in the form of endorsements by the government, and sponsorship and advertisement by multi-nationals in the private sector such as Coca Cola, Pepsi and Nestle. Official statement of District Chief Nazim of Lahore, 2003, Basant had created a business of Rs. 2 to 3 billion in the province and provided lot of opportunities to common people and owners of cottage industries in the country. To some independent estimates overall euphoria of Basant would generate economic activities of Rs. 4 to 4. 5 billion in the province in 2004†. (Khan) Gradually, the event which was once a general celebration of spring became overly competitive and transformed from being a fun sport to a killer sport claiming hundreds of innocent lives. As the nature of Basant changed so did the demand for the kinds of kites needed and thus new models, enormous kites and ‘dors’ toughened with steel wire, chemical and glass to have room for the ‘kite-fighting’ of Basant replaced the traditional kite design, size and thin ‘dors’ that never utilized anything more than starch. These changes are in-fact the root of the present dilemma. â€Å"Kite flying on Basant has taken 505 lives in the last two years. The supreme court of Pakistan has mentioned 45 kite-flying related deaths in city over the last six months and 460 last year†. Zia) The factor that makes this activity even deadlier is that the dangers to human life from this commotion are multi pronged. In simpler words, the group of people affected by this cannot be specified. Actually, it is so large and all-around a group that the risks seem horrendous. Unlike other hazardous sports, the activity of celebrating Basant and more specifical ly more often than not, affects people who are not even slightly related to kite flying. The deaths quoted above are a testament to this argument. A majority of these deaths were of the unfortunate motorcycle riders who couldn’t endure the wounds after the stray strings, used for kite flying, cut open their throats. Then there were deaths due to the distraction caused by these stray strings. Young boys running after and chasing kites also add up to to this very ill-fated club. The number of wounded people and the number of accidents that kite flying on Basant has been causing is alarming to say the least. But the horror doesn’t end here. Many kite flyers were victims themselves; deaths caused by falling off rooftops, electric shocks due to the use of metal strings and obviously they too have the hazard of the stray thread slitting their throats. The killing of innocent people was not the only reason that the government imposed at a ban on basant. The monetary losses caused by kite-flying are astonishing. Fluctuations in the power supply and frequent electricity trippings have become identical with Basant. Pakistan Times show a grim picture: â€Å"As many as 48,173 power trippings were caused by kite flying were recorded in different parts of the provincial metropolis during the first quarter of current fiscal year. † (Pakistan National News Desk). Every year, the Basant days in Lahore are like a mini-blackout. And the people who have to take the toll are the people who have to work through days and nights to ensure that the people get uninterrupted power supply. The sharp strings and metal twangs can cut through the insulation of wires and every day, hundreds of transformers are left burnt and rendered useless. LESCO: â€Å"The losses suffered by LESCO 350 million rupees during the last 4 years ending 2003 out of which a loss of Rs. 20 million was caused in 2002 by metal wires. Moreover, one grid station had been damaged by metal wire every year during this period resulting in a loss of Rs. 8 to Rs. 9 million and the destruction of 210 feeders. † (LESCO) It is estimated that if there are 50 one-hour breakdowns, it costs Rs. 2. 5 million to WAPDA Steel and glass-edged wires are banned but manufacturers still report roaring trade. (Pakistan times†¦) Kite making is traditionally a family enterprise. Behind every kite is the effort of a minimum of six people. The skill is one that they acquire in their ‘virasat’ as Baqir Ali Butt stated. In some ways kite-making has been altered by the changing circumstances of Lahore but in other ways it has stayed the same. It continues to provide employment for men, women and children, including handicapped persons and the incomes of 500, 000 people are dependent upon the trade â€Å"Around 500,000 families, directly related to the kite flying business, have lost their sources of livelihood because of the ban on Basant†¦[†¦] The ban is costing them Rs 200 million annually, and at the same time damaging other businesses that are indirectly related to the festival. They said that the people related to the industry, including kite makers, twine (dor) makers, wholesalers and retailers, had lost their means of earning a living. The cost of the paper used in kite making is estimated at around Rs 90 million and the cost of the twine used for flying kites is estimated at around Rs 40 million. The process of making kites involves around Rs 40 million, said Lahore Kite Flying Association General Secretary Sheikh Muhammad Saleem. â€Å"These were taken two years back. Now the number must have jumped,† he said, adding that 500,000 families had suffered because of the ban. † (Dawn International) (Tasleem) â€Å"The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Punjab police to register and take affidavits from the manufacturers of strings for kite flying in the province that they would not produce metallic and other dangerous strings which play havoc with human lives and power lines during Basant festivities. The National Assembly was recently informed that Wapda lost Rs30. 2 million in revenues due to Basant-related mishaps in the Punjab from 1999 to February 2004. Basant as a Cultural Heritage of Lahore. (2017, Feb 24). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Case4 Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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Buddhism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Buddhism - Research Paper Example For instance, where Christian worldview advocates that salvation and rebirth is possible through the divine nature of the individual as it was in the case of Jesus Himself, in Buddhism, believes argue that salvation and rebirth is a cycle of life which is judged by the Karma of the individual and is not restricted to the spiritual holiness of the soul. To be precise, in Buddhism, the deeds of the person during his life cycle, decides the form of his/her birth as a human or else. However, in Christianity, the philosophical claim propounds that the way to salvation is through Him. Again, principles in Buddhism showed the way to Nirvana and asked the followers to find their own path to attain a life after death. The Christian worldview thus believes that rebirth is possible by following the doctrines of Bible, and the human soul gets birth as only human; but, Buddhism states that rebirth means ‘life after death’, which depends on the Karma of the individuals, where the indi viduals can take birth as anything in accordance with their deeds (Zukeran, â€Å"Reincarnation and Christianity†). ... On the other hand, the new testimonial followers believed that rebirth is possible only when following the path of Jesus Christ. The concept of rebirth, as per the Christian worldview, thus happens through miracle, which was only possible by Jesus Christ as He was the ‘son of the God’. Reincarnation of soul from one body to another is only possible only when the individual have a strong believe on Christ’s principles and by such means get His blessings on the soul. The path to rebirth, according to Christianity, is determined through the life of the people as per the new vision on reincarnation. The philosophical claim of Christianity thus propounds that a strong belief of the individuals on the principles of Christ will help them in attaining rebirth. Hence, Christian worldview, the concept of rebirth revolves around the strength of the belief one has about the existence of God (Hodson 1-6). BUDDHISM PERSCEPTIVE ON REBIRTH The Buddhism perspective on rebirth demo nstrates change in continuity of life from one individual to other. According to the perspective of Buddhism, the karma of an individual helps to attain enlightenment which represents purity of life. In case, a person or an individual does not attain Nirvana, the death cycle continues and the soul gets rebirth in the form of â€Å"Asura,† â€Å"Hungry Ghost,† â€Å"Human life† and â€Å"Animals† (Buddha Dharma Education, â€Å"Fundamentals of Buddhism†). According to the teachings of Buddha, rebirth depends on Karma of the person that denotes his/her acts and deeds. Also, Buddhist believes that death is the end of physical body, but the spirit seeks out for new life and body. The rebirth of an individual is the cause and effect of his/her

William Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream Essay -- Shakespeare M

William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream can be considered an archetypal comedy due in large part to the ill-defined characters. Part of what makes this play work so well is that rather than becoming too invested in any one character’s hopes and fears or desires and struggles, the audience is simply rooting for things to work out well in general. If the audience became too attached to any one character, they might lose sight of the bigger picture in their concern over, for example, Demetrius remaining drugged at the end of the play, or the disturbing repercussions of Helena marrying a man who only a few acts earlier she had urged to â€Å"Use me but as your spaniel†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2.i.212). The audience is not plagued by these difficulties, however, because the lovers are only one or two shades more real than the characters presented by the Athenian laborers in Pyramus and Thisbe. A couple of the lines uttered in and about the play-within-a-play are very remi niscent of the â€Å"real† lovers whose trials and travails make up the rest of the work. The most appropriate line uttered by the mechanicals is â€Å"My love! Thou art my love, I think.† (5.i.207). This pretty well sums up the situation of the four lovers. Even before any fairy drugs enter the picture, they can’t seem to keep their affections straight. Demetrius, we learn, â€Å"Made love to†¦Helena, and won her soul†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1.i.109-10). This comes out as he is in court with Hermia’s father, appealing to Theseus to force Hermia to marry him. His fickleness is in fact the cause of the entire conflict, since as far as we know the two couples were perfectly happy before his affections were switched. Later in the play, once the two coupl... ...worst are no worse, if imagination amend them.† (5.i.224-6). He refers here to theatre, but his statement can be more broadly applied to the idea of love as seen in this play. All four of the â€Å"real† lovers can be seen as â€Å"shadows† of actual people—they exist to be in love, to be in love with being in love, to talk about being in love, etc. They have no function beyond that and really are not capable of much more. The lovers of the play-within-a-play, without trying too hard, can seem to be remarkably similar to Lysander, Demetrius, Hermia and Helena. With just a little bit of imagination, they are in fact â€Å"no worse†. The play in Act 5 serves to reflect back an image of what we have just seen that is only slightly distorted, and it is in the smallness of the distortion that we can really understand how ridiculous the events that have just unfolded really are.

If u forget me †Pablo Neruda Essay

â€Å"If you forget me† is one of the most famous poems by Pablo Neruda. Despite it was written around a century ago, the poem is still very popular nowadays. As love is a never ending topic, â€Å"If you forget me† with the main themes of passionate love and sacrifaction has become a living moral for many people. The sentimental sonnet is the confession of a man to his lover, saying how much he loves her and willing to sacrifice for her. The poem opens with a very short stanza of two lines. The use of punctuation immediately creates a dearing atmosphere and brings the audience closer to the speaker. A list of evocative objects follows in the second stanza. â€Å"Silver moon†, â€Å"red branch†, â€Å"slow autumn† bring up a sense of peace and calm. â€Å"Fire†, â€Å"impalpable ash†, â€Å"wrinkle log† evoke something passionate and strong, yet soft and tender. All of them remind the speaker of his love, all of them just to show how much he loves her: â€Å"As if everything that exists/ Aromas, light, metal/ Were little boats/ That sail/ Toward those isles of yours that wait for me†. Pablo uses metaphor to describe his lover. She is referred to as â€Å"isles† that are waiting for him. He hopes that she loves him just as he does and will always be there for him. Describing the speaker’s feelings as â€Å"little boats† that are floating toward her isles, Pabblo has created a beautiful and unique imagery. The rhyme of the poem suddenly changes at the beginning of the third stanza, creates a swift in tone of the speaker. â€Å"If† is repeated at the beginning of the next three stanzas, followed by presuppositions about his girlfriend not loving him anymore, then his reaction will be definitive. If she stops loving him, he will do the same. If she forgets him, he will forget her first. If she leaves him, he will has left already. It might sound apathetic at first, but decoding the use of metaphor in the sixth stanza reveils how much his love is for her, underlying within his bitter tone. He himself is described as a tree. In the heart are his roots. All the love will go there and he is living from it and because of it. Without this love he wouldn’t be himself. The last metaphor is that he is describing other girls, potential girlfriends, as another land. He will seek there if his present girlfriend will forget him. this is significant because the hardest thing to do is to let the person you love go and face the truth. The speaker, promising himself to move on, has shown that his love for her is stronger than any spoken words. The last stanza is probably the most important one, where his deepfelt sentiment is shown clearest. Very short lines are put at the beginning of the stanza. Punctuation once again has immediate impacts on the tone and mood. Despite his lover’s betrayal, at any moment if she changes her mind, he will always be willing to take her back again, as if they have never been detached. Determination is expressed by the quick pace, whereas love and caring is shown in longer lines. Pablo Neruda has composed a stunning piece of his most sincere confessions. A variety of language techniques is used throughout the poem. Imagery, connotation and metaphor are the key devices that contribute to the success of â€Å"If you forget me†. The poem leaves the audience a lingering feeling after they have long finished reading it.

Age Of Enlightenment - 755 Words

During the 18th century, a worldwide movement, more commonly recognized as the Age of Enlightenment, encouraged the spread of philosophical thinking, science, communications, and politics. This movement gradually branched out from Northern Europe and reached places such as the United States of America and France, encouraging the American and French Revolutions. The Enlightenment brought about a new age of philosophical and intellectual thinkers, such as John Locke, which helped shape and influence modern government and politics. John Locke is recognized as the father of classical liberalism, introducing the Two Treatises of Government, Social Contract, and private property, which formed the basis for the constitutions in westernized†¦show more content†¦Americas Declaration of Independence.) Natural rights became the staple of Locke’s political philosophy. Locke believed that an individual was born with the right and duty to their own life, including their property. 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Freedom of Speech Essay - 2165 Words

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[pic]Image 1. Showcasing the image used by Many â€Å"Freedom† movements Not being able to speak freely about religion is like locking our mouths in a cage. As Sami Al-Arian, the professor that got fired, said, â€Å"Many people have pleaded with me to simply remain silent. This is exactly what my critics want. Some think that there are powerful groups that are out to get me. My answer is simple. I believe in freedom of speech now more than ever. I believe that people have the right to hear what some may consider unpopular views as much as I have the obligation to express my beliefs and opinions.† Since we have freedom of speech, why should he have to be silent? The reason is not because he would be â€Å"punished† by the government per say, but his words could hurt him in the long run for things such as getting another job or where he wants to live. Even sad things such as hate crimes could affect him because of him speaking his mind. 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If the university exposes the power to limit speech some students might take advantage forRead More freedom of speech Essay1195 Words   |  5 Pages â€Å" Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press† -First Amendment, U.S. Constitution. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;According to the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, one of the basic principles our country is based on is the freedom of speech. Because of this, as eras and ages have passed in this still young and growing country, this amendment has had a greater use then statedRead MoreThe Freedom of Speech Essay1300 Words   |  6 Pagesthey thought was a main need in our society that did not necessarily exist in other cultures at that time. This main need was free speech. Since this document was put into place, the issue of free speech has been heatedly debated among the common public, big business, and worldwide industries. The government has always been the moderator in cases dealing with free speech, much like when the PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center) fought diligently to get the government to mandate warning labels on mediaRead MoreEssay on Freedom of Speech1272 Words   |  6 Pagesthey were unable to under British rule. In the First Amendments one of the liberties detailed is freedom of speech, specifically in that Congress will not enact a law that is â€Å"abridging the freedom of speech.† In 1925 the Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment applies to each state ensuring that the constitutional right to free speech is protected from interference by the government. Freedom of speech can only be upheld so long as the content of which does not violate the law. In 2002 a highRead MoreEssay on The Freedom Of Speech675 Words   |  3 Pagesaccount of special interest groups that are fighting to change the freedom of expression, the right to freely represent individual thoughts, feeling and views, in order to protect their families as well as others. These groups, religious or otherwise, believe that publishing unorthodox material is an abuse of free expression under the First Amendment. As we know, the Supreme Court plays an important role in the subject of free speech and expression, and we need to understand that the court system isRead MoreEssay On Freedom Of Speech933 Words   |  4 Pagesbelieving that their needs to be a limit on free speech, to help prevent the catastrophes around the world. What makes America so great is that we are able to use our voices to express whatever we believe in order to educate others. Does America want the government being able to step down your throat on what you can or can’t say? The First Amendment clearly states that â€Å"Congress shall make no law prohibiting free exercise: abridging the freedom of speech.† (U.S. Constitution. amend. I). Yet, thereRead MoreEssay On Freedom Of Speech838 Words   |  4 Pagesstates: â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.† To place it is simpler terms, any person in the United States of America has the freedom to express their opinions in any way they want, without the threat of the government oppressing them. We are the only nation in theRead MorePersuasive Essay On Freedom Of Speech800 Words   |  4 PagesFreedom of speech in America is defined by the right to express any opinions without any censorship or restraint. But it isn’t just defined by the words people speak aloud. It’s the actions they take part in to support the words they express. The writing of books and essays, creating artwork, giving speeches to grand crowds, voting, protesting. But do all people have the right to speak their mind? Should people be able to speak freely, to express opinions and thoughts, as promised in the United States