Adil Najam
This Friday was Juma-tul-Vida (the last Friday in Ramzan), Diwali celebrations are taking place as I write this, and Eid-ul-Fitr is likely to be on Monday (plus or minus a day or so).
These are auspicious and spiritually significant days. By way of conveying our choicest greetings to our readers on these occasions, we wanted to share these two wonderful photogrpahs with you.
![]("http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/images/2006/10/21/20061021_04.jpg")
![]("http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h241/adilnajam/20061021_32.jpg")
The first photograph is of a Diwali lamp being lit in Krishna Mandir in Saddar, Rawalpindi (here; Update: pictures of Diwali Dandia in Karachi here). Similar celebrations are also happening elsewhere in Pakistan (here), as across the world. I remember the first Diwali celebration I ever attended was in the Temple in Lalkurti, Rawalpindi. Later, I attended Diwali celebrations in Karachi and near Tando Allah Yar in Sindh. As someone who takes the promise imbedded in the white part of Pakistan’s flag as being absolutely sacred I am very happy to write today about this joyous festival rather than the more worrisome developments we have written about before (here and here).
The second is of Juma-tul-Vida prayers at the historic Wazir Khan mosque in the heart of old Lahore. Like Fawad Zakariya (here), I too like this mosque immensely: for its architecture, for its presence as an oasis in the middle of purana Lahore, and for the spiritual sense one feels in it. The Badshahi mosque also has an overpowering sense of spirituality – as do so many places of worship – but I have been particularly fond of this mosque; moreover, I think this photograph does justice to the structure as well as to the occasion.
DSW planning Web store: Shoe retailer’s move would create 250 local jobs.
The Columbus Dispatch (Columbus, OH) September 28, 2007 Byline: Mike Pramik Sep. 28–DSW Inc. plans to spend $37 million to create an Internet retail business at its newly remodeled headquarters on the East Side, a move that is expected to result in 250 new jobs.
The shoe retailer wants to begin selling its goods online in 2008, spokeswoman Leslie Neville said. DSW has begun renovating a 250,000-square-foot warehouse near its headquarters at 810 DSW Dr. In May, the company moved to the site near Port Columbus, where it also has a distribution center.
DSW is one of the recent success stories among central Ohio retailers. The former division of Retail Ventures went public in 2005 and has been growing by about 30 stores per year since then. here dsw printable coupons
This spring, it began rolling out stores with a new design that it tested at Easton Town Center, about the time it moved into its new headquarters.
Now, it wants to move its goods via the Internet.
“We are beginning to build a campus here,” Neville said. “There is an opportunity to expand significantly.” Neville said the company plans to hire Ozburn-Hessey Logistics to run the online-order fulfillment center. The Web site will be developed in-house, and DSW will run its own call center. here dsw printable coupons
Neville said about 200 of the new employees will be hired to operate the warehouse. The other 50 are expected to be needed at the headquarters.
The company is requesting more than $1 million in financial assistance from the city and the state for the expansion. The project will include $27 million in construction costs, $9 million for machinery and equipment, and $900,000 in inventory expenses.
Ohio Department of Development spokeswoman Kelly Hassett said the state is prepared to offer DSW an Ohio Job Creation Tax Credit worth $836,836 and grants and services worth $280,000.
Mike Stevens, with the Columbus Department of Development, said the city will offer DSW a seven-year, 65 percent tax credit worth an estimated $454,000. The deal is set to go before Columbus City Council on Oct. 15, Stevens said.
DSW operates 237 stores in 36 states. This will be its first venture into online retailing.
“This will be a very important extension of our brand,” Neville said.
mpramik@dispatch.com Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
Nice post and an appropriate one for occasions.
Also, like both the photographs. Have never been to Wazir Khan mosque before. WIll put it on my ‘must visit’ list after your endorsement.
I am reproducing the full post by Rama at Cuckoo’s Call:
On Bengali tv, there’s a comedy / humour show anchored by Mir. He is intelligent, funny, irreverent and endearing. At the end of each show, he delivers a pseudo-poetic punch line in Hindi. Last night, referring to the coincidence this year of the Hindu festival of light, Diwali, and the imminent Muslim festival of Eid (at the end of Ramadan), Mir recited this one, which increased my admiration for him by several notches:
Agar Diwali mein hai Ali
Aur Ramzaan mein Ram ka naam
To Hindu aur Musalman ke beech
Nafrat ka kya hai kaam?
If Diwali contains Ali
And Ramadan the name of Ram
Then what place has hatred
Between Hindu and Muslim?
Happy Diwali & Happy Eid to all of our Hindu and Muslim brothers and sisters respectively.
Dont forget to give mithai to your Hindu friends and Eidee (Cash) to your younger muslim friends, relatives, kids.
Happy Diwali and Happy Eid to everybody. The two festivals are occuring very close to each other and that is a happy coincidence. May these festivals bring happiness, prosperity and peace to all.
Happy Diwali and Eid to yu all.
happy diwali and happy eid to my hindu-muslim friends of
pakistan.
radhakrishna from india