Shalamar Gardens, Lahore: zameen kha gayee aasmaan kaise kaise ..

Posted on October 25, 2007
Filed Under >Owais Mughal, Photo of the Day
7 Comments
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Owais Mughal

This photo is from 2006. I apologize for hoarding it for so long but it had got lost somewhere in my collection. Today I found it and immediately decided to share it here.

The famous landmark of Lahore called Shalamar Gardens (landscaped in 1633-1642 AD) was closed for repairs last year and this hand-written notice was pasted outside to keep visitors away. Nothing wrong with a hand-written notice except noticing the 410-fountain grandeur of the gardens, this notice appears as a ‘makhmal mein taat ka pewand’. Times have certainly changed a lot since this garden’s prime time.
In 1981, Shalamar Gardens was also included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Amir Minai’s verses come to my mind.

hoay naam war be-nishaan kaise kaise
zameeN kha gayee aasmaaN kaise kaise
zameen-e-chaman gul khilaati hai kia kia
badalta hai rang aasmaaN kaise kaise

The following photo appears in the news of October 31, 2007 and shows a wall of Shalamar gardens in dilapidated condition as well as heaps of garbage next to it.

Photo Credits: The Daily Dawn and The Daily Times

7 responses to “Shalamar Gardens, Lahore: zameen kha gayee aasmaan kaise kaise ..

  1. Now the Shalamar Gardens garden is in good condation and public can go for enjoyment in to the Shalamar Gardens.

  2. ayesha sajid says:

    It is indeed sad how we have not looked after our heritage and these old monuments. The enchroachments outside the Lahore Fort are piling up for one and the rest of the old buildings are ignored in favour of providing for the ever increasing population.
    The two should go hand in hand or else we shall be a nation that is neither here nor there.

  3. Rafay Kashmiri says:
  4. Naseer says:

    – Shalamar Gardens- ya dasht e tanhai !!!
    Lets hope that nobody puts up a similar board at the Parliament House.
    I don’t know, but I think people won’t mind such a happening to a ‘Rubber stamp”.
    Cheers

  5. Ahmed2 says:

    Dear OM:
    I marvel at your fecund versatility, and its pervasive artistic content. (This is written in unfeigned admiration).
    You have quoted Amir Minai; may I recall below Iqbal’s poignant verses:-

    “Yeh shalamar mein ik barg e zard kehta tha
    Gya woh mausam e gul jiski ik bahaar hoon mein.
    nah paimal karain mujhko zairan e chaman
    Unhin ki shaak e nasheman ki yadgar hoon mein….
    ujaar ho gayay ehd e kohun kay maikhanay
    Guzashta bada parastoon ki yadgar hoon mein.”

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