khayaal-e-Khatir-e-ahbab chahiye har dam
Anees Thes na lag jai aab-ginoN ko
The truck here is transporting earthen clay pots (called ‘matka’ – singular) which are used to keep drinking water cool. Being made out of clay, one would imagine not to try transporting them without any packaging BUT that is the beauty of Pakistani transport which continues to defy the norms of Aesthetics, Physics, Mechanics, Capacity, Luxury, Hilarity, Logic, Poetry, Center of Gravity, Speed Limits etc.
What do all these fragile matkas hanging so precariously remind you of? Can you suggest a title.
The photo is from April 26, 2009 taken on Sukkur bypass by Jehangir Khan.
ATP’s Other Related Posts:
1. Chinese Characters on Pakistani Transport
2. Rawalpindi to Sialkot by Bus, Truck, and Tonga
3. deewan-i-transport
4. Pakistan’s indigenous art of Truck Painting
5. The Party is at the Motorway
6. Autobahn Road, Hyderabad
7. How many people are on this motorcycle
8. The Pakistani Rickshaw
9. Overloaded Vehicles on Pakistani Roads
10. Pushing the Limits
I always thought, ‘matka’ was a fragile product. I’ve had honors of breaking a couple in our home while playing cricket and practicing with ‘ghulel’ (don’t know the English word for ‘ghulel’).
Then one also sees ‘matka’ as the first victim of sacrifice in Lollywood movies whenever ‘haq’ fights with ‘batil’ and a few village ladies are shown running for safety after dropping a ‘matka’ EACH from their heads.
Sometimes romance in a movie also starts when a hero breaks a ‘matka’ on heroines head by a calculated mistake. Later on he usually offers to repay by getting a full water tanker supplied to heroines home from the local Water Board (where hero works) and thus the lady becomes for-ever-his’ :) It all starts with a ‘matka’
The photo above broke all my stereotypes of matka, hence I chose to share the photo here.
Looks like when combined together they become objects of strength and don’t break so easily.
How about “Matka Unlimited”
NA succumbing to Talibans…
After years of wondering, I could not figure out how Pyramids were constructed and now this
“Carrying Fragile stuff on a Pakistani truck….Pricelesss “