The legendary Zamzama or Kim’s gun is located on a platform in front of Punjab University old campus or Lahore Museum on Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam. It is also known as Bhangian-ki-Toap, the gun of the Bhangis (a Sikh misl). The great English novelist and poet Rudyard Kipling had immortalized it as Kim’s Gun. According to the legend it was cast by Shah Nazir under the orders of Shah Wali Khan, the chief minister of Ahmad Shah Abdali in 1757.

At that time, two of these cannons were cast and are said to have been made of copper and brass. The metal for these cannons was funded by the people of Lahore who were asked to give their cooking utensils. Apart from the funds it is also believed that some metal was obtained through Jizya ( capitation tax levied by Muslim rulers on the non-Muslims).

The gun is 14 feet, 4½ inches (4.38 meters) in length, with a bore at its aperture of 9½ inches (24.13 centimeters). The gun has the date of manufacture, names of the monarch and the technician along with verses in Persian molded with floral patterns all over the barrel. The gun was used by Ahmed Shah in the battle of Panipat, in 1761. After the battle, on his way back to Kabul, he left it at Lahore with his governor, Khawaja Ubed, as the carriage that was supposed to take the gun to Kabul was not ready. The other gun he took with him but that one was lost in passage through the Chenab.

As for it’s was services, read Zamzama by wikipedia.

After the Anglo-Sikh battle of Ferozshah on December 21, 1845, the gun came into the possession of the Britishers. When the Duke of Edinburgh visited Lahore in February, 1870, the gun was placed opposite to the gate of the museum where it rests to date.

Garbage set on fire in the premises of Lahore Fort.

Image Courtesy of DailyTimes

Causing grave damage to structures of historical and cultural importance through acts of negligence, vandalism and commercialism, is a sad fact that most of the people give a damn to worry or care about.

Why are we, as a society, becoming so insensitive to everything that has anything to do with civic responsibility…!

Many of you must have seen that foxy stuck inside a wall in Cavalry (or is it defence – i’m confused :*))

But for its surroundings, you can expect the creativity of that extent. When I saw this bus’ front being used as a Tuc Shop … I was enthralled.

My my my, what a creativity and usability and then where :-)

Creativity sure does seek no limits … it’s beyond that all :)

Masjid Wazir Khan, a Mughal mosque in Lahore; Its view from the old Delhi Gate; Giving the feel as you are standing in one of the bazaars of ancient Cairo…

Image Source: *abro* at Flickr

Lahore Museum was established in 1894 and is one of the major museums of South Asia. Lahore Museum is also known as Central Museum. It is located opposite the old University Hall, a Mughal style building on the Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam. The Museum contains some fine specimens of Mughal and Sikh door-ways and wood-work and contains a large collection of paintings dating back to Mughal, Sikh and British era.

A project for expansion and upgradation of Lahore Museum is being carried out at a cost of Rs 100 million. So far rupees one million has been spent on the project while Rs 17 million has been allocated for the project to be utilised during the current fiscal year. The government is implementing a comprehensive programme for renovation and upgradation of museum and cultural heritage. Lahore Museum has a collection of musical instruments, ancient jewellery, textiles, pottery and armory. There are relics from the Graeco-Bactrian times as well as well as some Tibetan and Nepalese work.

The museum has a number of objects of Greco-Buddhist sculptures, Mughal and Pahari paintings on display. The Fasting Buddha is one of the unique collections of the museum.

I will try to share more information on the renovation work as it comes. I hope that the concerned officials will ensure in-time completion of these projects as per specifications. More than a major museum of South Asia, I hope that Lahore museum becomes a well-noticed remarkable attraction to the rest of the world as well.

[Source: Associated Press of Pakistan; Wikipedia; Flickr.]

Around 4:30 AM, these buildings were looking so mysteriously beautiful that i could not stop myself from shoting them down :D
(more…)

I really liked this cute Rikshi I saw on display at one of the antique shops at PC, Lahore. Enjoyyyyyy!!

Here I was browsing through Daily Times’ website when I came across these two images mistakenly posted under each other’s label and description. This is what comes out as a result:

Image: 1

Image: 2

It would be interesting to know if they printed these as it is in the newspaper too! :)

Links:

Image 1 – Daily Times
Image 2 – Daily Times

Mercer Human Resource Consulting is a global conulting firm that amongst other things, carries out an annual Ranking of some of the major cities in world. It compiles this data to primarily advise global business on say, what city would be nice to live in, keeping in mind all the requirements of a modern fast paced world necessary for a modern business executive. These factors include “39 key quality-of-life issues”, things like the quality of the public transport network, the average cost of living in the city, sanitation etc etc etc and blah blah blah…and “political stability, currency-exchange regulations, political and media censorship, school quality, housing, the environment and public safety”.

So any way, for year 2007 the rankings were published a while back, and turns out that Lahore is amongst the
(more…)

This interesting image shows estimation of heights of buildings at the under-construction Sheikh Zayed Centre (SZC) in Lahore. The mighty development is situated on Ferozpur Road, just between Daewoo Station and the Qaddafi Stadium on the opposite side of the road. Construction has started in full swing with initial digging activity at the construction site.

As UrbanPK reports, the complex is to host a 5-star Grand Hyatt Hotel, and high-rise luxury apartments to be managed by Hyatt Residency.

Initiated as a Joint Venture between the Dhabi Group of UAE and Government of the Punjab, the project is covered by a holding company called TA`AVUN (Pvt.)Ltd. which will be responsible for managing the project. Turner International (one of the largest construction companies in the US have been hired as contractors/builders; whereas HOK – a firm that designs buildings for Donald Trump, has been retained as Project Consultants & Architects).

Project: Sheikh Zayed Centre, Lahore
Location: Ferozepur Road, Lahore
Maximum Height: 60+ Storeys
Maximum Area: 91 Kanals
Appartment Floors:20-25 (3 Towers)
Parking Capacity: 4,000 vehicles in 4 basements
Jobs Creation: 30,000
Cost: $500 Million + (unconfirmed)
Status: Under Construction
Completion Date: 2010
Designed by: Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum
Ligthing by: Fisher Marantz Stone (FMS) – also working on Burj Dubai
Developers: Taavun (Pvt.) Ltd. – a JV between Dhabi Group of UAE & Govt. of the Punjab
Contractor:EMAAR

Special Feautres:

– Tallest building in Pakistan by its completion
– 60+ storey main tower; visible even from Wagha Border
– 5-Star Grand Hyatt Hotel
– Multiple appartment blocks managed by Hyatt Residency
– Conference seating capacity of 5,000+
– Pakistan’s first Ice Rink
– Exclusive shopping mall
– Corporate offices, mini cinemas
– Overhead covered bridge connection with the Qaddafi Stadium

More on Sheikh Zayed Centre, Lahore:

– UrbanPK
– Skyscrapercity
– Wikipedia
– FMS