Old pictures of Pakistani Cities
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ghazi52
THINK TANK: CONSULTANT
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- #829
House of Lala Harkishan Lal (now Fatimah Jinnah Medical College) at Queens Road - Lahore
Photo Courtesy: Abhishek Basandrai
Lala Harkishan Lal, one of the early entrepreneurs of Lahore - One of the founders of Punjab National Bank in 1884, Harkishan Lal’s financial empire grew to include banks, insurance companies, real estate, soap-making, brick kilns, saw mills and ice factories.
He was born into a poor family of Khatris from a far flung place called Layyah. He was educated in Lahore and then at Cambridge University. Lal returned to India after finishing his studies and taught at Government College Lahore for a while, but he was an entrepreneur at heart and he floated several financial companies to provide capital to indigenous industries.
ghazi52
THINK TANK: CONSULTANT
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- #836
Music Fountain, Karachi.
This historic fountain was built by Ayub Khan especially to welcome US President Eisenhower, who was to arrive on a historic visit to Pakistan in December 1959 at the invitation of the President of Pakistan.
During the construction, canals were laid all around it and work was done secretly inside them. No one knew why these curtains were suddenly put up at this intersection, they just passed by with curious eyes. Then one day this curtain was lifted and a strange black statue standing in the pond emerged from below. From a distance, it looked like a horse with a long neck, from whose waist water jumped and went far into the air and then fell into the pond. Big speakers were hidden somewhere inside its stomach and neck, from which soft but melodious music streams would burst out, which was very pleasant to the ears and mind.
Then some wise man told me that it was not a horse but a melody that had escaped from a music book, which, due to its extraordinary soundness, seemed somewhat gigantic. On closer inspection, it was indeed that. Perhaps that is why it was named the Musical Fountain. It took me a whole month to feel and know the difference between a horse and a melody, and I doubt many people would have known it even after years. For the first few days, there was a lot of crowd and excitement here, and people from far and wide would bring their families to see this magical fountain that scattered musical melodies in the air. They would stand in a circle around it and stare at it for hours, and whenever a strong wind started blowing from one side, a light spray would come out of the fountain and fly in the opposite direction, washing away the people, which the spectators would be amazed to see and feel. And many would deliberately run towards it to cool themselves with the spray that was splashing along with the melodies that were scattered in the air.
Next to this ugly but beautiful fountain with beautiful melodies, there was a small window from which an employee would occasionally be seen descending. Whenever for some reason its music stopped playing, he would quickly jump down from this tunnel-like window and, who knows, would twist the parts so that the melodies would start scattering in the air once again. Grass and beautiful flowers were also planted around this fountain, and some water plants and lotus flowers were also left in the pond.
This was undoubtedly a memorable place in Karachi at that time, which was shown to visitors from outside not at their request but as a show of his city. Then one day, US President Eisenhower also arrived in Karachi. His convoy was to turn around from the airport on Drug Road and come towards this direction, passing by the Metropole Hotel.
They were standing in an open car with President Ayub. Both were waving their hands and responding to the greetings and slogans of the welcoming children and people standing on both sides of the road. The children of all the nearby schools were given the responsibility to stand there in a row in their clean uniforms and applaud the arrival of the distinguished guest, shout slogans of Zindabad and wave small American and Pakistani flags that were given to us the day before for the same purpose. Since our school was the closest to this place, we had quickly come here and occupied the footpath right in front of this fountain and made our shelters.
When the two presidents approached us and the fountain, they were specially made to take a complete tour of this beautiful fountain from which some Western music was playing loudly at that time. The colorful flower pots arranged in the green grass beds were presenting a very beautiful scene.
Then it so happened that the task for which we had been standing there for four hours was completed in less than a minute. Without a doubt, they were given a grand welcome. Both of them kept smiling and waving at us, it seemed that everyone standing there thought that they had waved especially to return their greeting.
From here, a road curved slightly to the left, on which a little further on was the main gate of the Presidential Palace. From here, the distinguished guests entered and we were loaded into trucks again like sheep and goats and taken to our respective places.
This fountain continued to entertain people by scattering its sound in the air for a year or two. The film makers liked its beautiful location so much that at that time no film made in the studios of Karachi was complete without taking a turn at it. Whether there were romantic activities of the hero and heroine or the poor heroine was being kidnapped by goons, it was considered necessary to take at least one turn of this fountain.
One day something happened that first one day its sounds suddenly became silent. It was started once or twice but when it did not work, the craftsmen raised their hands. Later it was just a fountain that kept throwing water in the air only at certain times for the household fairy and then one day this fountain also flatly refused to spout water. The fountain stopped laughing, the people of the concerned department turned a blind eye to it and left it to its fate and wandered around.
When the pond dried up, the beautiful lotus flowers and beautiful vines floating in it also withered and then slowly the flowers also rotted and disappeared.
This historic fountain was built by Ayub Khan especially to welcome US President Eisenhower, who was to arrive on a historic visit to Pakistan in December 1959 at the invitation of the President of Pakistan.
During the construction, canals were laid all around it and work was done secretly inside them. No one knew why these curtains were suddenly put up at this intersection, they just passed by with curious eyes. Then one day this curtain was lifted and a strange black statue standing in the pond emerged from below. From a distance, it looked like a horse with a long neck, from whose waist water jumped and went far into the air and then fell into the pond. Big speakers were hidden somewhere inside its stomach and neck, from which soft but melodious music streams would burst out, which was very pleasant to the ears and mind.
Then some wise man told me that it was not a horse but a melody that had escaped from a music book, which, due to its extraordinary soundness, seemed somewhat gigantic. On closer inspection, it was indeed that. Perhaps that is why it was named the Musical Fountain. It took me a whole month to feel and know the difference between a horse and a melody, and I doubt many people would have known it even after years. For the first few days, there was a lot of crowd and excitement here, and people from far and wide would bring their families to see this magical fountain that scattered musical melodies in the air. They would stand in a circle around it and stare at it for hours, and whenever a strong wind started blowing from one side, a light spray would come out of the fountain and fly in the opposite direction, washing away the people, which the spectators would be amazed to see and feel. And many would deliberately run towards it to cool themselves with the spray that was splashing along with the melodies that were scattered in the air.
Next to this ugly but beautiful fountain with beautiful melodies, there was a small window from which an employee would occasionally be seen descending. Whenever for some reason its music stopped playing, he would quickly jump down from this tunnel-like window and, who knows, would twist the parts so that the melodies would start scattering in the air once again. Grass and beautiful flowers were also planted around this fountain, and some water plants and lotus flowers were also left in the pond.
This was undoubtedly a memorable place in Karachi at that time, which was shown to visitors from outside not at their request but as a show of his city. Then one day, US President Eisenhower also arrived in Karachi. His convoy was to turn around from the airport on Drug Road and come towards this direction, passing by the Metropole Hotel.
They were standing in an open car with President Ayub. Both were waving their hands and responding to the greetings and slogans of the welcoming children and people standing on both sides of the road. The children of all the nearby schools were given the responsibility to stand there in a row in their clean uniforms and applaud the arrival of the distinguished guest, shout slogans of Zindabad and wave small American and Pakistani flags that were given to us the day before for the same purpose. Since our school was the closest to this place, we had quickly come here and occupied the footpath right in front of this fountain and made our shelters.
When the two presidents approached us and the fountain, they were specially made to take a complete tour of this beautiful fountain from which some Western music was playing loudly at that time. The colorful flower pots arranged in the green grass beds were presenting a very beautiful scene.
Then it so happened that the task for which we had been standing there for four hours was completed in less than a minute. Without a doubt, they were given a grand welcome. Both of them kept smiling and waving at us, it seemed that everyone standing there thought that they had waved especially to return their greeting.
From here, a road curved slightly to the left, on which a little further on was the main gate of the Presidential Palace. From here, the distinguished guests entered and we were loaded into trucks again like sheep and goats and taken to our respective places.
This fountain continued to entertain people by scattering its sound in the air for a year or two. The film makers liked its beautiful location so much that at that time no film made in the studios of Karachi was complete without taking a turn at it. Whether there were romantic activities of the hero and heroine or the poor heroine was being kidnapped by goons, it was considered necessary to take at least one turn of this fountain.
One day something happened that first one day its sounds suddenly became silent. It was started once or twice but when it did not work, the craftsmen raised their hands. Later it was just a fountain that kept throwing water in the air only at certain times for the household fairy and then one day this fountain also flatly refused to spout water. The fountain stopped laughing, the people of the concerned department turned a blind eye to it and left it to its fate and wandered around.
When the pond dried up, the beautiful lotus flowers and beautiful vines floating in it also withered and then slowly the flowers also rotted and disappeared.
ghazi52
THINK TANK: CONSULTANT
- Thread starter
- #837
Passenger Landing Stage - Kiamari (Kemari), Karachi.
This image depicts the Passenger Landing Stage at Kiamari (also known as Kemari) in Karachi, Pakistan, likely from the early 20th century.
Kiamari is a port town and island located in Karachi, Pakistan, serving as a vital part of the city's harbor.
The image showcases the bustling port area with various ships docked at the landing stage, indicating its importance for passenger and cargo transportation.
The presence of railway tracks and structures suggests the integration of rail transport with maritime activities at the port, facilitating the movement of goods and people.
This historical photograph offers a glimpse into the infrastructure and daily life of a significant port during the British Raj era in the Indian subcontinent.
This image depicts the Passenger Landing Stage at Kiamari (also known as Kemari) in Karachi, Pakistan, likely from the early 20th century.
Kiamari is a port town and island located in Karachi, Pakistan, serving as a vital part of the city's harbor.
The image showcases the bustling port area with various ships docked at the landing stage, indicating its importance for passenger and cargo transportation.
The presence of railway tracks and structures suggests the integration of rail transport with maritime activities at the port, facilitating the movement of goods and people.
This historical photograph offers a glimpse into the infrastructure and daily life of a significant port during the British Raj era in the Indian subcontinent.
ghazi52
THINK TANK: CONSULTANT
- Thread starter
- #838
1941-1945. Dakota Mark IV, KN394 'M', of No. 187 Squadron RAF based at Merryfield, Somerset, taxies past a donkey train at Mauripur air terminal, Kiamari Town, Karachi, India.
Mauripur was the first Indian staging post on the trooping flights between the United Kingdom and Poona undertaken by the Squadron from April 1945 to March 1946.
Mauripur was the first Indian staging post on the trooping flights between the United Kingdom and Poona undertaken by the Squadron from April 1945 to March 1946.
