Hyderabad, one of Pakistan's most historic cities, has sadly not received the recognition it deserves. The history of this land on the Ganju Takkar hillock can be traced back to the Mauryan era (322-185 BC). The heritage and culture has been overlooked to an extent where even the city’s own residents, in general, are not aware of its significance.
To connect the people of the city, and especially its youth, with its history and culture, the “Hyderabad Photo-Walk” was organised on May 30, 2015. I was a part of the initiative, which was backed by Pakistan-US Alumni Network and Lahooti Live Sessions, and led by Sana Khoja, a Hyderabad-based youth activist. Our team comprised of Ahsan Abro, Asif Ansari, Omar Qureshi, Muazam Memon and Furqan Buriro.
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Enthusiasm was the keyword on the day of the Photo-walk. —HPW |
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Participants being told briefly about the history of Hyderabad before the start of the walk. —HPW |
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Sana Khoja, who led the event. —HPW |
The main event was preceded by a photography talk a few weeks before, by renowned Pakistani photographer Danial Shah. Danial guided the participants and shared his experiences with them, along with photography tips and tricks.
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The session on photography. —Syed Zeeshan Ahmed |
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Renowned photographer Danial Shah answered questions during the session. —Syed Zeeshan Ahmed |
On the day of the main event, over 100 participants gathered, along with the team of the photo-walk. The participants belonged mainly to Hyderabad, while a few were from places such as Nawabshah, Karachi, etc.
The participants were taken to different spots of historic, cultural and social significance, facing the scorching sun throughout the course of the event.
The first spot was the set of the Kalhora tombs, including the tomb of Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhora, who laid the foundation of modern-day Hyderabad in the late 1760s, and gave the city the name it has today. He built it over the ruins of an old fishing village called Neroon or Neroonkot.
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Traditional buses were used as transport. —HPW |
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Team Hyderabad Photo-walk posing with the participants. —HPW |
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The wall around Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhora's tomb. —Rahul P Maheshwari |
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Participants at the Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhora tomb complex. —Syed Zeeshan Ahmed |
The participants were then taken to Hirabad, one of the oldest parts of the city. Hirabad is filled with buildings built during British Raj by Sindhi Hindus. Participants photographed the old buildings, including a Shiv temple which was first built in 1895 and then rebuilt in 1945.
Next up was Rani Bagh, a botanical and zoological garden in Hyderabad where we all had lunch. Then came Niaz Stadium, a historic stadium where the first ever hat-trick in One Day Internationals happened in 1982. The bowler was Pakistani right-arm seamer Jalal-ud-Din, and the opposition was Australia. Pakistan has never lost a Test or ODI on this ground.
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The Shiv temple in Hirabad. —Syed Zeeshan Ahmed |
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A house in Hirabad built in 1923. —Syed Zeeshan Ahmed |
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Participants interacted with the people too. —Syed Zeeshan Ahmed |
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Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad. —Furqan Buriro |
The final spot of the photo-walk was none other than the historic Pakka Qila, built in 1768 by Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhora. Participants photographed the crumbling remains of the once-majestic monument.
One of the most wonderful things about the photo-walk was the participation of girls and women, whose enthusiasm knew no bounds.
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Pakka Qila ruins. —Rahul P Maheshwari |
On June 14, a one-day exhibition titled “Tale of Hyderabad” was organised at the Sindh Museum (Hyderabad), where the photos submitted by participants were showcased. The 57 entries (chosen from a pool of over 150 photos) were judged by artists, photographers, teachers and intellectuals.
Khudeija Ansari’s photograph of a group of children wearing traditional prayer caps was judged as the best of the lot. The one that came in second was taken by Fazila Amber, of a ladder inside the temple.
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Khudeija Ansari with her prize-winning photo. —Syed Zeeshan Ahmed |
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Runner-up Fazila Amber with her photo. —Syed Zeeshan Ahmed |
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The exhibition featured over 50 photos taken at different places throughout the city in a day. —Syed Zeeshan Ahmed |
The exhibition was visited by over 200 people. It also included the session “From Neroonkot to Hyderabad”. I headed this session as the photo-walk’s guide, and used it to discuss the history of Hyderabad.
The participants shared their experiences of the photo-walk, followed by a folk-music performance by Faqir Zulfiqar, who sang the poetry of Shah Latif Bhitai. Another highlight of the event was musician Saif Samejo (of the band Sketches, and the mind behind Lahooti Live Sessions), who has been backing the event since the very start.
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The music session was one of the highlights of the exhibition. —Syed Zeeshan Ahmed |
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Fakir Zulfiqar performed Sindhi folk songs, which included renditions of Shah Latif Bhitai's poetry. —Syed Zeeshan Ahmed |
Halar Khoso, one of the participants, said,
In such a congested society, where people are fighting for their basic rights and everyone has the fear of going out on streets, an initiative like Hyderabad Photo-walk is a breath of much needed fresh air for youngsters who love history and want to explore it through photography.
Another participant, Ali Raza Soomro said, "It (Hyderabad Photo-walk) provided a platform for newcomers like me, and I felt like writing a story while capturing the photos. I never knew Hyderabad had so much to tell."
The Hyderabad Photo-walk team were also made a cake by Hira Brohi, one of the participants who also happens to own a small baking company.
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The Hyderabad Photo-walk cake, made by one of the participants, Hira Brohi. —Syed Zeeshan Ahmed |
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Group photo taken at Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhora's tomb. —HPW |
It was quite admirable that the enthusiasm of participants showed no signs of letting up even in the face of intense heat during the photo-walk. By all accounts, the walk was a success and ended up as the grandest event of its kind in the city's history.
Most of all, it succeeded in its prime motive: Connecting youth with the history and culture of this glorious city.
To know more about the Hyderabad Photo-walk, you can visit their Facebook page or find them on Twitter.