My friend and expedition partner, Danial Shah, who actually arranged this most wonderful, eye-popping, mind-blowing expedition into the heartland of this country, took this frame while we were travelling from Point A to Point B. Wherever we were going (and in this case, we were heading towards Koh-e-Taftan, Iran border) I was reading this very absorbing book penned by English traveller and historian, William Dalrymple. The book's name is, 'The Last Mughal'. It is a singularly absorbing book just like the province itself. He was kind enough to lend me his very cool book reading light, which I duly attached with my book.
I thank Mr. Zeeshan, Director of www.pakgateway.com, for giving us this great opportunity and freedom to capture Baluchistan as never before. We hope our work is agreeable to him and to his good colleagues. We also sincerely hope that in future we will be able to contribute more to this National Project. INSHALLAH.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Baluchistan Diary - Day 13 / Shehr-e-Roghan, Bela
It was 13th June, 2010, and it was our expedition's 13th day. It has been a hectic schedule and most of the days we would wake up at 5am and sleep well after 12 at night. It was an expedition of extremes: We've been at Sibi, where the temperature was 49C; and we went to Ziarat where night time temperature dropped to 9C. So you can imagine what kind of place our biggest province really is. Yes, Baluchistan is a land mass which is perhaps Pakistan's 43%. Or, 48%. Or somewhere between it. And it always has something special for all of us.
No wonder then this beautiful, mysterious city known to local Baluch people as Shehr-e-Roghan (city of caves, city of Jinns, etc) was a fitting end to our brilliant expedition. I really liked roaming around this city. It was maddeningly hot and I was sure more heat was to grace us in Karachi itself. But Karachi appears some 170 Km from this place. I was impressed by the charms of this place. So should you be. I did not have GPS otherwise I would have put coordinates here.
So, this frame ends our expedition, which ran from 1st June, 2010, with a plane trip to Quetta from Karachi and ended at Hub, which borders Karachi.
More photographs of the expedition will be added later on. So you please continue reading this blog.
No wonder then this beautiful, mysterious city known to local Baluch people as Shehr-e-Roghan (city of caves, city of Jinns, etc) was a fitting end to our brilliant expedition. I really liked roaming around this city. It was maddeningly hot and I was sure more heat was to grace us in Karachi itself. But Karachi appears some 170 Km from this place. I was impressed by the charms of this place. So should you be. I did not have GPS otherwise I would have put coordinates here.
So, this frame ends our expedition, which ran from 1st June, 2010, with a plane trip to Quetta from Karachi and ended at Hub, which borders Karachi.
More photographs of the expedition will be added later on. So you please continue reading this blog.
Baluchistan Diary - Day 13 / Road to Karachi
As Danial's IBM was due on Monday we had no choice but to head straight for Karachi. And it was Sunday today. After some road blockage near Khuzdar after a night stay there, we went for Karachi. And it was really hot. Yes, it should be. Kalat is at a certain height whereas Khuzdar is down the hill. And as you leave Khuzdar during summers, you really feel the music. But I found road really wonderful and agreed that if entire Baluchistan's roads are carpeted as this road, I am sure much benefit will come to the way of a poor Baluch, whose home this has been for many centuries now.
Baluchistan Diary - Day 12 / Carpet
Any visit to this most beautiful region is incomplete without a mention of hand knotted carpets or its photographs. I really love carpets and when there is a light shining on it. The real hand-knotted carpets are really expensive. But the most awesome carpet of all here in this palace wasn't the one photographed here - it was in the drawing room. And I really have to curse myself for not properly photographing it.
Our Baluchistan expedition was fully funded by www.pakgateway.com.
Our Baluchistan expedition was fully funded by www.pakgateway.com.
Baluchistan Diary - Day 12 / Reading Quran sharif
We were shown a small masjid, which is inside the main complex of the Palace of Khan of Kalat. And like every other place within the palace, this place was also full of carpets. Light was filtering from one of the windows as asar namaz timing was nearing; we decided to have khadim read Quran sharif so that we may photograph him. Here's the result.
Baluchistan Diary - Day 12 / Palace of Khan of Kalat
This is the main Palace building and was built, according to the grandson of the Khan of Kalat, after that devastating 1935 earthquake, which levelled much of Quetta and parts of Kalat as well.
I was lucky to find clouds and a very friendly light and the temperature was just fine enough for such a good shot. I think, Dr. Kalim's lens, 10-20mm Sigma also helped greatly.
This expedition was funded by www.pakgateway.com.
I was lucky to find clouds and a very friendly light and the temperature was just fine enough for such a good shot. I think, Dr. Kalim's lens, 10-20mm Sigma also helped greatly.
This expedition was funded by www.pakgateway.com.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Baluchistan Diary - Day 12 / Gun of Khan of Kalat
Today, we woke up late and left Quetta finally at 12 noon. Because I had to shop for dry fruits which my mother had specially asked me to bring from Quetta. I also got my favourite perfume from here: BOSS. And then we headed straight for Kalat, a place of my dreams. I immediately photographed this gun of the Khan when I saw it. And the sky was just fantastic here.
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