M.F. Husain, Tyeb Mehta are stars at Christies
Saw this story here a while ago Christie’s South Asian modern and contemporary art sale here March 20 will feature works of leading 20th…
Bulleh Shah on dogs
Read the symbol-laden verses of Bulleh Shah with the translation contributed by Shahidain: RaateeN jaageyN kareyN ibaadat RaateeN jaagan kuttey teython utey bhonkanon band…
Be a connoisseur, and taste with caution
“God has given us a dark wine so potent that, drinking it, we leave the two worlds. God has put into the form of…
Islam, law and finance: the elusive divine
Fred Halliday begins his argument in the captioned article published by Open Democracy with these lines: In many European countries in particular (the Netherlands,…
The intricate windings of the way
The worth of a treasury is indicated by the many locks upon it. The greatness of the traveler’s goal is marked by the intricate…
….na junoon raha na pari rahi – when neither you exist nor I exist
Junaid has sent this classic ghazal by one of the earlier, eclectic poets of Urdu language, Siraj Aurangabadi. The best part of his email…
A voice for peace from the other side
My friend Sidhusaaheb across the border wrote these poignant lines some months ago – just discovered these musings in my files: A little less…
Internet love, Cricket and more masala
Pakistan cricket captain’s ‘net marriage fraud’ By Robyn Powell and agencies Pakistan’s cricket captain has accused the family of an Indian girl of trying…
A moth to the fire of love (Rumi)
“If you are wise like the Friend of God, the fire is water to you, especially this fire of Love, which is the soul…
The Radical Message Of Muharram
Muharram reminds us of the Kerbala tragedy; and Imam Hussain’s (AS) refusal to submit to the autocracy of Yazid. This episode is laden with…
Rethinking Islam and Hinduism
S Irfan Habib in New Delhi There has been a lot of noise about rethinking in Islam, particularly post September 11,2001. I feel it…
“Partition: Surgery without Anaesthesia”
Titled “Partition: Surgery without Anaesthesia”, the book, a compilation of 31 individual accounts including from noted writer and columnist Khushwant Singh and artist Satish…
A Few Words on the Soul
Thanks to my friend Fawad, I have been introduced to the fine poetry of , Wislawa Szymborska (b. 1923) also the 1996 Polish Nobel…
The Battle of Karbala (Mir Anis)
Mir Anis is a classical master of Urdu poetry whose elegies on the struggles between Imam Hussain, prophet’s grandson and the usurper, callous monarch…
Struggle on Many Fronts – Communists and Capitalism
Prabhat Patnaik’s “The Communists and the Building of Capitalism“, evidently an ideological and polemic-ridden article, makes some interesting points particularly in the context of…
Lahore Nama – A new blogspace devoted to the magical city
I have been rather casually posting news, stories and comments on Lahore’s heritage and its current status on Lahore Nama. While blogging here I…
NATO Genocide in Afghanistan?
I hold no brief for the Taliban. They have enraged the world and brought much shame to Muslims and dare I say the great…
The Indic civilisation
By Ishtiaq Ahmed Today’s article coincides with India’s declaration as a republic in 1950. The civilisational roots of modern India are always worth discussing,…
Bulleh Shah – a few poems
Bulleh Shah ‘s poetry addresses most maladies that we face in this day and age. Recently, I was asked to help a friend with…
A tale of love and death
by Tanvir Ahmad Khan The terrors of the living need not trouble you, Bibi, any more. You overcame all misgivings, calumnies and flaws inherent…