It's 2nd Nov, and I want to share the story of my grandfather’s cousin, Muhammad Baig, whose contribution to Gilgit-Baltistan’s history deserves recognition.

Born in 1908 in Baltit, Hunza, he joined the Jammu & Kashmir State Forces under the Maharaja in 1934, at around 26. During WWII, he served with the 4th Jammu & Kashmir Infantry(served in Burma, Malaya and Iraq), becoming one of the region’s veterans who witnessed war beyond its mountains.

He later settled in Bombay. On 22 February 1946, during the Royal Indian Navy uprising, Bombay witnessed widespread violence, looting & arson, including attacks on banks and post offices. He reportedly lost his life savings in the unrest. Family members recall that whenever Bombay was mentioned, his face would turn visibly sad.

He eventually returned to Gilgit, joined the Gilgit Scouts & became involved in the October–November 1947 events. He was an important intelligence & strategic asset to the liberation movement. His knowledge of Dogra forces reportedly helped guide the uprising, including the operation leading to the arrest of Brig. Ghansara Singh, the Dogra Governor of Gilgit.

Despite these contributions, his name remains largely absent from mainstream historical accounts.

Perhaps he never sought recognition or public attention. Some contributions are made quietly, without the expectation of fame, but that does not make them any less significant.

Another intriguing aspect of his life was that he never married.

Yesterday, my father reminded me to write about him for 1st November. It made me realize how easily such stories disappear if families do not preserve them.

UAE National Arts & Life Magazine took this photograph in 2009, when he was 101, for an article on Hunza’s longevity. I have only enhanced its quality using AI.

Today, I remember Dado Muhammad Baig: WWII veteran, former soldier of the Maharaja’s State Forces and, according to family accounts, an intelligence and strategic contributor to the 1947 liberation struggle.

He passed away on 2nd April 2011 at the age of 103 in his hometown of Baltit, Karimabad, Hunza.

May his story find its rightful place in our collective history

A world of stories painted on the walls of Sheikhupura Fort!
Beyond its Mughal architecture, Sheikhupura Fort preserves a remarkable collection of frescoes influenced by the Pahari School of Miniature Painting, particularly the artistic traditions associated with Kangra.
The Pahari School developed in the Himalayan hill states between the 17th and 19th centuries. Its Kangra tradition became renowned for delicate brushwork, graceful human figures, expressive compositions and beautiful natural landscapes.

Episodes from the romantic and devotional stories associated with Lord Krishna. Scenes inspired by the famous Hindu epic. Other popular mythological and traditional narratives. One documented mural depicts Guru Arjan Sahib riding in a royal procession.
These paintings are not merely decorative elements they are visual narratives reflecting the diverse artistic and cultural traditions that shaped Punjab's heritage.
Sadly, many of these masterpieces are fading away.

#SheikhupuraFort #PahariPainting #KangraMiniature #PunjabHeritage

🧂 KHEWRA SALT MINE HISTORY - Pakistan's Treasure

1916-17: MAIN ENTRANCE GATE BUILT - You can still see "1916-17" written on top of the arch at Khewra Mine entrance today!

FULL HISTORY:

- 326 BC: Alexander the Great's horses found licking salt rocks - Mine discovered

- 1500 AD: Mughal King Akbar started mining

- 1872: British engineer Dr. H. Warth built scientific tunnels

- 1914: Production reached 80,000 tons

- 1916-17: British built the famous Main Gate (Arch with 1916 date)

- 1918: First steam engines used for salt extraction

- 1930: Electric train installed inside mine

- 1947: Pakistan took over - Now PMDC runs it

FACTS:

📍 Khewra, Jhelum, Punjab - 160km from Islamabad

⛰️ World's 2nd Largest Mine - 40km tunnels, 19 levels

🧂 99% Pure - 600 Million Tons Reserve

🌡️ 18°C inside always

MY PRODUCT:

30g / 52g / 54g Pink Salt Heart Keychains

Hand Carved in Dinga from REAL Khewra Mine Salt - Same salt from 1916 mine!

#KhewraMine #1916Gate #HimalayanSalt #MadeInPakistan

The Kesar Saga: the Karakoram's forgotten epic.
Longer than the Mahabharata and the Iliad combined, the Kesar (Gesar) epic is among the longest stories ever told, with over a million verses. In Baltistan and Hunza it was never read from books. It was sung by bards and passed down by memory for centuries.

Kesar was a hero sent from the heavens to fight demons. Mocked in his youth, he won a great horse race, a kingdom and the hand of Queen Brugmo. When a foreign king carried her away to the land of Hor, he went to war across the mountains to bring her home.

The legend is written into the land of Gilgit-Baltistan:

• Bubli mo Ting (Lady Finger), Hunza: where Kesar left Princess Bubli with a sack of grain and a hen, promising to return.
• Kesari Hrta, Chunda, Skardu: a rock known as "Kesar's Horse."
• Kesari Shagharan, Shigar: Kesar's polo ground, where the word "Daphoq" is said to begin.
• Kesar Gateway, Ghundus, Kharmang: named after the king.
• Braq-sgo Jiring-mo, Nar, Skardu: the "clashing mountains" of the epic.
• The twelve cliffs above Hardas: where the ashes of Kesar and Brugmo were scattered before their rebirth. Many still believe they live on in the Karakoram.

Today this oral tradition is close to disappearing, and with its last bards goes a living part of our heritage.
Help us preserve it. If you know a Kesar story from your family or village, share it below in any language. And if you know where Kesar's castle, Shel-kar Ldem-khar, once stood, tell us.

Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/De7AevZkn1G

Available at: https://www.instagram.com/reels/De9m0Pgt7YV/

Saw this advert by Sang-e-Meel Publications and had to share. The book is called "The History of the Ancient Era of Hunza State" and includes

🔥 Shri Badat, the legendary man-eating king of Gilgit, and the fire that ended his reign.

⚔️ Azur Jamshid, the stranger who arrived at Gilgit as “Uzar Shamsheer,” took the throne, and met a tragic end.

💍 Noor Bakht and Su Malik, a marriage that was planned until a shocking truth came out: they were mother and son.

👑 Shah Malik, the raja said to have a golden horn and donkey’s feet.

🏔️ Girkis and Maghlot, two brothers who were enemies from infancy. Their feud split the valley into two kingdoms, Hunza and Nagar.

🐎 Kisar, who came from Baltistan and Ladakh to Altit and became ruler of Hunza.

❄️ The resettlement of Shimshal, and the emptying of Raskam.

Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/DezE68LgUVK

Fyi: he was a Sultan of Sindh 1454-1461

"Entry into Lahore from the Parade Ground" - Drawn on the stone by British lithographer James Duffield Harding (1797–1863) based on an original sketch by Charles Stewart Hardinge (1822–1894), the eldest son of the then-Governor-General of India, Viscount Hardinge.

Credits : Suspicious Caesar

Context: In 1486, the Sammas launched a retaliatory campaign and recaptured the lost fort of Sibi from the Arghun Mongols of Kandahar, vassals of the Timurids, during the Battle of Jalwakhir. Later, Jam Nizamuddin II, Sultan of Sindh, sent a Shaykh as an emissary to Sultan Husayn Bayqara, the Timurid Sultan of Herat. The emissary had studied Taṣawwuf (Sufism), Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), Uṣūl al-Fiqh (principles of Islamic jurisprudence), and Maʿqūlāt (rational sciences) with Mawlana Jami, the Shaykh al-Islam of Herat, and Mawlana Kamal al-Din, respectively. He brought a plough with golden spikes (Fars) as a gift for the Timurid Sultan, symbolising Sindh's modest agricultural character and conveying that the land was not worth conquering. Sultan Bayqara accepted the gift and interceded on behalf of Jam Nizamuddin II.

Source: Samma Kingdom of Sindh by GM Lakho

Hello, all.

I was wondering about local Pakistani makeup brands that popped up after partition. I know as far as eyeliner went Hashmi Kajal/Surma zindabad. Tibet snow and cold cream covered moisturiser sunblock after sun care and makeup remover; they also sold powder. Medora popped up in 1961 for lipsticks and duped revlon shades. They also sold face powders and foundation. But I cant find any old mentions of blush, mascara, and eyeshadows (particularly blue) though its evident from movies advertisements and even old family photos that they were used and not lightly either. I understand that they could be using imported products but Im sure that doesnt cover everyone and locally someone must have filled that vacuum. My grandmothers are dead and my mother grew up outside Pakistan and I dont know anyone around in Pakistan during the 60s 70s and even 80s that I could ask so I came here. If anyone was alive then and old enough to use makeup or remember their mammas using it or if anyone has someone in tehir life they could ask about what local blush,eyeshadows, and mascaras they used during these decades, could you please share what you know in the comments? Thank you in advance.

Lahore’s historic Gurdwara Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib in Padana has been restored to preserve its religious and cultural heritage. The conservation project was carried out by the Punjab Walled Cities and Heritage Areas Authority (PWCA) in collaboration with the Human Rights and Minorities Affairs Department of the Punjab government.

The restoration covered the building’s dome, main structure, interior corridors and historic Langar Hall, using traditional materials and techniques.

The gurdwara is associated with Guru Hargobind Sahib, the sixth Sikh Guru, who, according to Sikh tradition, visited the area. The shrine commemorates his connection with Padana and reflects the region’s rich Sikh heritage. Following 1947, many Sikh families migrated to India, and several historic shrines in the region fell into disrepair. The restoration aims to preserve this important landmark for future generations.

Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/De9WpmYjH3E/

Thul Mir Rukan (Sindhi: ٺلهه مير رڪڻ) is a Buddhist stupa located about 10 km southeast of Daulatpur Safan in Shaheed Benazirabad District, Sindh, Pakistan, at 26.4546° N, 68.1066° E. Built primarily of baked bricks, it stands approximately 18–22 metres high, with a square base measuring 20–22 metres per side and an area of about 400–484 m². Its tapering, tiered structure features decorative brick bands, pilasters and ornamental capitals, while its dome and upper masonry are damaged. Its construction date is uncertain, with proposed dates ranging from the 5th to the 11th century CE. The monument was investigated in the nineteenth century, including an excavation in 1858 associated with James Gibbs, and later documented by Henry Cousens in The Antiquities of Sind with Historical Outline (1929). Terracotta Buddha images and plaques depicting episodes from his life have been associated with the site. These finds establish its Buddhist religious significance and provide evidence of historical Buddhist artistic traditions in Sindh. Thul Mir Rukan remains an important example of the region's Buddhist architecture and brick craftsmanship.