Lahore and Chicago have nothing in common, but both these cities are called 'Sister Cities'. There are many similarities between Lahore and Delhi, but despite this, why are both the cities not called 'Sister Cities'?
This question arose in my mind recently when I visited the official website of Lahore Metropolitan Corporation. A friend of mine is a professor of history at Oxford University. He wanted me to come to Oxford University and talk about the history of Lahore. I asked him why Lahore was important to him? He said that Lahore has a deep connection with Hinduism and Buddhism. According to history books, Lahore was named after 'Luv', the son of Hindu god Ram and Goddess Sita. There is also a temple in Love's honor inside the Lahore Fort. It is called Love Temple.
Lahore Fort located in Lahore. It bears a lot of resemblance to the Red Fort of Delhi.
I visited the Lahore Metropolitan Corporation Website to learn more about the history of Lahore. There was a long list of sister cities of Lahore on that official website. Lahore's first sister city is Xi'an, China.
I had never heard this name before. The next four sister cities were also from China. I have been to China many times, but never heard the names of these cities. Two cities were from Uzbekistan and two from Iran. Then there was Chicago of America and Glasgow of Britain and the last city was Mogilev of Belarus. Not a single South Asian city was mentioned as a 'sister' of Lahore.
Same is the situation with Delhi. This historic city has many 'official sisters' from Beijing to Chicago, but not Lahore. Lahore and Delhi have many things in common, from food and culture to pollution.
There is Lahori Gate in Delhi and there is Delhi Gate in Lahore. Famous Sufi poet Amir Khusro is buried near his spiritual master Nizamuddin Auliya in Delhi. Amir Khusro, the father of Qawwali, had mentioned Lahore in his poetry more than 700 years ago.
If you talk to any historian in Lahore and ask which city has the closest connection with your city, some of them will name Amritsar, but most will name Delhi.
The governments of Pakistan and India may not acknowledge the historical and cultural ties between these two cities, but common people consider Lahore and Delhi as two 'sister cities'. Just by taking a look at these two cities, we can easily recognize their similarities.
Jamia Masjid of Delhi is very similar to Badshahi Mosque of Lahore. If you have visited the Red Fort of Delhi, you will be surprised to see the similarities between this fort and Lahore Fort. The Shishganj Gurdwara in Delhi is very important for the Sikhs because of its association with the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur. It is very similar to Gurdwara Dera Sahib in Lahore, which is located there next to the mausoleum of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
Delhi's iconic Meena Bazaar is similar to Lahore's Anarkali Bazaar. Lawrence Garden of Lahore is very similar to Lodhi Garden of Delhi. I have participated in many conferences in India International Delhi. It reminds me of Lahore Gymkhana.
Sir Ganga Ram Hospital is another strong link in both the cities of Lahore and Delhi. These two hospitals with the same name are a matter of great pride for the citizens of both the cities. Most importantly, Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore reminds us of India Gate in Delhi.
It is unfortunate that Minar-e-Pakistan and India Gate are in the grip of smog these days. For this reason, schools and colleges have been closed in both Lahore and Delhi for the last several days. Lahore and Delhi have become the most polluted cities in the world these days.
Readers of this column may wonder why I am so concerned about Lahore and Delhi? I live in Islamabad, but my birthplace is Lahore. I am always worried about my birthplace. My real mother passed away long ago, but I consider Ajit Kaur as my second mother. She is a Punjabi writer, born in Dharampura area of ​​Lahore before partition. Now she lives in Delhi.
He is one of the few people from Delhi whom I care about the most, because whenever I meet him I feel that Lahore still lives inside him.
I care about Delhi because of her and she cares about Lahore for many reasons.
Whether the governments of India and Pakistan like it or not, the people of Lahore and Delhi will always care for each other. Lahore and Delhi are real sister cities. Both sisters will definitely defeat Smaug soon. pray for them.
,
What does Trump's victory mean in Pakistan: Why do Imran Khan's supporters consider Trump as their 'savior'?
Graphics Source: NavJivanIndia | VaskarAssets
