Lahore is the cultural heart of Pakistan as it gathers most of the arts, cuisine, festivals, film-making, music, gardening and intelligentsia of the country. This spring the city is decorated by beautiful lights and colours.
The Lahore Branch Canal was constructed by the Mughals and upgraded during the British Raj. This canal is surrounded by the roads form both sides and each side is called Canal Bank Road. Canal Bank Road passes through a variety of localities including farmland (from Khaira to Mughalpura) and some of Lahore’s older and most expensive residential areas including Garden Town, Gulberg, Shah Jamal and Zaman Park. Punjab University’s Quaid-i-Azam Campus is also located alongside Canal Bank Road; the hostels and faculty departments afford scenic views of the canal.
Canal holds importance in the culture of Lahore. Relevant to the festivals, on the local and national events such as Eid, Basant, Pakistan Day, Jashan-e-Baharn, Independence Day etc, the canal is decorated with different lights and other objects. On these occasions the canal presents a view worth watching that delights the hearts of the viewers.
This year the canal in Lahore was beautifully decorated with different art pieces and historical monument to welcome Spring in the city. Masjid Wazir Khan, Bab-e-Azaadi, Quaid tomb and many other models of important buildings were on display. Models depicting a man and monkey, various animals, peacock, and women using charkha and others were in display.
The poor people come to canal for their refreshment along with their families. Children especially are found to enjoy this colorful exhibition of history and culture.
The canal is an essential part of Lahore’s historical and cultural identity. The government should encourage such cultural activities not only to enjoy but also to promote the culture. These types of activities encourage people to like their culture.
UMER SAEED
Lahore