Mela Chiraghan

MELA CHIRAGHAN

Mela Chiraghan, also known as “The Festival of Lights” is a three day festival celebrated every year in the outskirts of Lahore, to mark the death anniversary of the esteemed Punjabi Sufi poet and saint, Shah Hussain.  Shah Hussain was born in Lahore and is considered a pioneer of the Kaafi (classic form of Sufi poetry) of Punjabi poetry. The festival is celebrated adjacent to Shalimar Gardens, where Shah Hussain’s tomb and shrine is located.

Around half a million people from all over Pakistan come to the Shah’s tomb for the festival, where they pay tribute by partaking in various activities, and dancing the night away. The shrine is beautifully decorated with paper and plastic flowers as well as fairy lights. Disciplines also light candles in remembrance of the Shah and carry chaadars which they place on the shrine to show their love and devotion to the Sufi poet. Additionally, they sing various songs and dance to the Shah’s Kaafi’s and the beat of the dhol (musical instrument). To sustain the noise and excitement, the pilgrims also blow on horns.  During the festival, ample amounts of ethnic foods are being served as well as handcraft pieces which are believed to reflect the traditional rituals of Punjabi mystics and culture.

  

The main attraction of the festival is the alao. This area is ringed with tiny oil lamps and candles and devotees approach the fire, dip their finger in an oil lamp and rub it on themselves to show respect. They believe the oil is holy and the lamp represents the light that kills the darkness within.  Furthermore, the pilgrims sit around a bonfire and toss candles hoping their wishes will be granted.  The devotees also hold pieces of yellow and red clothes as they believe the colors are a symbol of love. They range from young children to old men, women show up on the third day which is reserved especially for them. At the opposite end of the compound you will see groups of men sitting together indulging in heated discussions while smoking hashish.

Unfortunately, due to the security situation of the country, strict measures are taken every year to safeguard the area where visitors camp out. Regular visitors feel that the crowd has thinned and becomes less and less with each coming year and security guards complain about barbed wires and broken barriers which makes the crowd hard to handle. Despite all the hindrances, there is still a large crowd that comes out during the last week of March every year to celebrate the festival and leader, Shah Hussain.

If you want to go check out this festival book your hotel in Lahore now via www.jovago.com

Travel to Pakistan - Tips!

My blogs ever increasing list of international followers must be craving to learn the tips for a memorable visit to Pakistan. Fear not, the people at Jovago.com have this to share.

5 things to remember while traveling to Pakistan

While traveling there are many important factors to remember, especially when it’s the first time you are traveling somewhere. Here, we will share some Jovago’s travel guide to traveling in Pakistan.

Pakistan, with a population of over 185 million, is considered the sixth most populated region in the world. Pakistan offers plenty of comfortable places for one to stay, ranging from sunny beaches to snowcapped mountains travelers have a variety of things to do here. Jovago Pakistan has come up with a list of 5 things to remember while traveling in Pakistan:

1.    Communication
In Pakistan the spoken language is Urdu. However, most people can speak in English (to a certain extent). Often broken English, but in shops, restaurants and even on the road most people can speak it, which helps ease the communication gap for tourists traveling from abroad.

The major cell phone companies are Mobilink, Warid and Ufone. SIM’s are available at the airport, and tourists will be able to purchase prepaid SIM cards from there. 3G is also available in Pakistan to better enhance your cell phone experience, allowing you to surf the internet as and when need be.

2.    Money

The national currency used is Pakistani Rupees. There are ATM machines available at every corner in case one needs to withdraw money, but it would be advised to travel with cash and convert it once you arrive. We would suggest converting cash at Western Union or other local currency exchanger as you are likely to get a better rate than at the airport. Although widely recognized, USD and Euros will not be accepted as the main cash exchange in most areas for tourists traveling from abroad.

Most restaurants and bigger shopping malls accept credit cards as a way of payment as well.Also, don’t forget to bargain! 

 

3.    Dress and Etiquette

Known as “The Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” women dress conservatively whereas men dress as they want. If you don’t want to get stared at, we would strongly advise women to cover their legs, and half their arms, although Pakistani ladies do wear sleeveless it isn’t advised to wear such clothes on the road.

As a sign of respect, you should politely greet people when you meet them. Pakistani’s are very hospitable and will force you to eat (even if you are full) - it is considered offensive if you say no. You should refer to someone as Mr. / Mrs. or aunty / uncle if you know them from before or have met them more than once.

4.    Transportation

For tourists visiting from abroad, the suggested mode of transport would be to rent a car as the traffic (and driving) in Pakistan is chaotic. It’s a common saying that once you can drive in Pakistan, you can drive in any part of the world.

Other modes of transport are traveling on Rickshaws or the public bus, but those are not safe and not suggested for tourists visiting from abroad.

5.    Accommodation

There are over 1000 hotels in Pakistan which are available on www.jovago.com. These properties range from hotels to guest houses and you can book depending on your preferred choice.