Herculean task
An evening with Musharraf Ali Farooqi, the translator of Dastan-e-Amir Hamza
By Sarah Cheema
He makes his way in the small but crowded room, taking little steps for a man around six feet tall -- his silver stranded cropped hair neatly side-parted and his round moon shaped spectacles very Harry Potter like. He takes off his blazer and hangs it on the chair nearby and turns to the podium, opening up a worn out copy of the book, his long fingers tracing the words. If one did not already know who he was, it would've been a brilliant disguise. The mighty sorcerer in a human mask -- and indeed, with the Herculean task he has just conjured -- Musharraf Ali Farooqi is certainly the most powerful warlock around.

Just like every year the preparations for Eid-ul-Azha are in full swing and the whole city is fabricated with banners of all types. While there are those hoisted by charities, asking for hides of sacrificial animals, there are others as well that announce the availability of 'skilled' butchers for the day and chefs who can cook the meat to the core.

A few years back, the households sacrificing animals had to do most of the work themselves. Many members of the family would get together at a common place and sacrifice their animals there. They would extend a helping hand to the butchers and clean and prepare meat for distribution or domestic consumption.

Similarly, cooking used to be the exclusive domain of the women in the household. They would try out almost every recipe they had come across in their life and serve it to the ever-eager bunch of people around them. These compulsive meat eaters would eat endlessly throughout the Eid week till the meat stocks ran out.

This situation has changed to a great extent over the passage of time. Though the number of people sacrificing animals has not come down, they have started distancing themselves from many of the hassles attached to this ritual. It has been observed that the tasks of slaughtering the animals, preparation and distribution of meat and even its cooking are being outsourced by an ever-growing number of people every year.

This change in habits and societal trends, related to Eid activity, has led to growth of an economy revolving around it and earning opportunities for businesses and individuals alike.

Shabbir Ahmed, a helper at a meat shop in Samanabad, is one such beneficiary. He tells TNS that in the past only a couple of people would come to his house during Eid holidays. They would ask him to mince meat for them or clean and cut the larger lumps into small pieces.

"The number has swelled so much that this year I have set up a makeshift shop outside my house," he says, adding that he would charge different rates for different services. For example, he says, he would charge Rs 20 to mince a kilogram of meat, Rs 15 per kg to separate bones and fat from fibre and Rs 20 per kg to cut large loaves of meat into smaller pieces-free of any bone splinters.

Shabbir says there is a dearth of butchers on Eid and even if they are available they are over-booked. "They are always in a hurry. That's why people are getting wary of them. They only expect them to slaughter the animal, remove the skin and entrails and cut the carcass into big pieces. For intricate work, they look for people like me who have ample time at their disposal, he adds.

He says as very few people are there to buy meat immediately after Eid, a lot of butchers are thinking about offering similar services.

Apart from slicing up carcasses, the services offered on Eid range from burning trotters and other organs to remove hair to cleaning and cooking food for the guests and hosts alike. Besides, a significant number of people are bringing animals to butchers' shops as they want to avoid cleaning blood and waste at home.

Muhammad Khalid, a professional cook in Shadbagh, Lahore tells TNS that he has received dozens of orders from people to cook meat for them by afternoon on Eid day. "Many of them break fast by eating meat of sacrificial animals and don't want the women to cook it while fasting," he says.

Khalid says he has observed that the trend of families getting together during Eid days is decreasing. Even if they do get together they want to spend maximum time talking to each other and relaxing. "When you don't have enough people to share work, you are bound to outsource it," he adds. Khalid says he is charging Rs 500 to Rs 1000 per deg (cauldron) in addition to the cost of material used, excluding meat.

Ask anyone about where to go to for lamb leg roast and you will get the same response Lakshami Chowk. Two popular food outlets Tabaq and Lasani are directly competing with each other and vying for the maximum number of customers to approach them for this purpose.

Malik Muhammad, a waiter at Lasani Restaurant, tells TNS that most of the orders are booked for the second day as it is not possible to roast meat the same day. Meat of sacrificial animals takes more time to cook than the meat bought from shops throughout the year, he adds.

He says the meat has to be marinated for six to seven hours and exposed to steam for at least four hours after being deep fried. The restaurant would only roast lamb leg in the past but now camel meat and beef are also welcome, Malik adds.

Ghulam Ali, a supervisor at Tabaq Restaurant, challenges that no one in the city can roast meat better than them. He says their branches in Lakshami Chowk and Faisal Town are getting the highest number of orders. "For Rs 175 per kg, we offer best deal in the town. We clean the meat of all unwanted material and roast it to the core. I challenge no one can make it as tender as we can," he adds.

While there are those who make money during Eid days there are others also who enter the arena after the fest is over. One such example is that of Shifa Gurda Kapoora Shop situated right opposite to the Lahore Hotel.

Muhammad Azeem, manager at the shop, tells TNS that their shop remains closed for five days on the occasion of Eid. "Once we return after the holidays we are bombarded by customers who want us to cook minced meet for them," he adds. Azeem says they charge Rs 300 to cook one kg of minced meat brought by the customers. This is their most popular dish available for Rs 700 per kg throughout the year, he adds.

Many small businesses prosper around and on Eidul Azha. Most of the people adopt these businesses temporarily to earn extra money on Eid.

Knife vendors: Sale of new knives and choppers picks up ahead of Eidul Azha. There are a few permanent shops in the city including five at Chamberlain Road, seven at Wazir Khan Mosque inside Dehli Gate and three in Bakar Mandi. Besides these, a number of temporary shops open across the city on the eve of Eidul Azha.

On this Eid vendors are selling choppers for Rs 100 to Rs 150, standard knives for Rs 35 to Rs 100 and small knives used for skinning are tagged at Rs 15 to Rs 20. The prices of grinding knives range from Rs 5 to Rs 15 while a chopper is being sharpened for Rs 20 to Rs 25.

Muhammad Aslam, who has been in the knife business for more than two decades, says business has not been as vibrant as last year. He says though the business continues, prices have not picked up for the last decade or so. In 1992, he used to sharpen a knife or chopper for Rs 10 to Rs 15 according to the condition, and he still charges the same.

Hides: Muhammad Ishaq, who is an employee at a cloth shop and is temporarily doing business of sacrificial animals' hides in Eid days, says, "I spend three days in this business and earn more money than my monthly salary". He and his friends purchase hides directly from the houses where people slaughter sacrificial animals, apply salt to preserve and later sell these hides in the market.

Sheikh Arshad, an office-bearer of Lahore Hides Merchants Association, says, "In Lahore the business on Eidul Azha is worth Rs 175 million." Every year more than 40,000 cows and buffalos, 400,000 sheep and goats and 500 camels are slaughtered on Eidul Azha in Lahore.

Animal trade: Forty-five-year-old Manzoor Ahmed, along with other fellow animal traders, has come to Lahore from Vehari with his stock of animals in the hope of reaping lucrative yields during the Eidul Azha season.

He is a farmer and does animals business during the Eidul Azha month only. "I am here to earn handsome money by selling sacrificial animals," Manzoor Ahmed says, adding that hundreds of other traders have come from small towns and villages. He says mostly temporary traders purchase sacrificial animals from villages of Punjab and bring them to big cities for sale.

Business of animals' decoration: About sixty-year-old Baba Majha is a cobbler by profession, but these days he is also selling decoration particulars of sacrificial animals at his roadside shop in Daroghawala a few yards away from temporarily set-up market of sacrificial animals.

He is selling ghunghroos, garlands and colourful ropes for sacrificial animals. Most of the people, after buying sacrificial animals, come to his shop and purchase some items from him.

Baba Majha says he has made good profit in this business over the years.

Part-time butchers: Jamil Ahmed is popular in Misri Shah where he is known as Jamil mechanic. During the Eid holidays last year, he shuttered his small motorbike repair shop and assumed the role of a butcher. It was a smart move. In three days, he earned twice his usual monthly income. "This is my business strategy to supplement my income," he says. "But it is not as simple as it looks, especially when you have to deal with a big animal."

During Eidul Azha, several part-time butchers spring up to earn some extra money. Getting a share of the butchering pie is easy since they charge rates far below those quoted by professional butchers. "I have tried to perfect my skills as a butcher and I am almost at the level of a professional butcher," says Jamil.

He says despite his good work he cannot charge as high as a professional butcher does, who normally has a permanent shop in the market and customers pay extra with advance bookings.

Fodder for sacrificial animals: Saleem Khan, 35, a night watchman in Shadbagh area, has established a counter at Shadbagh Chowk where he is selling fodder for animals in order to supplement his income.

"I established this counter five days ago and intend to keep it open till the third day of Eid," says Saleem Khan, adding that he is earning around Rs 200 to Rs 250 daily from this make-shift business. Like Saleem Khan, hundreds of people have established such businesses in different localities of the city to fetch extra income.

"These are temporary businesses and will close down on or after Eid," says Saleem Khan. Various types of animal fodder are sold at these counters including black grams, barley, maize and wheat fodder. This business is at peak due to Eidul Azha as people buy fodder to feed sacrificial cows, camels and goats. He starts his business at noon each day and finishes at 7:00 pm as after that he goes for his permanent job as a watchman.

Zurrab Khan, another fodder seller at Dehli Gate, is also a watchman. He started this business one week ago. Khan says his daily turnover is around Rs 600 to Rs 700. His younger brother also helps him in this business.

"My counter remains open till late night because the surrounding commercial areas also remain open till late," says Khan. "I buy only that much quantity which is easily sold in a day," he says.

Business of Sri-Pai: Mushtaq, 40, is a motor-vehicle denter, running his workshop at Sirajpura. For the last five years, he is grilling Sri Pai outside his house on Eid to supplement his income. "I earn a handsome amount during these holidays", he says.

Email: snawaaz@gmail.com

The gloomy grey Atlantic weather has arrived in Lahore. In the past, the overcast mornings and freezing nights could only be descriptive of the weather. Now, it seems, the weather is trapped in our bones. Coming back to this city after three years, I notice that it has become somber, quiet and lacks the spirit that was part of everyday life.

The rich history of Lahore, cherished through folklore, does the Lahoris proud who boast about being from this city wherever they go. We have always been loud and proud. When evening arrived, stores and restaurants would be crowded with people. On Lahore's boulevards, street would sparkle to moonlight. Lahore was alive.

Lahoris have always been simple, enjoying the simple pleasures such as food, drink and sport. Though food and drink are still available, sports have disappeared. You may see boys playing cricket on the streets on a Sunday morning but formal sports have minimised. Schools shirk from holding their annual sports days.

Lahore has always had a reputation for kindness. Three years later, this virtue is still hard to ignore but things have definitely changed. We see less people on the streets.

Apart from the more recent law and order breakdown, there has been a decline in major institutions here. In the past, institutions like Pak Tea House promoted culture and literature and thereby built an atmosphere for progress. As the quote goes, "literature is paramount in sustaining culture". Without intellectual pursuits, many a brilliant minds have become lost in the madness of the political landscape. The decay of education is embodied in the erstwhile known institutions which have turned into hollow structures that now lack the values they were famous for. The lack of a uniform system of education has been our biggest bane. People have less in common with each other.

The decline in sport is just astounding. Highlighted by the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team, national cricket is effectively shut for the coming years. This was a major blow for public as it perpetuated this atmosphere of fear.

Cricket was thought of as one sure thing that Pakistanis always had as their own, even when all the drama of politics and security issues took their toll. Pakistanis always found cricket as a way to celebrate and rejoice. Now that holy game has been taken away and people are scared, cricket fever has suddenly disappeared. Without parks or play fields, the decline of sport in Pakistan continues. The empty Gaddafi stadium has become a symbol of the decaying sports traditions.

In general, for any culture to sustain, there has to be a platform for interaction. In Lahore this platform has been there for centuries. Slowly, the decay of the old glories within the city has started to take its effect.

In the past, regardless of the political landscape, Lahoris found optimism fixed within its culture. The general change in attitude is not necessarily because we can't celebrate; there are still things worth celebrating.

Three years on, I feel it's not the same anymore. The changes that have occurred around the city don't instill hope or pride. Smallest things such as road blocks and VIP cars have closed the open arena that allowed people to interact.

Moving forward, there has to be a concerted effort to reinvigorate the city. If one waits too long, Lahore may become a figment much like Kabul.

TOWN TALK

*8th National Youth Performing Arts Festival on Thu, Dec 3 at Peerus Cafe.

*Exhibition of works by Hasnat Mehmood at Rohtas Gallery from Thu, Dec 3.

*Exhibition of paintings by Umme Masoom at Minhas Art Gallery, Government College University Lahore till Sat, Dec 5. Gallery remains open from 8:00 am to 3:00pm.

*Exhibition of new Works by Samina Iqbal at Rohtas 2 till Dec 5.

*Exhibition titled 'No honor in killing - Making visible buried truth'at National College of Arts from Dec 5. The exhibition will continue till Tuesday Dec 8.

*Ceramics Exhibition at Vogue Art Gallery till Dec 10. Gallery timings: 10:00 am to 9:00pm.

*Calligraphy by M.A Bukhari on display at Collectors Galleria from 10:00 am To 07:00 pm daily. There are seascapes and floral art on display as well.

*Ghazal Night every Friday at Peerus Cafe every Friday at 9:00 pm.

*Sufi Night every Thursday at Peerus Cafe at 9:00 pm featuring live qawali performances.

Tears swell up in his eye, as he sings "naina tikhian katarian jutt katal kita keha mariaee heerie vicharian nu". With one of his hands on his ears and the other straight out, people respond to the popular folk Heer as if they hear it for the first time. The veins around the neck swelling and the red complexion on his dark sun-tanned skin, tells us that he probably could not sing it anymore from the heart. Judging from the cracks that are now appearing in his voice, in the higher notes, we know that he needs some rest. After finishing his excursions with the higher notes, when it's time to return to the bass, the man stops, and takes a heavy breath, with his eyes still closed. Quietly, without looking up, he sits on the green grass he was standing on, appearing to be still in a state of trance, he has transformed everybody into. A group of 20 people sitting around him are still staring at him. As the echo of his voice reflecting from the neighbouring walls of the Lahore Fort, Badshahi Mosque, and the smadh of Guru Arjun Singh fades away, one once again starts noticing the sounds of the surrounding area.

Towards the corner of the garden, which is next to the tomb of the national poet, a group of around 10-15 people, motley of old and young, sophisticated and boorish poets, have gathered to recite poetry. Limitations of religion, boundaries, or sects do not seem to inhibit these aspiring poets. After a poem from Iqbal, the other one recites Bhagat Kabir, followed by Baba Bulleh Shah, Rumi and Guru Nanak. The cultural diversity that the Hazoori Bagh reflects is discernible in the choice of these people.

From the other corner of the garden, which happens to be towards the entrance next to the Minar-e-Pakistan, a sarcastic laugh from a single listener comes forth. He is the only person in this group of 30 people who seems to be amused by the reader. Even as he stops laughing, his interest seems to remain intact, and he is least bothered by the extra attention that he is getting from all the people now. "Kaun sa Khuda. Hindu, Sikh ya Muslim", the reader repeats from Minto's Toba Tek Singh to incite another chuckle, which he is successful in.

Back to the shadow of the Baradari, the silence is broken, when a person, dressed in dirty white cotton shalwar kameez, with ruffled hair and untrimmed beard stands up and continues reciting Heer where the earlier singer had left it. He is a thin man, probably in his late 30s but has a voice which deceives his appearance. The strength in his voice picks up the crowd again where it had been left by the previous performer. Behind them on the opposite side of the Baradari, which is facing the Badshahi Mosque, there is a group of students wearing red blazers, complimenting their red ties and their standard white shirt and grey pants. They have occupied some part of the Baradari and the adjoining ground. One of them who is holding the pillars with both hands, and bending forward, seems to be the loudest of the lot. "I know that this man is a feudal, and has no history with pain. He is also not much of a practicing Muslim," says the man.

It is scenes like the one sketched above that gives the Hazoori Bagh a unique position in the history of Lahore. Contradicting its name, this was a bagh of the people, where people from various walks of life would gather and engage in political and cultural activities, particularly on Sundays. Unlike other gardens, this bagh did not serve the purpose of family picnics but in fact played a crucial role in fostering a literary, political, and cultural environment in the city.

Situated in the midst of the Badshahi Mosque, Lahore Fort and the smadh of Guru Arjun, this garden connects the walled city of Lahore to Minto Park via the Roshani darwaza. Years ago, when the British government opened this garden to public, a tradition began here which was that people used to gather here and listen to a reader who would read loudly from a novel. When that person would get tired, a new reader would take his place. In this way, even the uneducated lot would savour literature they were earlier unaware of. This was perhaps one of the few places in the country to hold all kinds of discourses.

In the last couple of years, the authorities concerned have realised that this movement of the people in the garden is endangering the garden itself so they closed it to public. A barbed wire was raised all around it and the stairs covered by cut branches to make it impossible for the people to enter the garden.

If one tries hard enough, one would be able to see some reason behind this act. Considering the education of our nation, and the sensibilities of the society at large, there are various ways in which people can bring about damage to the garden. The most obvious way would be by engraving names, as is found in profusion at the Shalimar Garden. However, I believe that instead of stopping the people from entering the garden, there is a better way to put a stop to this. More security guards can be placed around the garden to make sure that the people are deterred from acts like these.

Another possible justification could be to inhibit the growth of any political movement from this garden. Whatever the reason for blocking the garden, the authorities now need to open it to the public once again, so that a tradition that began over a century ago doesn't die away. Along with protecting historical buildings, it is also the duty of the Archaeology Department to protect living cultures. One cannot be protected at the cost of the other, both have to be maintained simultaneously.

When Anjum, the curator at the Lahore Fort, was approached, he explained that the garden was blocked on the order of former chief minister Pervaiz Elahi. It was ordered that it should only be used for state functions so it was opened when Hillary Clinton visited the city. All 'protection' disappeared over night. To a question about the tradition at the garden, he replied that people still gather in the gardens, flanking the Alamgiri gate on Sundays. However, on the Sunday that we visited the place, nobody was there, except a few visitors to the mosque and the fort. The garden should be opened to public so that a culture that began around a century ago doesn't just fade into oblivion.

Email: harunkhalid@hotmail.com

He makes his way in the small but crowded room, taking little steps for a man around six feet tall -- his silver stranded cropped hair neatly side-parted and his round moon shaped spectacles very Harry Potter like. He takes off his blazer and hangs it on the chair nearby and turns to the podium, opening up a worn out copy of the book, his long fingers tracing the words. If one did not already know who he was, it would've been a brilliant disguise. The mighty sorcerer in a human mask -- and indeed, with the Herculean task he has just conjured -- Musharraf Ali Farooqi is certainly the most powerful warlock around.

Recently, Lahore witnessed the enchantment by the man himself, thanks to the LUMS Literary Society which arranged a reading of his newly translated magical fantasy epic; Hoshruba: The Land and the Tilism.

Born in Hyderabad in 1968 and currently residing in Toronto, Canada, Farooqi has faced a lot of obstacles in his career until finally he found his true calling. Having enrolled himself in an electrical engineering program in Karachi upon his parents' wishes, with his interests wandering elsewhere, Musharraf writes; "While the future builders of the country made their parents proud and strove mightily against the curriculum in rooms adjacent, a lonely truant grappled with his very own curriculum of assorted fiction scrounged from second-hand bookshops." Eventually he dropped out from engineering studies and spent years with learning languages, working as a journalist and making films about which he says "..And failing at all of them." But the goal wasn't very far and it was the love for books and the childhood reading with his brother Arif (whom Tilism-e-Hoshruba is incidentally dedicated to) that ultimately brought him to his mission-and such a gigantic one too that it would put Laqa, the giant and the most celebrated enemies of Amir Hamza, to shame. However, Musharraf was not to be cowed down by this colossal task he looked it straight into the eye and conquered.

After finishing the first ever English translation of The Adventures of Amir Hamza, -- the 40 year old writer proceeded eagerly to the Tilism-e-Hoshruba series, eight books published in Urdu from 1883-1893 in Lucknow by two story-tellers, Muhammad Husain Jah and Ahmed Husain Qamar.

Standing tall behind the podium at LUMS, Musharraf Ali Farooqi explained in his pure Urdu accent, the real account behind the tale's origins which he went on to say " it's a fantasy in itself and, like you, I too am fond of a good story."

And thus the real story begins. They say whatever goes on behind the camera is always more interesting than what you see on the big picture and this time too, the noteworthy story was in the making. At this moment, Musharraf is in a trance, revealing the thrilling tale behind this particular oral story telling tradition or the daastaan that reached India in Emperor Akbar's reign in the 14th century after travelling time and distances. Originating from the 7th century in Arabia to commemorate the brave deeds of Prophet Mohammad's uncle, Amir Hamza, the legendary tales were incorporated with local fictions and fantasies eventually becoming an entirely fictitious legend.

But it was a group of story-tellers in Lucknow who felt that the same story going on for centuries was becoming disillusioning and needed a little Indian touch -- of occult art and sorcery, black magic and evil spirits, wizards and tricksters -- intermixing it all with the Amir Hamza adventures to keep the text original and maintaining the centuries old listenership. And thus, the biggest hoax was crafted and meticulously assembled into the main story careful not to disrupt the original structure and its sequence and instead becoming a part of the authentic tale itself.

Published for the very first time in the early 1880s by the Naval Kishore Press in a total of eight volumes, and penned down by the two very talented but rival story-tellers, Muhammad Husain Jah and Ahmed Husain Qamar, Tilism-e-Hoshruba acquired an iconic place in Urdu literature and remains to do so even today.

Farooqi ambitiously plans to translate the eight volumes from Urdu in twenty four parts in English an arduous undertaking no doubt but with a readership that is spreading like wild fire, enchanted like a trick never seen before and charming the living senses out of people -- it certainly lives up to its name. It is after all, The Tilism-e-Hoshruba.