An air flight of Life time experience 2015

All photos are owned

All label done by self

date of flight 24th July, 2015

I am a civil engineer by profession, and trekking has been my passion since I was young. Pakistan is uniquely positioned at the confluence of the majestic Himalayas, Karakoram, and Hindu Kush mountain ranges. With over a hundred peaks exceeding 7,000 meters, Pakistan is home to five of the world's 14 highest peaks.

For trekkers worldwide, exploring Concordia and the K2 Base Camp is considered a dream adventure. Back in 2015, this trek became my greatest aspiration. The journey to K2 Base Camp demands a minimum of 18 days, making it a challenging expedition.

The biggest obstacle standing between me and this dream was my job. At the time, I was working in the private construction sector, where getting an 18-day leave seemed almost impossible. However, I chose to defy these constraints, resigned from my job, and embarked on this once-in-a-lifetime trek on July 24, 2015.

To reach K2 Base Camp, one must first travel to Skardu. I opted for a flight from Islamabad to Skardu, a mere 45-minute journey. Little did I know that this would turn out to be the most breathtaking flight of my life. Flying alongside the towering peaks of the Karakoram Range, the aerial views were nothing short of extraordinary. The sight of some of the world’s tallest mountains, along with mesmerizing valleys, lakes, and glaciers, from the comfort of my airplane seat, was an unforgettable experience etched into my memory forever.

Shortly after takeoff, the plane flew over the enchanting Northern Areas of Pakistan. I was fortunate to witness iconic landmarks such as Saif-ul-Malook, Naran, Lulusar Lake, and an array of towering peaks, including the mighty Nanga Parbat, Laila Peak, Seiri Dorkush, Kampire e Dior, Rakaposhi, Batura I, II, III, IV, V, VI, Sang-e-Marmar, Passu Sar, Diran, Shispare Sar, Ultar Sar, Miar Chhish, Lupghar Sar, Momhil Sar, Trivor Sar, Malubiting, Khunyang Chhish, Spantik, Haramosh, Mlangutti Sar, Bularunsar, KCH E, Disteghil Sar, Yazghil Sar, Pumari Chhish, Yukshin Garden Sar, Yutmaru Sar, Hisper Sar, Glotter Peak, Kanjut Sar, Kapaltang Kun, Gloster Sar, Lukpe Lawa, Broad Tower, Baintha Brakk, Latok, Crown Peak, Skamri Peak, Chongtar, Skyang Kangri, Biale, K2, Skil Brum, Muztagh Tower, Praqpa Ri, Payo Peak, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum I, II, III, IV, Thyor, Summa Ri, Koser Gunge, Choricho, Marble Peak, Mango Gusor, Yermanendu, Masherbrum, Mandu Peak, and Chogolisa—all in a single flight. Witnessing these snow-clad giants left me utterly spellbound.

The sheer magnificence of Nanga Parbat (8,125m), the stunning Rakaposhi (7,788m), and the mighty K2 (8,611m), the second-highest peak in the world, towering above all others, left me deeply mesmerized. Witnessing such wonders of nature felt like a divine blessing, a reward from the Almighty.

I captured photographs of these legendary mountains and lakes from the airplane, determined to preserve this memory. Upon returning home, it took me nearly a year to identify and label each peak and its altitude on the photographs. To accomplish this, I relied on various aerial surveys and references from the Karakoram Range. This meticulous process not only deepened my admiration for these mountains but also allowed me to relive the journey through each image.

This unforgettable flight and the trek to K2 Base Camp remain cherished milestones in my life, serving as a testament to the beauty of following one’s dreams against all odds.

INDUS RIVER AT SKARDU

Also, besides providing some thrills and chills is, undoubtedly, a wonder that motivates you to a better understanding of the lure and charm that has seduced mountaineers to take on the perilous task of conquering these giants of nature, since time immemorial. A close visual, though intangible, contact with the manifestations of nature is a mystical experience that transcends one from the peripheral to the spiritual.

Anarkali's Tomb Lahore (2018)

Anarkali's Tomb Lahore 

Relevance: Historical Architecture 

Date of Visit:- 14.08.2018

(All pictures are owned, kindly respect copyrights)

Among the earliest extant Mughal tombs, Anarkali's sepulcher is also one of the most significant Mughal buildings of the period. The tomb, to the south of Lahore's Old City, is part of the compound of Punjab Secretariat on Lower Mall, and is located at the rear of Chief Secretary's Office. Since the tomb is utilized as the Punjab Archives, access to the building is restricted. Make sure that you plan a visit to it during office hours, otherwise you will find the gates to the secretariat locked and the sentry at the gate unwilling to allow even a peep.

Not only is it a "most ingeniously planned octagonal building", it is a memorial to the love legend centering around prince Salim (later emperor Jahangir), and Anarkali (pomegranate blossom) who belonged to the harem of Emperor Akbar, Salim's father. Although Mughal sources are silent about Anarkali, European contemporary travelers such as William Finch related the popular gossip rife at the time, mentioning her as Akbar's "most beloved wife."

Latif, quoting popular legend says that Sharf-un-Nisa or Nadira Begam, with the title of Anarkali, was found giving a return smile to the prince by the emperor in the mirrors of his palace. Suspecting an intrigue or worse, Akbar ordered Anarkali to be interred alive. Accordingly, she was placed in an upright position and buried alive in a masonry wall, brick by brick. The prince, who must have been devastated, on succeeding the throne in 1605, "had an immense superstructure raised over her sepulcher" 16 years after her death.

The tomb, once set off as the centerpiece of a beautifully laid out garden setting, is today hemmed in by the structures surrounding it. However, it is this tomb that gifted the name Anarkali to the whole area when the British first set up a cantonment here. The monument employs a popular format using an octagonal plan, its sides alternately measuring 44 feet and 30 feet. Architecturally, however, it is unique in its utilization of semi-octagonal towers dominating each corner, rising well above the walls and terminated with cupolas over pavilion-like kiosks. A low-pitched dome—among the earliest Mughal examples of double-dome—spans the central chamber and is carried on a drum or neck. The lower shell of the dome is constructed of small bricks in five stages or rings. The central dome is supported inside by eight arches 12 feet 3 inches thick. It is a masterpiece of solid masonry work of the early Mughal period.

Over the last couple of hundred years, the tomb has been put to several uses. In the first half of the 19th century, it served as the residence of Ranjit Singh's French general Jean Baptiste Ventura's Armenian wife. From 1847 it was used as offices for the clerical staff of the first British Resident, Henry Lawrence. From 1851 it was the venue for divine service, while in early 1857 it was consecrated as St. James' Church, later being declared a Pro-Cathedral.

The sarcophagus made of pure marble of extraordinary beauty and exquisite workmanship is, in view of 19th-century scholars, "one of the finest pieces of carving in the world." It was put away in one of the side bays when the building was first converted into a church. It was then placed in the spot from which the altar had been removed rather than being replaced in its original central position. In 1940 the grave was found intact in its original position, five feet below the present floor. From accounts of its discovery, the grave is apparently of plastered brickwork, inscribed on the top and sides with the ninety-nine attributes of God and below with a Persian couplet. The Persian couplet inscribed on the sarcophagus has been translated by Latif into English. "Ah! could I behold the face of my beloved once more, I would give thanks unto my God until the day of resurrection," and is signed "Majnoon Salim Akbar" or "The profoundly enamored Salim, son of Akbar" and expresses Jahangir's intense passion for the beautiful Anarkali. No doubt the two inscribed dates 1008 [1599] and 1024 [1615] refer to the date of Anarkali's death and the completion of the sepulcher respectively. Historians now believe the tomb to be that of Sahab-e-Jamal, one of the wives of Jahangir, who died in Lahore in 1599.

Today the monument appears as a simple, whitewashed massive brick structure, robbed of its decorative veneer, and its apertures and aiwan profiles filled in to serve its varied usage. However, the internal spaces, in spite of the alteration, are exciting, the viewing of which coupled with the amazing treasure of archival material of Punjab Archives—set up as Punjab Record Office in 1891, when the cathedral was shifted to its new premises—is wonderfully rewarding. For those interested in the history of British Punjab, it is a treasure trove, for, along with rare images and other documents, files dating back to the earliest days of British administration are carefully and meticulously maintained here.