RAVI AND LAHORE,LAVAPURI TILL MUGHALS|EP1: LOVE AT LAHORE FORT

‘Hey, an itinerant of Ravi… can you hear at me? I’m looking for someone to help me out of here. I’m sure my story will compel you to feel sympathy with me.’ She glanced around on unfathomable call, when she moved downstairs at Lahore fort.

‘Who else can see me?’ she wondered.

‘But how can you….,’ she stared at him.

IRRAVATI, OLD NAME OF RAVI AND ITS ORIGIN

    ‘Irravati…Oh, I mean can you ride me till river Ravi?’ I’m Saadun. I’m stuck over here for centuries. I belong to its soil.  With heavenly blue water, starting from Himalaya, I started to roll n drown with it since 2000 years ago. I observed green valleys of Kashmir and small villages at plains of Punjab at its banks. I loved the songs and cackles of young girls washing, bathing n gossiping for long at Ravi,’ he paused.

LAVAPURI, OLD NAME OF LAHORE

 ‘Then one stormy day a devastating flood forced me to roll down in south at the fields of a beautiful village ‘Lavapuri’ named at the son of Raam and Sita. Some called it ‘Loh’….

‘Look, it’s been centuries when Ravi flows adjacent to Lahore Fort. I suggest you should see a vacant temple dedicated to lava or Loh, here in Lahore fort to narrate your tedious anecdote. I can’t help you out in any way. Let me go,’ she cut him off and moved upward but stopped out of blue then.

ALSO CLICK: A SWAMBER TO WIN HER IN PAST

A MYSTERIOUS GUIDE AT LAHORE FORT OR SHAHI QILA

‘This wide staircase was constructed specially for the elephants to ride on. Mughal kings visited Lahore fort on their marvelous elephants. These wide rooms were called harem, where Mughal queens, consorts n princess reside. We just open this part of fort just for our special visitors,’ they listened at the guide opening the lock from outside. Murad was an active but mysterious guide for tourists for long.

 She looked above with terrified eyes.

‘No matter, how much I avoid this guide; he is always there to bother me,’ she murmured and turned back.

‘Then where were you at your story?’ she came closer to him, almost hiding besides him.

‘Then I was stuck by a temple, where the native were busy in their religious practices. Jainism and then Hinduism ruled here,’ he looked at her and calmly stated again.

‘I begged air, the footsteps of farmers, even donkeys and cows to kick me back to Iravati or Parushni(old names of Ravi river) but no one lent a hand. The centuries continued to pass and Lahore continued to rise at Ravi’s south banks. Actually Ravi and Lahore became cohorts in altering history of times.’

‘Look, I already know about it all. Now come to the point, what you want of me?’

‘This guide is still here,’ she tried to peep out a wooden window.

 HISTORIANS WHO VISITED LAHORE AND RAVI

 ‘Ravi fed Lahore to earn beautiful gardens, orchards, impressive temples and markets. Many historians like Ptolemy an Egyptian astronomer and Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang visited and described about this city. River Ravi continued to guard Lahore from foreign invaders. I was still bordered in the fields far from new development of time when the humankind was acquainted with the illumination of divine religion on earth, Islam,’ his eyes glittered for a moment and he stopped talking.

‘Where are you going? My story is not finished yet but the most out of the ordinary part is just about to meet now?’ he called her again.

‘I think that guide has moved to other side but he’ll be here soon I know. I should hide somewhere else.’

‘I think you’re not bothered of your feelings then of that guide,’ Saadun smiled.

 ‘If you just make a deal with me, I can help you out. I know; what you are wandering and hiding in desolated walls of Lahore fort for centuries,’ he played his next card.

‘Oh, then you also know it. Then you would also blackmail me like that guide,’ she sighed.

‘Not at all. I believe we both can help each other to get out of here. I told you my life changed after this part of my anecdote,’ he held her shoulders.

MALIK AYAZ AND MEHMOOD GHAZNVI AT LAHORE

‘It was about 11^th century when an invader Mahmood of Ghaznvi’ from west broke the barrier of Ravi and captured the Lahore. I got too much scared, everything seemed finished and ruined to me at start but actually this invasion changed the course of history in this area.

‘Ayaz, yes Malik Ayaz, Mahmood appointed one of his brave slaves as his governor and honored Lahore as his second capital after Ghazni. He also built garrison over here,’ he got excited.

‘Then what special, every winning warrior does the same. Lahore is situated at the central position to march towards forward in Sindh and Northern Punjab. Mongols ruined the city in 13^th century but even than Khijis, Tuqlus,Lodhis and Suri’s continued to rule until the Babur invaded here and great Mughal sultanate established here.’ she was still disinterested.

‘Ayaz was different. I told you he actually made this city appeared on the globe.  Being the first Muslim rebuilt this Lahore and introduced culture, arts, poetry and architecture over here and Mughals continued this. Malik Ayaz put foundations of Lahore fort or Shahi Qila at this position. I was honored to be a part of this fort then. I observed the great Babar, Akbar and Jahangir moving in these lobbies, Shahjhan and Aurangzeb visiting here with their might.’

THE GREAT MUGHAL SULTANATE AT LAHORE

LAHORE FORT

 The air seemed filled with the exhilarating khungroo’s(anklet) jingle to her.

 ‘That was great time. The world stopped under my feet when I started to perform,’ she lost somewhere in past.

‘But Jhangir’s favorite consort Nur Jahan buried you alive here in fort but no one knows why?’ he stopped.

‘For Sharyar,’ tears rolled in her eyes.

‘You mean, Prince Sharyar, the youngest son of King Jahangir and Nur Jahan’s son in law,’ he inquired.

‘What you want of me?’ she composed herself instantly.

 ‘I want to quit from this fort now, just wants to move on; If you take me to Ravi then I’ll seek to free your soul from pain by implore for you near king Jahangir and Nur Jahan’s  tombs at Ravi’s bank,’ he finished her story and came to point.

POLITICAL IMPORTANCE OF LAHORE AT TIME OF PARTITION AND PAKISTAN

MINARET PAKISTAN,LAHORE

‘What do you mean? My soul is stuck in these walls. I can’t escape and you’re asking me to take you out. Now you’re coming to my nerves,’ tears rolled in her eyes.

 ‘Why don’t this guide Murad take these guide to minaret Pakistan and other monuments of city and tell them the political importance of Lahore at the time of partition, when Pakistan resolution was passed here. Why he is stuck with Mughals? I can’t go anywhere from here just…,’ she peeped outside again.

The door opened with creak sound and some shadows appeared on stairs.

‘This way, sir,’ they both listened at Murad.

RANJIT SINGH AND BRITISH RULED LAHORE TOO

‘You’re lying. You went outside many times; when Ranjit Singh took this city from Ahmad Shah Abdali in 18^th century and used the fort as his stable and to reside his cavalry; you ran from here and spent your days at Malik Ayaz’s grave in market. You also went with viceroy when British took over the city from Sikhs,’ Saadun became furious on her snub.

 ‘Tell me, haven’t you visited British monuments e.g. GPO, G.C university and performed for that viceroy at Mall road.  You witnessed the bleeding migrants at 1947 partition. You can go anywhere when you want. You’re just scared of that guide. Take me out. I’ll help you too,’

‘Stop it; just stop. I’m not scared of anyone. I’m not answerable to you.    

RAVI IS NOW A CONTAMINATED STREAM

‘Ravi is not that Ravi now. Blue heavenly water turned into contaminated stream. Ravi became undersized to fetch water for this developed and populated city. Actually you don’t want to see Ravi but wants to restore your old age through my soul. Once I’ll take you out, then you’ll move at least 1000 years back through my spell on time,’ she ran outside window as Murad entered the room.

‘You’re mistaken, Irravati. You know nothing. Where are you going?’ Saadun called her from back.

‘She’s never mistaken. She’ll come back after hitting her soul at 8 gates of walled city. She is an itinerant and looking the ways to get back in time by roaming in Anar kali, Ichra Bazaar but I can help you out from here at one condition,’ Murad looked at amazed Saadun smiled by looking at the window….

To be continued
Other stories of series are:

1.  disclaimer: all characters in the story are fictitious. they bear no resemblance with anyone living or dead.