Karachi: F-K

Revision as of 21:06, 14 December 2013

Karachi: Frere Hall

Frere Hall: Standing Tall

By Maryam Murtaza Sadriwala

Dawn

Karachi Frere Hall

Karachi Frere Hall

There are a few landmarks, which epitomise Karachi and reflect this phenomenal city’s grandeur. Frere Hall is one of them. Standing as a lofty reminder of the British Raj and leaving its mark of Venetian Gothic architecture, the building has withstood the ravages of time for the last 140 years.

The Hall whose construction was completed in 1865, today stands majestically between Abdullah Haroon Road (formerly Victoria Road) and Fatima Jinnah Road (formerly Bonus Road) in the vicinity of a famous five Star Hotel, the closed building of the US Consulate and Consul General’s house, the Japanese Consulate and the Sind Club.

It was built in the honour of Sir Henry Bartle Edward Frere (1815-1884), who was known for promoting economic development in Karachi.

This edifice of yellowish limestone, red and grey Jungshahi sandstones was designed by Colonel Clair Wilkins whose proposal was selected from 12 entries, in which the first was perhaps recorded architectural design competition for a public building in Sindh. The structure cost Rs1,80,000 out of which Rs22,500 was raised for the memorial through public donations and was officially inaugurated by Commissioner Mansfield on October 10, 1865.

Frere Hall served as a Town Hall and was the hub of Karachi’s socio cultural activities at the time of the British Raj. During the same period it housed a number of busts including King Edward VII’s which was a gift from Seth Edulji Dinshaw. It also housed oil paintings of former Commissioners in Sindh including Sir Charles Pritchard and Sir Evan James.

The ground floor houses, a fine public library named Liaquat National Library (after Liaquat Ali Khan, first Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan). It is one of the largest libraries of Karachi, which contains over 70,000 books, including rare and handwritten manuscripts, newspapers, dictionaries, atlases and technical books. The upper floor serves as an art gallery containing masterpieces of Pakistan’s famous calligrapher and painter Sadequain.

Around the Hall are two lawns originally known as ‘Queen’s Lawn’ and ‘King’s Lawn’, which were added in 1887-88 by Mr Benjamin Flinch. Originally the statues of Queen Victoria and King Edward (both of which have now been removed) adorned the garden. These lawns were renamed as Bagh-e-Jinnah (Jinnah Garden) after independence. These lawns have played host to a lot of evening entertainment as families would lounge and picnic in its greens, and flowers shows would be organised.

It is a pity that due to security concerns, as well as the insistence of the US Consulate, which faces Frere Hall, the park today has largely been declared off-limits to the public. Yet, Frere Hall and its sprawling lawns are one of the few pieces of imposing architecture which we Karachiites are proud to view in a city otherwise dominated by pollution and unimpressive buildings.

So next time you pass by Abdullah Haroon Road, ignore the police cars and barricades and do spend a minute or two in appreciating the splendour of this fine building.

Karachi: history quiz

Karachi Through The Ages

Dawn

Karachi history quiz

ONE: Many historians claim that the ancient city of Debal was where Karachi is located today. It was ruled by Raja Dahir, who captured the boats that were carrying valuable gifts and Abyssinian slaves, which were sent to Caliph Waleed, from the king of Sri Lanka. Hajaj bin Yusuf, the Governor of Iraq, was so infuriated that he dispatched troops under his nephew, who defeated Raja Dahir. Name the 17 year old Arab General?

TWO: The Quaid-i-Azam decided to make Karachi the capital of Pakistan because he thought that Karachi was a natural seaport and had a large airport. Lahore was too close to the Indian border and was, therefore, quite vulnerable. State true or false: no one was sure till the last moment whether Lahore would be a part of India or Pakistan.

THREE: At a time when the forces of the East India Company occupied Karachi its population was in the proximity of 15,000. It was less populated than many cities of the subcontinent, such as Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and Lahore. Today only one city is more populous than Karachi. Name?

FOUR: In February 1939 the East India Company occupied Karachi without facing any resistance from the natives. How did the invaders arrive: from land or the sea?

FIVE: The first railway tracks were laid down in the subcontinent between Bombay (as it was known until very recently) and Thana, now a part of metropolitan Mumbai. Which two towns were connected by railway when it was introduced in Sindh?

SIX: Unlike Lahore and Mumbai, Karachi did not have a population of cricket buffs, until after Partition. Now the question: where were international matches played in the city before the National Stadium was built?

SEVEN: Opened to shoppers in 1889, Empress Market, one of the most splendid specimens of colonial architecture, was designed in what is called ‘Domestic Gothic Style’. Who was it named after?

EIGHT: At the confluence of I.I. Chundrigar Road and M.A. Jinnah Road is one of the many towers that were built by the British in the subcontinent during the Raj – Merewether Tower. It was completed in 1892. What was its original name?

NINE: Karachi’s trams, which were withdrawn a few years after Partition, were ugly like the trams that ran in old Delhi, but with one difference, while the latter, like all other trams in the subcontinent, were powered by electricity, the ones in Karachi were run on another source of energy. Can you guess which?

TEN: Some names could not be replaced such as Guru Mandir and Golimar. The public didn’t accept the new names – Sabeel Wali Masjid and Gulbahar. On the other hand, some new names took time to be on the lips of the people. Examples: I.I. Chundrigar Road and Abdullah Haroon. What were their old names?

ANSWERS:

(1) Muhammed bin Qasim (2) True (3) Mumbai (4) They sailed to Karachi (5) Karachi and Kotri (6) Karachi Gymkhana (7) Queen Victoria (8) Merewether Memorial Tower. It was named after the ‘Commissioner-in-Sinde’, Sir William L. Merewether (9) Diesel (10) McLeod Road and Victoria Road. — Compiled by AN.

Karachi: Hyderabad Colony’s Achar Gali

The achar culture

By Qasim A. Moini

Dawn

Karachi Hyderabad Colony’s Achar Gali

KARACHI’S incredibly cosmopolitan nature can be gauged from the number of cuisines that are on offer across its vast sprawl. Suffice to say, the city is a food lover’s delight, and its cuisine has been influenced by the many different cultural and ethnic groups that have settled here over the years.

Within its innumerable localities can be found food for all tastes and all income brackets. Many of the city’s neighbourhoods contain renowned haunts where foodies can satiate their appetites with delights rarely found in other areas. One of these is Hyderabad Colony’s Achar Gali.

The fist thing that hits you as you enter Achar Gali – located in a sleepy lane hidden away from the incessant madness of city life near, of all places, the Karachi Central Prison – is the pungent aroma of achar. As you get closer, you notice that there is not one, not two, but rows upon rows of the tangy, tasty pickled stuff waiting for you. For this lane – barely a kilometre long – is the general headquarters of traditional achar and other snacks from Hyderabad Deccan.

Achar Gali transports one to another world. Apart from the many food items that abound in its shops, the air here is heavy with the scent of old world tradition. And one of the most delightful aspects of visiting the Gali is the distinctive Hyderabadi dialect of Urdu. Though perhaps not as pronounced as in Hyderabad itself, for the ear attuned to the nuances of language, it definitely stands out. Still, it is the food that sets apart Achar Gali from Karachi’s other quaint neighbourhoods.

A clutch of about half a dozen shops, bursting at the seams with countless colourful jars of achar, is the star attraction here. I walk up to one with an impressive array of pickled produce, which also has a set-up for hot snacks. As it’s lunchtime, a group of young office workers are huddled around a table, wolfing down what principally appear to be pakoras and samosas, washing it down with cold drinks. I approach the chap behind the till to enlighten me about the finer points of achar and Hyderabadi cuisine in general.

“Look, if you want to write on food and drink, go visit some food street. Achar is not a food item; it is a saqafat (culture),” comes the reply.

Slightly stunned, I meekly proceed to gather some more facts on the history of Achar Gali, this time treading more carefully lest I offend any more gastronomic sensibilities.

The shopkeeper tells me he isn’t very good with dates and other details, but from what he remembers, immigrants that came from Hyderabad Deccan after Partition settled in three localities of the city: Bahadurabad, New Karachi and Hyderabad Colony. Though not aware of the lane’s proper name, he tells me all and sundry simply refer to it by its popular name: Achar Gali.

“We stock over 25 different kinds of achar. All the recipes are my grandmother’s. She started off on a much smaller scale. Mine is the third generation that has been involved in making achar,” he says, as containers of the tangy stuff surround him.

One of varieties tasted by this writer was mixed achar, which, along with the usual suspects, also contained sliced lemons. One must say it was a lot more pungent than the brand-name stuff available in the market, but a jarful at home is a welcome addition to kichri, parathas or a plateful of hot daal. Adrak (ginger) achar was also tried; suffice to say, it is an acquired taste, but as I was informed, it’s supposed to be darned good for health. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg; quite frankly, this writer did not have the stomach (pun intended) to try the other 23 varieties in one go. There’s always next time.

“Hyderabadi achar is distinct from Hindustani and Shikarpuri achar. It is tangier, while bhagar and pukka oil is used during the preparation,” the shopkeeper informs me with a hint of pride. Aside from achar, other food items of repute available at the Gali include Hyderabadi Dahi Baray, which I am told resemble kari, along with the luscious luqmi.

This is a square version of the samosa, and I, for one, am convinced that it deserves special mention. With a filling of savoury minced meat enwrapped within flaky dough, the stuff just melts in your mouth. Ketchup, raita or your favourite chutney just add to the experience.

However, a piece on Achar Gali would be incomplete without mentioning its delicious deserts. Leading the pack is the calorie-laden, heaven-sent double ka meetha, along with the equally divine khobani (apricot) ka meetha. The locals tell me kaddu (pumpkin) kheer is not to be missed either.

A friend who used to frequent the Gali says the number of food shops has decreased over the years. It would be a shame if this cultural asset was to disappear to make way for a gaudy shopping mall, or worse still, a multinational fast-food franchise.