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The little-known religious history of Balakot
Today, the city of Balakot espouses uniquely South Asian religious traditions.
Haroon Khalid
Nanak to Gobind Singh: How did the attire of Sikh gurus change so dramatically?
Nanak's attire was meant to obfuscate his religious identity but Gobind's clothing was meant to make him stand out.
A forgotten shrine near Lahore stands witness to the havoc wreaked by Ahmed Shah Abdali
Till a few years ago, there used to be an annual urs at the shrine, as is the custom at all Sufi shrines.
How old is Lahore? The clues lie in a blend of historical fact and expedient legend
How can the significance of the contemporary city be established without a glorious past?
5 gurdwaras that could be made part of Kartarpur Corridor
Five Sikh shrines in Pakistani Punjab with historical links to Guru Nanak and the other gurus now lie forgotten.
The Kartarpur Corridor is more than a symbol of new peace
A visa-free corridor, where there is no Pakistani or Indian but a devotee of Nanak, is the ultimate tribute to the Guru.
How Chenab, the river of love, flows seamlessly from one legend to another
In Punjabi folklore, this river of many tragic love stories is a powerful symbol.
Allahabad renamed: how 'correction' of 'historical injustices' reveals problematic narratives
The rename may come across as new, but there have been traces of it from the start.
With his ashes immersed in the Ravi, Kuldip Nayar becomes one with the river’s legends
Tales of Valmiki, Ram and Sita, Lav, Guru Nanak and countless others are intertwined with the history of the river.
The legacy of Guru Nanak lives on in four historic gurdwaras in Punjab
Kartarpur Sahib, Sacha Sauda, Sacha Khand and Beri Sahib are associated with key events in the Sikh guru’s life.
If Pakistan shuns the term ‘Ancient India’ in its history books, is it entirely to blame?
India’s exclusive use of the term has spread the perception that it is the only inheritor of subcontinent’s legacy.
In Pakistan, appreciation of the Indus Valley civilisation ties in with attempts to erase its Hindu past
The message is clear — Pakistan’s pre-Islamic history is acceptable as long as it is separated from its Hindu influence.
Post-Partition Lahore emerged as Pakistan socio-cultural hub, but it lost something along the way
As long as there is a new Lahore, its predecessor, the old Lahore will continue to survive in its shadow.
With Pakistan’s rivers dying, are its ancient cities running out of time?
The mighty rivers of Punjab are the reason why civilisation exists — and has for thousands of years — in this region.
How a valiant Sikh woman ruler helped Ranjit Singh rise from a chieftain to the Maharaja of Punjab
Sada Kaur’s military support and tactical advice proved pivotal as her young son-in-law went about creating an empire.
This village near Lahore serves as a reminder of Sikhism’s diverse past
A non-mainstream narrative asserts that Guru Nanak was not born in present-day Nankana Sahib but in Dera Chahal village.
The 1915 Ghadar plan to free India from the British was a failure — but it sparked a revolution
The movement set into motion a series of events such as the Jallianwala Bagh and the Non-Cooperation Movement.
Lahore owes Hindu philanthropist Ganga Ram more than it would care to admit
His tenure as the executive engineer of the city is referred to as the Ganga Ram architectural period.
Lost in Partition, the Sikh-Muslim connection comes alive in the tale of Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardana
A descendant of the guru’s Muslim disciple speaks of the importance of the rubabi tradition in Sikhism.
How a queen plotted the fall of Khalsa Army by starting the First Anglo-Sikh War
The plan was to put the soldiers in a war in which their defeat was assured.