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| Illustration from the Imperial Guide |
I have the
following information on good authority (The
Imperial Guide to India with Maps and Illustrations, John Murray, London,
1902).
Mooltan, a municipality (75,000 inhabitants) and a
military station, is a very ancient city 4 m from the left bank of the Chenab.
It is supposed to be one of the Indian cities taken by Alexander the Great.
Mohammed of Ghazni took it in 1005, but previous to
that it had been Mohammedan. Until 1779 it was under the rule of the Emperor of
Delhi, when it passed into the possession of the Afghan, Muzaffar Khan, who
held it for nearly forty years, when the town was taken by Ranjit Singh’s
army—Muzaffar Khan and all his sons perishing in the battle. The Sikhs held
Mooltan until 1849, when the British, under General Walsh, captured the place.
Cantonments lie west of the city. There is not much of
importance in Mooltan that detains the mere tourist. (pg. 181)
And thus one of
the oldest human habitations in Asia is dismissed with an impervious sniff.
Whenever I visited
the great city of Saints in south Punjab’s baked plains I always found hundreds
of reasons to be detained: the food, the forts, the shrines of the great Sufis,
the bazaars, the sripai.
And tonight I
propose another reason to love Multan: Suraiya Multanikar.
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| Suriaya Multanikar |
According to the
experts at Cineplot.com, Suraiya,
besides being a classical
vocalist of repute, has also won wide admiration for other forms of Pakistan’s
melodic tradition, including kafis of the mystic poet Khawaja Ghulam Farid. There is an edge
to her voice which has come to be recognized as her hallmark. She also sang few
film songs, most popular being the mujra song for Badnaam (1966),
composed by Deebo Bhattacharya and
picturized on Nabeela.
She won the Pride of Performance
medal in 1986.
Tonight’s selection showcases that edgy voice which is pure folk. You can taste the dry dust and feel the heat
of Multan as she sings her way through a great repertoire of Punjabi folk
songs.
Track Listing:
01 Vich Rohi Dey
02
Lang Aa Ja Patan
03
Toon Bajh Theye
04
Allah Janrey Te Yaar Na Janray
05
Khori Dardi Haan
06
Khan Charha Dey
07
Holay Holay
08
Han Deh
09
Aa Chanan Ral Yaar
10
Kya Haal Suranwan
Listen here.
1 comment:
Salam.. Link is invalid kindly re-upload and oblige.
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