The seventh edition of the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival, 2016 was hosted in Kolkata from 14th -17th January 2016.
The sites for this edition of Apeejay
Kolkata Literary Festival were Nandan, Town Hall steps, The Indian Museum,
Presidency University, Tollygunge Club and
Victoria Memorial.
Pic:-AKLF
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In one interesting session called “Crossing the Line”, we got to interact with Pakistan author Reema Abbasi. Abbasi, who has written a book 'Historic Temples in Pakistan: A call to conscience'. In the book the author travels through the four provinces of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh in Pakistan detailing their landscape, local population and temples as well as their keepers. A set of nearly 400 photographs in the book brings alive the rich history of Hinduism in Pakistan
Pakistan’s Hindus, Christians,
Ahmadis and Shi’ite Muslims today make up about less than 5 percent of the
nation’s 180 million people. According to her Hindu temples are well-maintained
in Pakistan.
She speaks of Hinglaj which is an
important Hindu pilgrimage place in Balochistan, Pakistan and Kuldevi of many
Kshatriya, Charan and other Hindu Communities of India. It is situated in
Balochistan province about 250 km north of Karachi. The Bhairava at Hinglaj is
called Bhimalochana, located in Koteshwar, Kutch.
Hinglag is near the peak of one
of the mountains of the Makran Coastal Range. The area is extremely arid and
the pilgrimage also called 'Nani ki Haj' by local Muslims. Despite the independence
and the increasing Islamic stance of the Pakistani society, Hinglaj has
survived and is in fact revered by local Muslims who call it 'Nani ki Mandir'.
Muslims offer red or saffron clothes, incense, candles and a sweet preparation
called 'Sirini' to the deity.
The session was an interesting
one.
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