“Loyalty to Lahore”

Thank you for your cover story "Loyalty to Lahore” (Parsiana, May 7, 2015). Although I had never visited that great city before partition I had known about its grandeur, its cosmopolitan atmosphere and the jhao jalali (rich success and fame) of the Parsis there.

Meher Dhondy at the agiary in Quetta

I visited Lahore for the first time in 1955 on my way to Karachi and Quetta to holiday with our family there. My sister and I went via Amritsar and crossed the border at Wagah. The Sikh and Punjabi customs officials at Amritsar were originally from Lahore and had migrated to India after partition. When they read the name of the relative we were to stay with, Dr Edulji Bharucha, they were extremely polite, saying we did not need to be checked as we were to stay with such a great and kind doctor, a man known for his heart as much for his medical skills. The doctor was known to quietly leave money behind if he noticed that a patient was living in poverty.
We spent a week in Lahore before proceeding to other cities, but to this day I have not forgotten our pleasure at seeing the beautiful city of gardens, parks, and main roads with dividers where seasonal roses bloomed. The Shalimar Gardens were a great attraction. Ladies in Lahore wore saris in the modern style and drove cars. Hotels were along the western style. At one restaurant on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 1955, we were entertained with a striptease act!
The Anarkali market became a favorite haunt whenever we visited Lahore. We could buy many gifts for the folks back home. The Pakistani tourist visa was valid for three months, so we could venture forth to Karachi and Quetta as well.
The Markers and Patels were among the pioneers who developed Quetta. The former were active in civic and Parsi affairs. I had met Aban Marker and am in touch with Farahnaz Marker, though communication is not so easy now. Parsis and Zoroastrian Iranis abounded in Quetta at one time. Sadly, very few remain there now. There is a beautiful agiary and Parsi colony in Quetta.
During the British days, Lahore was referred to as the Paris of the East. The city was famed for its excellent tailors and the top class gentry would have all their suits stitched in Lahore. In the earlier years partition did not affect or upset the city’s pulse, charm and way of life. Today, sadly, liberal bonding and unity have been impaired all over the world, and this is probably true of Lahore as well.

MEHER D. DHONDY
Gurgaon, Haryana