KemLore
With a history spanning almost two centuries,the hallowed corridors of KEMU are brimming with a thousand untold stories. From the Bombay-made stone fixtures of Biochemistry laboratory and the intricate gold dissectors of Physiology Department to the imposing Victorian staircase of the Patiala Block and the Purdon-designed Italian-styled Mayo Hospital,the place is a rare jewel for historians.
The seamless transition from the traditional Unani Tib to the modern Western Medicine happened right within the four walls of this institute. Nestled between the chaotic alleys of Anarkali and the flamboyant Jhroka-clad houses of Gawalmandi,the school has been vital in providing health care to the residents of the Walled City.
Besides being the subject of a number of popular Urdu and English novels and short stories,the historical building has also featured in countless local and foreign movies.
Through this page we aim to provide our readers a rich insight into the history of Pakistan's oldest seat of medical learning. Featured here are colorful accounts by young Kemcolians as they explore the University and its bustling surroundings and try to unearth some shreds of the City and the people that used to be. . .
A meticulously compiled account of the workings of KE since the very day of its inception. Supplemented with a series of rare and historical pictures,this article takes its readers on a colorful journey to the Pre-Partition KE,the turmoils of Partition and the challenges that faced the institute in the subsequent years.
Teray Mukhray Da Kala Kala Til...!
"The wondeful amalgamation of calligraphy done in elegant nastaliq,the qashani tile work,the fresco painting,geometrical forms and floral patterns lends a unique aura to this place that isessentially its own,and yet,depicts the spirit of this immortal City at large..."
Usama Irshad writes evocatively about the fabled Wazir Khan Mosque,lovingly called the 'mole' on the 'cheek' of Lahore...
The Princess and The Doc---Ode To an Exiled Princess!
Usama Irshad pries loose some of the intricately jumbled and long forgotten historical connections between KE and the royalty as they set out to pay homage to an unappreciated Punjabi Princess.
Something Old and Something Sweet!
Usama Irshad,in their characteristic consummate fashion, write about the historical Mohkam Bakers that flank the right entrance to KE's iconic Patiala Block.
Drink Tea
Amna Khalil describes,with masterly flair, her regular visits to the much-documented Pak Tea House that once served as the perpetual abode of the many leading literary giants of early Pakistan including Faiz Ahmed Faiz,Ibn-e-Insha,Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi and the likes.
The Broome Hall Sojourn!
Usama Irshad writes about life as it happens in the celebrated Broome Hall of Residence,one of the earliest and most magnificent dorms built to accommodate the boarders at the med school.
Lahore Medical School: Surpassing Divides
Usama Irshad describes their lasting fascination with the holy city of Amritsar and how a startling revelation made them proud of their alma mater !
Colonel Bharucha -- A Chapter in KE's Parsee Past
It was in this Lahore of the early twentieth century where on an average street you could find English men in their smartly-tailored tails and breeches, young Hindu girls in colorful billowy saris, Sikh men with flowing beards and daggers and Muslims with their skull caps and achkans, that another very small community also lived, thrived and contributed heavily to the progress of this great city. They were the Zoroastrians or the Parsees as they are better known.
Anarkali Bazaar---A Story of Fallen Splendour
Farhan Ahmed Shah ( Edited & Illustrated by Usama Irshad)
com.jpg)
'...Anarkali soon emerged as the popular 'upscale' Gora market.The array of exquisite English goods and fashionable hat-adorning men and veil-less mem-sahibs strolling up and down its cobble-stoned alleys stole the breath out of local Indians who would stand and gawk to their hearts content! For all of its chic splendour and urban charm,Anarkali Bazaar could well have been the Bond Street of British Lahore....'
KEMU Patiala Block:From Eagle to Peacock
Usama Irshad writes about life as it happens in the celebrated Broome Hall of Residence,one of the earliest and most magnificent dorms built to accommodate the boarders at the med school.
Lahore Medical School: Surpassing Divides
Colonel Bharucha -- A Chapter in KE's Parsee Past
It was in this Lahore of the early twentieth century where on an average street you could find English men in their smartly-tailored tails and breeches, young Hindu girls in colorful billowy saris, Sikh men with flowing beards and daggers and Muslims with their skull caps and achkans, that another very small community also lived, thrived and contributed heavily to the progress of this great city. They were the Zoroastrians or the Parsees as they are better known.
Anarkali Bazaar---A Story of Fallen Splendour
Farhan Ahmed Shah ( Edited & Illustrated by Usama Irshad)
'...Anarkali soon emerged as the popular 'upscale' Gora market.The array of exquisite English goods and fashionable hat-adorning men and veil-less mem-sahibs strolling up and down its cobble-stoned alleys stole the breath out of local Indians who would stand and gawk to their hearts content! For all of its chic splendour and urban charm,Anarkali Bazaar could well have been the Bond Street of British Lahore....'
KEMU Patiala Block:From Eagle to Peacock
Atia Sadiq writing for The Nation Walking through the colourful bazaar of Anarkali, I was searching for Nelagumbad, which is surrounded by commercial streets. When I reached near the west gate of Patiala Block of King Edward Medical University (KEMU), I was grasped by its beauty; grace and grandeur. I was so pulled toward it that for some moments I forgot the original purpose of my visit. It was only after around five years that I got a chance to visit this fascinating building, examine it and write on it...
Lahore Enchanted:City of Lights,Love,and Ancient Lore
Lahore Enchanted:City of Lights,Love,and Ancient Lore
Bapsi Sidhwa writing for Newsweek Pakitan
Lahore—the ancient whore, the handmaiden of dimly remembered Hindu kings, the courtesan of Mughal emperors, bedecked and bejeweled, savaged by marauding hordes, healed by the caressing hands of successive lovers. A little shoddy, as Qasim saw her; like an attractive but aging concubine, ready to bestow surprising delights on those who cared to court her, proudly displaying Royal gifts
...for the last one month I had been questioning if people knew whose grave exists inside the Nila Gumbad structure. It was amazing that out of the 90 ‘well-educated’ persons I questioned, only four gave me the correct answer...
Lahore—the ancient whore, the handmaiden of dimly remembered Hindu kings, the courtesan of Mughal emperors, bedecked and bejeweled, savaged by marauding hordes, healed by the caressing hands of successive lovers. A little shoddy, as Qasim saw her; like an attractive but aging concubine, ready to bestow surprising delights on those who cared to court her, proudly displaying Royal gifts
Comments
Post a Comment
Your feedback is appreciated!