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Aram Bagh, Karachi

Coordinates: 24°48′36″N 67°01′30″E / 24.8099°N 67.0251°E / 24.8099; 67.0251
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Aram Bagh (Template:Lang-ur meaning Garden of relaxation), formerly known as Ram Bagh (Template:Lang-ur meaning Garden of Ram)[1] is located in Saddar Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. The Aram Bagh Masjid is also located in the Aram Bagh Park.[2] Aram Bagh is located in densely populated uptown area of Karachi surrounded by apartment buildings and shopping centers.

History

There has been an abundance of water in what is now the Ram Bagh area of Karachi since ancient times and many wells were dug here to supply water to the residents that settled around it. According to Hindu myth, the Hindu avatars Ram, Sita and Lakshman stayed at this location on their way to Hinglaj pilgrimage.[3][4] Since that time, Ram Bagh became a place of pilgrimage for Hindus.[4] Karachi was called Ramya in some Greek texts.[4]

In 1939, Deewan Jethanand made possible the construction of Ram Bagh, a park positioned near Swami Narayan temple, which is located near Burnes Road.[5] Ram Bagh was used for Hindu religious gatherings and celebrations.[6] The Ramlila story was enacted in Ram Bagh annually and this play lasted ten days.[7]

The British built an army cantonment in Ram Bagh area after they conquered Karachi from the Kalmati. The Ram Bagh Quarter had three water tanks, including a prominent one named the Rambagh Tank.[4] In 1857, during the war of liberation against British colonialism the freedom fighters were blasted by canons by the British forces in Ram Bagh.

During the partition of India in 1947, homes of the Hindu community in Ram Bagh were looted;[8] during this time, thousands of Muslim refugees from India set up camps in Ram Bagh and it was renamed as Aram Bagh i.e. Garden of relaxation,[4] to mark the end of their arduous journey to Pakistan. The Aram Bagh Masjid was built in Aram Bagh, where the stage on which Ramilila performances occurred, by the Muslims refugees that settled around the Aram Bagh.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ Khalid, Haroon (4 August 2017). "What's in a name? In Pakistan, it could be an attempt to deface (and reclaim) history". Scroll.in.
  2. ^ City Landmarks – Aram Bagh
  3. ^ a b Balouch, Akhtar (10 January 2014). "The story of Ram Bagh". Dawn. The Ram Bagh is still there but it does not host any more Ram Leela performances. The stage where the acts were performed is now replaced by a mosque.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Infiltration by the gods". The Sunday Indian. pp. 19 July 2009. According to Kaleemullah Lashari, Sindh Antiquities Department Secretary, Prior to the Partition, Arambagh was Rambagh, and there was a cluster of temples here. The temples were built in the garden where, according to Hindu mythology, Ram and Sita spent a night while on their way to Hinglaj for offering thanks, after Ram completed 14 years of exile in the jungle with Lakshman and Sita, following court intrigues. Till the 20th century, the area was called Rambagh. It was converted into a refugee camp after 1947 and named Arambagh. ... According to Hasan, Hinglaj is one of the seven places most sacred to Hindu. In fact, lore has it that after Ram rescued Sita from the demon king Ravana, they went to the Mahadev temple in Karachi and spent a night at this Bagh hence the name. After that Rambagh became a place of pilgrimage too, Hasan said. Karachi is also known as Ramya in some Greek texts, he added. Eminent conservation architect and town planner Yasmeen Lari points out that closely following the boundaries of the Artillery Maidan Quarter was the Rambagh Quarter, which boasted three water tanks, including the Rambagh Tank, giving the quarter its name.
  5. ^ Balouch, Akhtar (10 January 2014). "The story of Ram Bagh". Dawn. An office bearer of a Hindu social organisation told me on guarantee of anonymity that this Ram Bagh is located near the Swami Narayan temple. Ram Bagh was a park. What the Swami Narayan temple has for us in its history is a tale for another time. The office bearer told me that it was in 1939 that a Hindu, Deewan Jethanand who had made the construction of Ram Bagh possible. The place still exists by the temple on Burne's Road.
  6. ^ Balouch, Akhtar (10 January 2014). "The story of Ram Bagh". Dawn. On page 738, he writes, "Ram Bagh is an old, historic ground in Karachi. Parts of the ground have a bit of grass, while some flower beds can also be seen. Before the partition, this ground was always reserved for Hindu religious events and gatherings. However, sometimes it was also used for political gatherings."
  7. ^ Balouch, Akhtar (10 January 2014). "The story of Ram Bagh". Dawn. Before and after the partition, Ram Leela (the story of Ram) was presented on stage in Karachi. Ram Bagh was the place where the theatre was usually held. From Ram's exile to his return home, every event of the tale was presented through dramatic art. ... Where was this Ram Bagh in Karachi, a centre for Ram Leela every year? Imagine a 10-day long theatrical event on Hinduism in Karachi.
  8. ^ Balouch, Akhtar (10 January 2014). "The story of Ram Bagh". Dawn. Later, the riots slowly spread to the Top Khana Maindan and Ram Bagh, where some homes of the Hindu community were looted.

24°48′36″N 67°01′30″E / 24.8099°N 67.0251°E / 24.8099; 67.0251

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