Hinduism: Details about 'Culture Of Pakistan'
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Home
|
Pakistan has a rich and unique cultural heritage that has actively preserved its established traditions throughout history. Many cultural practices and monuments have been inherited from the rule of Mughal emperors and is very similar to the culture of most Indian Muslims.
RootsPakistan has a very rich cultural and traditional background going back to Indus Valley Civilization, 2800 BC–1800 BC. The region that is now Pakistan has in the past been invaded and occupied by many different peoples, including Greeks, White Huns, Persians, Arabs, Turks, Mongols and various Eurasian groups. There are differences in culture among the different ethnic groups in matters such as dress, food, and religion, especially where pre-Islamic customs differ from Islamic practices. The pleasures of Pakistan are ancient: Buddhist monuments, Hindu temples, Palaces and Monuments built by Emperors, tombs, pleasure grounds and Anglo-Mogul mansions - some in a state of dereliction which makes their former grandeur more emphatic. Scuplture is dominated by Graeco-Buddhist friezes, and crafts by ceramics, jewellery, silk goods and engraved woodwork and metalwork.
Pakistani SocietyPakistani society is largely multilingual and multicultural. Religious practices of various faiths are an integral part of everyday life in society. Education is highly regarded by members of every socio-economic stratum. The traditional family values are highly respected and considered sacred, although urban families have grown into a nuclear family system, owing to the socio-economic constraints imposed by the traditional joint family system. Past few decades have seen emergence of a middle class in cities such as Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Faisalabad, Sukkur, Peshawar, Gujarat, Abbottabad and Multan. The North-western part of Pakistan, bordering with Afghanistan, is highly conservative and dominated by regional tribal customs dating back to hundreds of years. National DressOne of the most familiar sights in Pakistan, is that traditionally pakistani men wear Shalwar kameez. They come in many different styles, fabrics, colours and patterns that make them look really stylish. Pakistani women also wear shalwar kameez but the designs defer. Also, women from sindh province and in the lower regions of Pakistan are known to wear saris more traditionally. The sherwani is the national dress of Pakistan for men, as it is not specifically associated with any of the provinces. Most government officials wear the formal Black sherwani on state occassions.
Film and televisionTraditionally, the government-owned Pakistan Television (PTV) has been the dominant media player in Pakistan. However past decade has seen emergence of several private TV channels (news , entertainment) such as the GEO TV, AAJ TV, ARY Digital and a dozen or so more channels. Traditionally the bulk of TV shows have been plays or soap operas---some of them critically acclaimed. Various American, European, Asian and Indian TV channels and movies are available to a majority of the population via Cable TV.
Lollywood
An indigenous movie industry exists in Pakistan, and is known as Lollywood as it is based in Lahore, producing over forty feature-length films a year. In contrast, Indian movies are popular in Pakistan despite a ban on the screening of Hindi films since the Indo- Pakistan War 1965. Music
Pakistani music is represented by a wide variety of forms. It ranges from traditional styles (such as Qawwali) to more modern forms that try to fuse traditional Pakistani music with western music. A famous Pakistani musician, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is internationally renowned for creating a form of music which synchronized Qawwali with western music. Popular forms of music also prevail, the most notable being Film music and Urdu Pop music. In addition to this are the diverse traditions of folk music. Punjabi Stage ShowsThese are very similar to stage plays in theatres. They are performed by many well-known actors and actoresses in the Lollywood industry. The are many types of themes that are brought across with lots of humour.
Pakistani literature
Pakistani literature, that is, the literature of Pakistan, as a distinct literature came into being when Pakistan gained its nationhood as a sovereign state in 1947. The common and shared tradition of Urdu literature and English literature of the Indian subcontinent was inherited by the new state. Over a period of time, a body of literature unique to Pakistan has emerged in nearly all major Pakistani languages, including Urdu, English, Punjabi, Pushto and Sindhi. Pakistani PoetryThe Urdu language has a rich tradition of poetry bosting such renown poets as Mirza Ghalib, Allama Iqbal (who is the national poet of Pakistan) and Faiz Ahmad Faiz.
Festivals & CelebrationsEidThe two Eids, Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha commemorate the passing of the month of fasting, Ramadan, and the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Prophet Ishmael for Allah. During these days there are national holidays and many festivals and events take place to celebrate Eid. BasantBasant is a Punjabi festival thats marks the coming of spring. Basant celebrations in Pakistan are centered in Lahore and people from all over the country and abroad come to the city for the annual festivities. Kite flying competitions take place all over the city's rooftops during Basant. Independance DayOn August 14, every year all over Pakistan, the people of Pakistan celebrate the day Pakistan gained its independence from the British Raj for an independant state for muslims. There are lots of celebrations in Lahore, the streets are full of joyful people singing and dancing. Concerts are held with many pop and classical singers. Defence Day ParadeSports
GlobalizationIncreasing globalization has increased the influence of "Western culture" in Pakistan. Pakistan ranks 46th in the world on the Kearney/FP Globalization index. [1] Many Western restaurant chains have established themselves in Pakistan, and are found in the major cities. A large Pakistani diaspora exists in the West. Whereas Pakistanis in the United States, Canada and Australia tend to be professionals, the majority of them in the United Kingdom, Germany and the Scandinavian nations comes from a rural background and belongs to the working class. A large number of Pakistani expatriates are also living in the Middle East. These emigrants and their children influence Pakistan culturally and economically, keeping close ties with their roots by travelling to Pakistan and especially by returning or investing there. Mercantile culturePakistan's service sector accounts for 53% of the country's GDP. Wholesale and retail trade is 30% of this sector. Shopping is a popular pastime for many Pakistanis, especially among the well-to-do and the thirty-million strong middle class. The cities of Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Islamabad, Faisalabad and Quetta are especially known for the great contrast in shopping experiences - from burgeoning bazaars to modern multi-story shopping malls. In particular, Lahore and Karachi are peppered with colourful shopping plazas.
CuisineMain Article: Cuisine of Pakistan Pakistani food is good and similar that of northern India, with a dollop of Persian, Turkish and Middle Eastern influence thrown in for good measure. This means menus peppered with baked and deep-fried breads (roti, chapattis, puri, halwa and nan), vegetables, meat curries, lentil mush (dhal), spicy spinach, cabbage, peas and rice, and of course that staple of hippies, the sturdy Hunza pie. Street snacks are popular in cities - samosas and tikkas (spiced and barbecued beef, mutton or chicken) - are delicious, while a range of desserts will satisfy any sweet tooth. The most common sweet is barfi (it pays to overlook the name), which is made of dried milk solids and comes in a variety of flavours. Though Pakistan is officially 'dry', it does brew its own beer and spirits which can be bought (as well as imported alcohol) from designated bars and hotels.
Sexual conservatism & cultural taboosPakistanis are highly spiritual people. The translation of Pakistan's name meaning land of the pure, implies spiritual purity. And one of the pillars of this spiritual purity is sexual purity, which over time, has become a part of the Pakistani sense of national identity. Sexual purity does not imply not having sex —- in fact, both Pakistani men and women are highly sexual people who engage frequently in sex —- rather it only implies a complete avoidance of pre or extra marital sex and sexually deviant behaviour.This does not mean that pre-marital sex is absent in the country, indeed it has been noted by various NGO's that the Pakistani youth is sexually active. The roots of this spirituality are based on the Islamic faith, which prescribes strict sexual conservatism, especially when compared to the west. Therefore, the following norms of a western society are usually strict cultural taboos in Pakistan:
Some strict cultural taboos in the west, are the norm in Pakistan, such as:
The boys stay with their parents all their lives (at least one of the sons does) and take care of them in their old age. This being the reason for the commonly strong desire in Pakistani parents to have sons as compared to daughters. In fact, if a young man moves out of his parents' family home and gets a place of his own, the move is usually considered highly offensive and insulting to the parents. It therefore, only rarely happens, especially if the son is an only child or an only son. Adherence to monogamyContrary to popular belief, although the law of Islam and Pakistani law allow muslim men to have up to four wives under certain strict conditions, monogamy is in reality the norm in the vast majority of Pakistan. It is highly unusual for a Muslim Pakistani man to have more than one wife. References1. ( http:/.com/issue_marapr_2004/countrydetail.php ) Information on Pakistan's Population Statistics See also
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||