02-05-2005, 02:47 AM
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial" id="quote">quote<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by smraza</i>
<br />I dont know the history of Basant bilal, can u tell me when it was started and what was the reason behind that??
I asked the same question to one of my friend, he told me that in during 17th century, there was a Hindu, who used some bad words for our Holy Prophet, and due to that he was punished to be hanged till death, and he died so despite of huge protest by Hindu Community. and After his death, the Basant was started in his 'Yaad'...
I dont know whether it is correct or not... any comments....?
As far as the reducing the tension is concerned, are we supposed to reduce our tension of whole year in a day or night??
As far as I know it is not the entertainment of Poor people, the person having 5000 to 10000 income per month cannot afford the cost of Kites and 'Doors' as you will be well aware of the prices of the same.
SMR
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Some facts on the BASANT !
<b>The day of Basant Panchami is dedicated to Goddess Sarasvati.
Sarasvati is the goddess of learning. Sarasvati bestows the greatest wealth to humanity, the wealth of knowledge. In the Vedas the prayer for Sarasvati depicts her as a white lady in white dress bedecked with white flowers and white pearls, sitting on a white lotus, which is blooming in a wide stretch of water. . The prayer finally concludes, âOh Mother Sarasvati remove the darkness (ignorance) of my mind and bless me with the eternal knowledge.â</b>
I can understand that it's a a cultural thing more than a tradtion.i can also understand that some are are really emotional about it....calling "Basant" as their cultural identity. Well, focus more on ur Islamic sire den that 'Basant" side. I don't see people celebrating shab e Qadr as much as they do Basant !
Every year Basant gives rise to much denunciation on the part of the clergy in general and the religious parties in particular who even threaten âactionâ. Heretofore unknown clerics throw themselves into the fray outdoing each other in interpreting Basant in horrible details, going to the extent of b*****ng it a commemorative festival of an insult to our Prophet (PBUH). Of course officially what we are supposed to celebrate is the Spring Festival but, unofficially, it is kite-flying
Here is an Extract from the WEbsite of Jang Newspaper
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial" id="quote">quote<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">There are demons in Basant that make it increasingly difficult for the supporters of popular culture to defend the festival. The toll on life is big. The losses suffered by the Lahore Electric Supply Company, that run into several millions each year, have led to processions in Lahore demanding a ban on kite flying. Indeed, the government has imposed a general ban on kite flying, which is the essence of Basant, many a time, allowing the revellers a reprieve around Basant time. This ban has never been effective and Lahore's horizon remains dotted with kites of all shapes, colours and sizes all through the winter and even in summer.
There are factors that lead to such observations that Basant isn't quite the popular fair it used to be. The past belongs to the people, and the present to the 'high' government officials and their mighty multi-million partners. The old saying that Basant cuts across class barriers and unites the whole of Lahore stands nullified. Today there are three Basants in Lahore, three threads existing separately. The government celebrates one Basant, the corporate sector is promotes another, and the third one involves the people.
There was a time not long ago when the festival of Basant revelled in its people's only disposition. Kite flying was frowned upon in the official circles and indeed inside many homes as a sport of the bamboo-wielding louts and street urchins. As if that was not enough, it was termed as a Hindu festival unfit for the purified environs of Pakistan. Basant then was held on a working day in accordance with the announcement of the Kite-Flying Association, and the bunking schoolboy exposed himself to lashes from his class master. This was followed by a renaissance period, where the cultural icons of the city were seen giving Basant respectability from the rooftops of their grand mansions in the company of the stars from the showbiz and local and foreign dignitaries traveling across from Islamabad. More money was thrown into it and more frills were added.
In Lahore it became a bigger, a more passionate affair than other occasions, including religious ones. Women's participation in the festivities became more visible, the number of guests from across the border increased and the time warp was broken by extending the celebrations into the night. In fact, there were so many changes hat kite flying was reduced to one of the components, rather than being the main item on the menu.
Kasur had a Basant of its own to go with that of Lahore. Soon other cities in Punjab and even Karachi and Islamabad came up with their own mini versions of the festival. The event has been growing in size and its duration has increased, leading to familiar comments that entertainment-starved Pakistanis are prone to stretching things to an extent where they lose their appeal and become ordinary affairs. Purists insist that the festival must retain its kite flying essence. They argue fervently that it should retain its sunny spring appearance, dismissing a Basant under floodlights as a diversion from the true path. All in vain, in the face of a people who have few fun alternatives available.
The government's role as a patron of the kite-flying festival is a recent one. Nawaz Sharif gave Basant his blessings, and other rulers have followed suit. So much so that this year, Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi has himself fixed the date of the Basant festival. It is going to be celebrated on February 6, a few days earlier on account of Moharram, which is to start in the second week of February. After so many tragic deaths caused by the sharp twine used in kite flying, the emphasis is on ensuring safety while celebrating the occasion.
Yet, the feeling is that the official Basant bans have been provoked not so much by loss of life but by the loss of revenues to the power suppliers to Lahore. Whatever loss may be bigger in the official eye, it is believed that the most effective monitors could be the local bodies representatives that have shown little to justify their presence at the grassroots. They have to be employed into service in these desperate times since they are closer to the people, and we don't have too many other options to ensure a safe game.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
<br />I dont know the history of Basant bilal, can u tell me when it was started and what was the reason behind that??
I asked the same question to one of my friend, he told me that in during 17th century, there was a Hindu, who used some bad words for our Holy Prophet, and due to that he was punished to be hanged till death, and he died so despite of huge protest by Hindu Community. and After his death, the Basant was started in his 'Yaad'...
I dont know whether it is correct or not... any comments....?
As far as the reducing the tension is concerned, are we supposed to reduce our tension of whole year in a day or night??
As far as I know it is not the entertainment of Poor people, the person having 5000 to 10000 income per month cannot afford the cost of Kites and 'Doors' as you will be well aware of the prices of the same.
SMR
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Some facts on the BASANT !
<b>The day of Basant Panchami is dedicated to Goddess Sarasvati.
Sarasvati is the goddess of learning. Sarasvati bestows the greatest wealth to humanity, the wealth of knowledge. In the Vedas the prayer for Sarasvati depicts her as a white lady in white dress bedecked with white flowers and white pearls, sitting on a white lotus, which is blooming in a wide stretch of water. . The prayer finally concludes, âOh Mother Sarasvati remove the darkness (ignorance) of my mind and bless me with the eternal knowledge.â</b>
I can understand that it's a a cultural thing more than a tradtion.i can also understand that some are are really emotional about it....calling "Basant" as their cultural identity. Well, focus more on ur Islamic sire den that 'Basant" side. I don't see people celebrating shab e Qadr as much as they do Basant !
Every year Basant gives rise to much denunciation on the part of the clergy in general and the religious parties in particular who even threaten âactionâ. Heretofore unknown clerics throw themselves into the fray outdoing each other in interpreting Basant in horrible details, going to the extent of b*****ng it a commemorative festival of an insult to our Prophet (PBUH). Of course officially what we are supposed to celebrate is the Spring Festival but, unofficially, it is kite-flying
Here is an Extract from the WEbsite of Jang Newspaper
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial" id="quote">quote<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">There are demons in Basant that make it increasingly difficult for the supporters of popular culture to defend the festival. The toll on life is big. The losses suffered by the Lahore Electric Supply Company, that run into several millions each year, have led to processions in Lahore demanding a ban on kite flying. Indeed, the government has imposed a general ban on kite flying, which is the essence of Basant, many a time, allowing the revellers a reprieve around Basant time. This ban has never been effective and Lahore's horizon remains dotted with kites of all shapes, colours and sizes all through the winter and even in summer.
There are factors that lead to such observations that Basant isn't quite the popular fair it used to be. The past belongs to the people, and the present to the 'high' government officials and their mighty multi-million partners. The old saying that Basant cuts across class barriers and unites the whole of Lahore stands nullified. Today there are three Basants in Lahore, three threads existing separately. The government celebrates one Basant, the corporate sector is promotes another, and the third one involves the people.
There was a time not long ago when the festival of Basant revelled in its people's only disposition. Kite flying was frowned upon in the official circles and indeed inside many homes as a sport of the bamboo-wielding louts and street urchins. As if that was not enough, it was termed as a Hindu festival unfit for the purified environs of Pakistan. Basant then was held on a working day in accordance with the announcement of the Kite-Flying Association, and the bunking schoolboy exposed himself to lashes from his class master. This was followed by a renaissance period, where the cultural icons of the city were seen giving Basant respectability from the rooftops of their grand mansions in the company of the stars from the showbiz and local and foreign dignitaries traveling across from Islamabad. More money was thrown into it and more frills were added.
In Lahore it became a bigger, a more passionate affair than other occasions, including religious ones. Women's participation in the festivities became more visible, the number of guests from across the border increased and the time warp was broken by extending the celebrations into the night. In fact, there were so many changes hat kite flying was reduced to one of the components, rather than being the main item on the menu.
Kasur had a Basant of its own to go with that of Lahore. Soon other cities in Punjab and even Karachi and Islamabad came up with their own mini versions of the festival. The event has been growing in size and its duration has increased, leading to familiar comments that entertainment-starved Pakistanis are prone to stretching things to an extent where they lose their appeal and become ordinary affairs. Purists insist that the festival must retain its kite flying essence. They argue fervently that it should retain its sunny spring appearance, dismissing a Basant under floodlights as a diversion from the true path. All in vain, in the face of a people who have few fun alternatives available.
The government's role as a patron of the kite-flying festival is a recent one. Nawaz Sharif gave Basant his blessings, and other rulers have followed suit. So much so that this year, Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi has himself fixed the date of the Basant festival. It is going to be celebrated on February 6, a few days earlier on account of Moharram, which is to start in the second week of February. After so many tragic deaths caused by the sharp twine used in kite flying, the emphasis is on ensuring safety while celebrating the occasion.
Yet, the feeling is that the official Basant bans have been provoked not so much by loss of life but by the loss of revenues to the power suppliers to Lahore. Whatever loss may be bigger in the official eye, it is believed that the most effective monitors could be the local bodies representatives that have shown little to justify their presence at the grassroots. They have to be employed into service in these desperate times since they are closer to the people, and we don't have too many other options to ensure a safe game.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
