Zainab Nadeem

 “Discovering the Heart of Pakistan” Falling in love with the land of diversity which not only attracted me from it’s seasonally decorated and brightly lit malls but for also for its nature, from sky spearing mountains to Eden-green valleys this land has everything. From historical culture and traditions to mouth-watering cuisines. The jewel blue rivers giving the view of refreshment and momentous buildings giving a flashback from the past gave a moment to cherish. My journey made me fall in love with the Heart of Pakistan, Punjab. Getting to know about its capital Lahore made me more curious to get there. Listening from the internet and social networks that Lahore is the city that never sleeps made me want to explore it. Blazing sun and upcoming spring had made the city even more attracting. Food is my first priority and yes Lahori food is something to die for. Having a huge range of restaurants you can find anything you like at any time of the day. I love spicy food and hearing about the famous tawa piece made me want to eat it. You can buy tawa piece in the walled city area ARIF Chatkara. It was a spice bomb with red chilies stuffed in and fried with green chilies served with chapatti (a form of used with Pakistani cuisine). Who doesn’t want an exquisite dessert after such a spicy traditional dish, well everyone does! So after I was done with my dinner I headed to Kasur (which is 50km away from Lahore) to get the famous Kasuri Faluda, a delicious summer coolant which not only tastes good but cools the body down from inside. Food is not the only thing which attracts the tourists. Other than the appetizing cuisine the land itself is a beauty. Punjab is full of life, colors and cultural heritage. After I got to see the Badshahi mosque I was stunned. Being one of the famous mosques of the world and having a great history it is one of the places worth visiting. Other than the mosques Lahore is a tourist friendly place. To see the city I decided to get a ticket and get on the sight-seeing bus. Sight-seeing buses were recently launched by Tourism Development Cooperation of Punjab. It is a double decker bus by which you can travel different famous places of Lahore in a day like I did. Punjab which means “The land of five rivers” and being one of the most beautiful and visited places in Pakistan has been developed a lot by the government. One of the places that everyone would want to visit is the Salt Range in Kallar Kahar. It is the world’s second largest salt range. The visitors are given a tour of the salt range by the tour guides, which to be honest I enjoyed a lot and learnt far more than I could ever learn in my class. After having a detailed tour of the salt range we went to a rest area beside the lake. The cold breeze of the lake refreshes everything. Spending a night there is always a best idea. Besides the food and places, the lifestyle in Punjab is really different from those of the other regions. The colors and rich traditions of Punjab highlights the diversity of the land even more. The famous dress of Punjab is Kurta and Pajama which highlights the decency of the province. Although now people prefer wearing western dresses (including me) but the value of the provincial dress can never be forgotten. The famous dances of Punjab like Luddi and Bhangra are practiced and performed throughout the land. Especially on occasions like marriages. I too enjoy dancing in Punjabi style. Many people from all across the world come to admire the beauty and traditions of Punjab. Although Punjab has been modernized to a really great extent but it is still the cultural hub of Pakistan. People from all across the globe come to see the unique culture and diverse nature of Punjab especially after the development across Lahore and other major cities of Punjab. I personally enjoy travelling and travelling across Punjab visiting different areas has been a life time experience. Punjab truly is the Heart of Pakistan.