NASA is building a new Voyager spacecraft that will carry the best of modern human culture. What belongs onboard?
Civilization stands at the brink of extinction. I represent my country and am in charge of sending on the spacecraft the best of Pakistani culture.
I would include the inspirational poetry of Iqbal:
When an eagle’s spirit awakens in youthful hearts,
It sees its luminous goal beyond the starry heavens.
Thy abode is not on the dome of a royal palace;
You are an eagle and should live on the rocks of mountains.
and of Faiz Ahmed Faiz (translated into English):
We shall see
It is imperative that we shall also see
That day which has been promised
Which is written with God’s ink
We shall see
When the mountains of cruelty and torture
Will fly like pieces of cotton
Under the feet of the governed
This earth will quake
And over the head of the ruler
When lightening will thunder
We shall see
photos depicting the architecture of the area dating back to the Indus Civilization of the 3rd millenium B.C. and more recently the Moghul era starting from the 16th century,
the hypnotic Qawwali (devotional music of the Sufis) of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
and the ghazals with the central theme of love and separation of Noor Jehan,
videos of the upbeat and popular Bhangra dance from the Punjab,
the paintings of Gulgee and Sadequain (or at least pictures of them)

Section of the mural “Treasures of Time” (65 x 10 foot) pays tribute to intellectual advancement of the Arab scholars. Shown in the section are Al-Beruni, Al-Khawarizmi, Omar Khayyam, Ibne Rushd, Sadequain, IbneZakaria, Rumi, Al-Idrisi, Hafiz, and Ibne Khaldun
videos of the victorious Field Hockey team in the Olympics and the World Cup and the Cricket team in the 1992 World Cup and the winning matches,
samples of the Shalwar Kameez, the national clothing worn by men and women.
and lastly samples of delicious Pakistani cuisine which has Middle Eastern, Iranian, Afghan, Indian, and Turkish influences like Biryani (rice with meat), Tikka (Barbequed meat), Daal (Lentils) and Chapati (bread) (I’m assuming they have a way of preserving food and maintaining it’s temperature on the spacecraft).
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Loved the post. That poetry thing added a unique essence to the post.
And did someone say Biryaniii ????? 😀
Yes of course! Food is an important part of culture and no meal is complete without biryani!! Thanks for liking my post.
I love Biryani. Best food ever!
You are very welcome 🙂
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So similar to Indian culture you could call it Asian Culture
Yes we were all one once
Very nice choices for flight aboard.. 🙂
I’m glad you liked them! 🙂
Pak has great food! I’m Indian and I have seen some amazing food in Pakistan on You tube 🙂
would love to try them someday. Pakistan, other than politics and religion is a potentially prosperous country with many talented people. But, Biryani from Hyderabad in India is unmatched till I try the Pak version.
I love Indian food too! You’re probably right about the Hyderabadi biryani. I tried to make it once its completely different to the one we make and very delicious!
Thanks for your visit and comment. Do come again!
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