I've been perusing some of my old imagery and I keep coming back to this image taken in 2007, the day after my younger brother's wedding. It was December 27th, and one of our last days in Lahore before heading back to the States and we were fitting in 1 quick day of sightseeing. Up until then, our days in Lahore were filled with pre-wedding activities and visiting family. So on this day, my parents, older brother and close family friends visited Badshahi Mosque and the Lahore Fort. Not only are these iconic and UNESCO World Heritage Sites, but as we wandered the properties with our guide, the historical stories were interspersed with childhood stories of my parents recounting school trips to the Mosque and Fort.
Because of my heritage and family history, I have always been drawn to Mughal-era architecture. I distinctly remember visiting Pakistan for the first time at age 6, walking hand in hand with my Nana Ji through Shalimar Gardens, another UNESCO site which was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jehan, the same man who built the Taj Mahal. And this day was no different in that I knew it would be another significant date in me revisiting my culture and heritage. Little did we know this day would also go down in history as the date Benazir Bhutto was assassinated.
For my photography friends, this image was captured with my first DSLR, a Canon Rebel (gasp!) and wasn't edited until 5 years later. It is being shared for the first time today. You can view it larger and in high-resolution here, on my Google+ page.
