Shrines, outdoors and malls

In small towns and suburban areas, people would flock to the shrines on Thursdays and other days they thought were sacred to visit such places. Not only men but women and children would also pay visits in numbers for prosperity and contentment in their lives. Some would always have stories of how good omens at shrines changed their lives for good while others would persevere with their visitations in hope of hitting the jackpot someday. Whether fortunes change or not, shrines which are not easily accessible; offer an opportunity for an adventurous day out.

This Sunday, while going for a hike on Trail 5 with my boys, the scenes were reminiscent of shrines. The parking was full to the hilt. The trail track was loaded with people of all ages. The kind of rush one sees at Bari Imams and Hajveri shrines.

Track leading to Wali Kandhari shrine in Hassan Abdal

Not making a case to visit outdoors instead of shrines. Because, shrines are outdoor and some are located at relatively difficult locations to reach out to e.g Baba Wali Kahdhari’s shrine is at the top of a mountain in Hassan Abdal. I remember visiting the place as a child and thoroughly enjoying the adventure that came with it. If we relate the shrine going culture with outdoor trends like hiking, trekking, hunting etc; outdoor activity is common in both. People of all walks of life like to go out in leisure time particularly places closer to the nature. Besides, women who perform household duties for six days a week deserve a let out, may it be a visitation to a shrine which normally involves dressing up, travelling, shopping and eating out; all good for a change and normalcy for next six days in the house. And if 'Malangs' at shrines get a little high, it does not take away anything from the those good men in graves nor those simpletons who visit shrines out of affinity or habit.

The thread of thoughts today does not really stop at shrines or outdoors rather at the new plague in town; the malls. It is worse than visiting shrines or outdoors but it is fast becoming a lifestyle. Big malls like Dolmens, Packages, Gigas etc are capitalist fortresses.

The Packages Mall, Lahore

The mice traps that only have bad effects on human economy and health. Firstly, controlled temperature is a curse. If one temperature was good for human health, God would have done just that.  However, everything comes at a price; with single transaction on a mall you start paying for the controlled temperature costs. Secondly, there are no stairs for healthy people only escalators or elevators for which you pay with every transaction at the mall. Then the sky-rocketing goods’ prices, unhealthy food at food courts and inactive games at fun cities for kids are all rippers. They just rip you off of your hard earned money (if so) and may not have any healthy outcome for you and your family. Finally, it’s a vicious cycle, you get ‘tempting’ offers like membership cards, honey-trap discounts and fun city cards to return to the same mall and get ripped off again and again. Although, mall culture is here to stay with so many malls in the pipeline, yet the adaptation remains consumer’s choice. Consumers, however, are the best of the creations and can do better than mice.

We quite conveniently distance ourselves from anything conventional and readily assimilate and like to be associated with anything modern and upscale. If we juxtapose shrine visitation culture with the recently acquired culture of mall visitation, shrines beat malls by a mile. Because shrines are outdoors with ambient temperatures and without escalators. They offer low scale indigenous business activity, poor are fed for free and last but not the least, people return with hope, however, false it may be.

Bottom line is, if you can manage, go out and immerse in to the nature once in a while and stay away from malls because they do not add any value to your lives.

Only Allah knows the whole Truth.