Devil Soul
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Downtown Karachi: A street called love
M BILAL HASSAN — UPDATED about 7 hours ago
Marred by years of political and sectarian violence, Karachi does not have the best reputation; judging by news headlines over the past few years, many would think of it as being a highly intolerant urban centre. However, having gone to school and college with almost every religious community represented in the city, I find it hard to digest that the population of Karachi is hateful or prejudiced.
And so, I set out on foot to explore the downtown area of Karachi.
I started walking from the historic Zaibunissa Street all the way towards St. Patricks Cathedral. To my utter delight, every subsequent block I walked by was inhabited by a different religious community. Here, these communities have lived harmoniously with one another for many years.
The first religious site that comes up along the way is the hauntingly beautiful yet highly neglected Kutchi Memon Mosque. This particular street is inhabited by people from the Memon ethnic community.
Built by the Memon community in 1893, this mosque is one of the oldest in Karachi.
I particularly loved the interior of the mosque which was a unique Pistachio green.
After a short walk down the street, I came onto another block that was represented by another community, the Parsi’s. The word Parsi is a Persian word that literally means from Persia – present day Iran – where the Parsi community traces back its origins to. If you closely observe this street, the words Iran or Irani are stamped across almost every storefront next to the produce they are selling e.g Irani Bakery, Irani Tea, etc.
Also read: Karachi's 'Yahoodi Masjid'
During the early years of independence, the Parsi’s were one of Karachi’s most influential and economically sound communities. They contributed heavily towards the establishment of a vast number of institutions, social and health setups around town. The most prominent of which are the NED University and Lady Dufferin hospital. Their community’s numbers have dwindled over the years due to migration and a low birth rate hence there aren’t many functioning Fire Temple’s left.
One of the largest of them is the HJ Behrana Dar-e-Meher (Fire Temple). Non Parsi’s are strictly not allowed into the temple area, after a lot of persuasion, the guard and head priest were kind enough to let me into the verandah area. There was a lot of colorful chalk art on the verandah floor similar to theRangoli one sees at Hindu temples and houses during festivals.
Looking at the outer façade, I spotted a few similar symbols and structures that I had seen represented atop Persian historical sites. The most prominent of them being the Faravahar that was located at the top of the building.
From the outside, I could spot a portrait of Zoroaster, also known as Zarathustra, the founder of the Zoroastrian faith adorning one of the walls.
The exterior of the HJ Behrana Dar-e-Meher. Notice the Faravahar located right at the top of the temple. The Faravahar is the most prominent symbol in the Zoroastrian faith.
Religious chalk art near the staircase leading up to the entrance area of the temple.
Karachi Parsi Institute.
After a short walk down the block, I came face-to-face with the mighty and chaotic Empress Market.
I noticed I was standing behind what seemed to be a very large mosque. Being the curious soul that I am, I walked towards the main entrance of the mosque that was located just another block down the street. As I was approaching the entrance I realised the building was a Jamaat Khana belonging to the Dawoodi Bohra community. The Bohra community is known citywide for their peaceful nature and overwhelming hospitality.
I made my way up to the entrance and asked if I could get a quick look around the place. I was prepared to be shooed away, but to my surprise, I was allowed inside without hesitation and was also assigned a guide to show me around. He told me this particular Jamaat Khana was called the Tahiri Masjid and was one of the largest Jamaat Khanas in the city.
The entrance leading up towards the mosque area is pure grandiose. The interior of the mosque bears architectural influences from across the Islamic world. The most awe inspiring part of the mosque is the main prayer area. I was literally left speechless when all of its chandeliers were lit up, I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.
The main staircase leading up to the interior of the mosque.
The beautiful exterior of the main prayer area as seen from the verandah of the mosque.
The main prayer area as seen with all its chandeliers lit up.
My guide apologetically told me it was almost prayer time and that the tour would end here. I thanked him for his hospitality and for the brief but efficient tour of the mosque.
I was now heading towards St. Patricks Cathedral, which is located straight down the road from the mosque. Located around the church area are some of the most prestigious convent schools in the city, St. Patricks and St. Josephs.
Since it was a Sunday afternoon, the schools were closed and the area was pretty quiet. I could spot a bunch of people heading back home from mass in their Sunday best.
Once I got to the gate I asked the guard if I could go in, he replied “It’s God’s house, who am I to stop you?”
The first thing that you see before the Cathedral itself is the magnificent white marble “Monument to Christ the King”. The interior of the monument houses a small crypt, and a replica of St. Francis Xavier the patron saint of Goa.
Since most of the Catholic community in Karachi has roots in Goa, St. Francis is highly revered amongst the Catholic community of Karachi also.
The Cathedral in its current state was built in 1881, albeit a church has been on this very site since 1845. It was the largest Catholic Cathedral in Karachi with a capacity of 1500 people, until the St. Peters Cathedral was built in Mehmoodabad in 2001 – that has a capacity of around 5000 people.
M BILAL HASSAN — UPDATED about 7 hours ago
Marred by years of political and sectarian violence, Karachi does not have the best reputation; judging by news headlines over the past few years, many would think of it as being a highly intolerant urban centre. However, having gone to school and college with almost every religious community represented in the city, I find it hard to digest that the population of Karachi is hateful or prejudiced.
And so, I set out on foot to explore the downtown area of Karachi.
I started walking from the historic Zaibunissa Street all the way towards St. Patricks Cathedral. To my utter delight, every subsequent block I walked by was inhabited by a different religious community. Here, these communities have lived harmoniously with one another for many years.
The first religious site that comes up along the way is the hauntingly beautiful yet highly neglected Kutchi Memon Mosque. This particular street is inhabited by people from the Memon ethnic community.
Built by the Memon community in 1893, this mosque is one of the oldest in Karachi.
I particularly loved the interior of the mosque which was a unique Pistachio green.
After a short walk down the street, I came onto another block that was represented by another community, the Parsi’s. The word Parsi is a Persian word that literally means from Persia – present day Iran – where the Parsi community traces back its origins to. If you closely observe this street, the words Iran or Irani are stamped across almost every storefront next to the produce they are selling e.g Irani Bakery, Irani Tea, etc.
Also read: Karachi's 'Yahoodi Masjid'
During the early years of independence, the Parsi’s were one of Karachi’s most influential and economically sound communities. They contributed heavily towards the establishment of a vast number of institutions, social and health setups around town. The most prominent of which are the NED University and Lady Dufferin hospital. Their community’s numbers have dwindled over the years due to migration and a low birth rate hence there aren’t many functioning Fire Temple’s left.
One of the largest of them is the HJ Behrana Dar-e-Meher (Fire Temple). Non Parsi’s are strictly not allowed into the temple area, after a lot of persuasion, the guard and head priest were kind enough to let me into the verandah area. There was a lot of colorful chalk art on the verandah floor similar to theRangoli one sees at Hindu temples and houses during festivals.
Looking at the outer façade, I spotted a few similar symbols and structures that I had seen represented atop Persian historical sites. The most prominent of them being the Faravahar that was located at the top of the building.
From the outside, I could spot a portrait of Zoroaster, also known as Zarathustra, the founder of the Zoroastrian faith adorning one of the walls.
The exterior of the HJ Behrana Dar-e-Meher. Notice the Faravahar located right at the top of the temple. The Faravahar is the most prominent symbol in the Zoroastrian faith.
Religious chalk art near the staircase leading up to the entrance area of the temple.
Karachi Parsi Institute.
After a short walk down the block, I came face-to-face with the mighty and chaotic Empress Market.
I noticed I was standing behind what seemed to be a very large mosque. Being the curious soul that I am, I walked towards the main entrance of the mosque that was located just another block down the street. As I was approaching the entrance I realised the building was a Jamaat Khana belonging to the Dawoodi Bohra community. The Bohra community is known citywide for their peaceful nature and overwhelming hospitality.
I made my way up to the entrance and asked if I could get a quick look around the place. I was prepared to be shooed away, but to my surprise, I was allowed inside without hesitation and was also assigned a guide to show me around. He told me this particular Jamaat Khana was called the Tahiri Masjid and was one of the largest Jamaat Khanas in the city.
The entrance leading up towards the mosque area is pure grandiose. The interior of the mosque bears architectural influences from across the Islamic world. The most awe inspiring part of the mosque is the main prayer area. I was literally left speechless when all of its chandeliers were lit up, I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.
The main staircase leading up to the interior of the mosque.
The beautiful exterior of the main prayer area as seen from the verandah of the mosque.
The main prayer area as seen with all its chandeliers lit up.
My guide apologetically told me it was almost prayer time and that the tour would end here. I thanked him for his hospitality and for the brief but efficient tour of the mosque.
I was now heading towards St. Patricks Cathedral, which is located straight down the road from the mosque. Located around the church area are some of the most prestigious convent schools in the city, St. Patricks and St. Josephs.
Since it was a Sunday afternoon, the schools were closed and the area was pretty quiet. I could spot a bunch of people heading back home from mass in their Sunday best.
Once I got to the gate I asked the guard if I could go in, he replied “It’s God’s house, who am I to stop you?”
The first thing that you see before the Cathedral itself is the magnificent white marble “Monument to Christ the King”. The interior of the monument houses a small crypt, and a replica of St. Francis Xavier the patron saint of Goa.
Since most of the Catholic community in Karachi has roots in Goa, St. Francis is highly revered amongst the Catholic community of Karachi also.
The Cathedral in its current state was built in 1881, albeit a church has been on this very site since 1845. It was the largest Catholic Cathedral in Karachi with a capacity of 1500 people, until the St. Peters Cathedral was built in Mehmoodabad in 2001 – that has a capacity of around 5000 people.
![[Bregs]](/data/avatars/m/148/148509.jpg?1491816884){kind=avatar}
