Gilgit - BaltistanPakistan
Pictory VIII – Daak Khana
by Noor
World Post Day is being celebrated the world over today, on October 9. Most of us might not have sent a ‘letter’ home through the “Daak”, for years now, but still there are post offices operating in our villages. Many argue that the arrival of internet, email, mobile phones and the courier services have already announced the demise of the traditional Daak System. If the argument is taken as a fact, then our ‘Daak System” has died an immature death, as depicted by the photograph above. Today many of us prefer to use the telecommunication services or the courier services instead of Daak Khana. What is the future of the Daak System? Do you have memories of the ‘Daak’ system?
Let’s discuss.
Once a upon a time we received letters from the post office with a special envelop form Fuji Azrat, there mostly written on the back side.
“Khat ka jawab chaladi dena, shagoryia”
Wao great photo
دیکھو ڈاکیا آیا ہے
ساتھ اپنے خط لایا ہے
گرمی ہے یا سردی ہے
اسکی ایک ہی وردی ہے
سر پہ خاکی پگڑی ہے
کاندھے پہ اک تھیلا ہے
جس میں وہ خط رکھتا ہے
Once upon a time we used to route this poem and recite whenever we see the Dakia and Dak Khana… I still remember in Gulmit the Dak Khana was in the shop of Marhoom Panshambi, May God grant his soul eternal peace! It had a small red letter box outside on the wall. I still remember we would put papers, stick and other things inside that tiny box…..
The rapid changes in the field of communication and information technology have impeded many beautiful and memorable day to day practices of ours and the letters distributed from the dak khanas is one of them.
We have lost many many things that were really a source of happiness.
People used to wait for response from their well wishers or relatives and used to pay frequent visits to the nearby dak khana as if there was something more interesting coming to them through the Dakya of the dakkhana.
Regards
Aslam Ghalib