Standing at the Khyber Pass, I could feel the energy of Hari Singh Nalwa. The feeling was indescribable as my mind resonated with the qawwali of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
Ali Ka Naam Sun Kar Ab Bhi Khyber Kaanp Jata Hai
Hearing the name of Ali, even today the Khyber trembles
Khyber Pass was once a dreaded locus, a route through which centuries of invasions were led into the Indian sub-continent. Historically, a mere mention of Khyber Pass would send trembles across the mortals.
A few miles ahead is the Durand Line, the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Forgotten is the fact that unofficially this line came into existence when the Sikh Empire expanded westwards in early 19th century to reach the Afghan city of Jalalabad. It is since then that no further invasions of the sub-continent have happened through the Khyber Pass.
Photographed in Jan 2017, during the research for the book “THE QUEST CONTINUES: LOST HERITAGE The Sikh Legacy in Pakistan”
