The Captivating World of Botal Gali

Shelves upon shelves of old dusty bottles of every shape, size and colour; innumerable tiny glass forms heaped in sacks and crates outside the shops; coloured glass glistening in the sun, forming swirling rainbows all around - yes, that's Botal Gali. Mystical, magical; whispering untold stories to those who would listen.

My first visit to Botal Gali years ago was not what I had expected. It wasn't even intentional. It was one of my usual visits to Paper Market when I decided to explore the entwined lanes and ended up gasping at the sight of countless bottles and jars from places unknown. It was then that I discovered what was soon going to be one of my favourite haunts for many years to come.
The exploration unearthed a plethora of interesting shops, all laden with everything from apothecary bottles and jars to old empty medicine bottles, and from canisters to empty liquor bottles. The intriguing shapes and sizes stood out from the regular lot, the perfect prop for these. The old brick buildings which housed the shops on the ground floor and mostly residences on the upper floors just added to the old world charm. The more I visited Botal Gali, the more stories I weaved around it and the goods it carried, in my imagination. A multitude of dusty apothecary jars on the top shelves made me wonder what potions they once held, what journey they experienced till they ended up in these shops, what secrets they hold.
With time my visits became less frequent but the fascination with the magical gali remains. Now, as part of Reimagining Karachi, I urge all those who haven't been there yet, to take some time out of the busy hectic schedules and explore the dense area of Paper Market and Botal Gali and experience the world that most of us are unaware exists in this town.

A gem slightly off Botal Gali

The Magical City of Lights!

The long disappearing act on our part was for no other reason than the fact that our days were spent developing plans and strategies to take Reimagining Karachi forward as a one-of-a-kind heritage preservation initiative and our nights were spent dreaming of restoring Karachi's glorious historic architecture.
It's strange how a soft corner for this beautiful city is turning into a full-fledged movement to bring everyone together to change the perspective that people generally have of Karachi.
Friends, colleagues, supporters, well-wishers keep emailing me beautiful snapshots of Karachi on and off; saying it reminded them of me and the initiative that we have taken or that they knew it would bring a smile to my face; and it does.
Karachi mornings have a somewhat interesting effect on me. Quite early in the morning, it is a picture of serenity with the usual hustle and bustle missing on the just awakening roads. The atmosphere somewhat hazy, the trees swaying gently embracing the soft breeze, the busy workers at the 'dhabas' making aromatic parathas and steaming tea for those who prefer the desi breakfast, hoards of school children off to the beginning of another day; all moving to just one rhythm - that of the songs of the city of lights.
The city of lights! What all it brings with it! Sorrows and joys, tears and laughter, magical moments and tragic incidents; so many experiences, so much life, yet intertwined with death. What does one do to soften the image that this city has unfortunately developed? Here's a suggestion. We dream, we work towards turning that dream into a reality; we believe and have faith in ourselves, in our younger generations, in our resilience as a nation. We explore, we build, we work with full conviction and bring about a real change and encourage everyone to recognise and enjoy the true colours of Karachi. There is a lot of beauty hidden beneath decades old thick layers of smog and smoke. Unearth it and be prepared to be mesmerised by what this magical city has to offer. What good is this life if it is not spent doing our bit for our city, our country and our people?