Bridge the Gap! Start from Burns Road!

Burns Road! The informal food street of Karachi! One that has the potential of turning into a more customer/pedestrian friendly, organized and attractive spot for people to come and enjoy the delicacies of the local cuisine, from all parts of town. Most of my friends from a certain part of town wrinkle up their noses at the mere mention of Burns Road. It is not because they think any less of the food there but more because of a mindset - the other side of the bridge. Often it is the haphazard layout of the food stalls and badly managed traffic that keeps them from going there. But my dear friends! You have absolutely no idea what you are missing! Karachi Haleem, an ultimate favourite has never disappointed me. The sectioned plate of garnish that is served with it adds to the flavour. Then the carefully individually packed shahi tukras! The rabri to appease my crazy sweet tooth, the fried fish fingers and the bun kababs, the best there are! To be blessed with such scrumptiousness and not avail it is being unfair to our own selves. The delectable flavours are not the only attractive feature of the place. Burns Road is nothing but colorful though smog-smeared clusters of commercial cum residential buildings. Many of them exude warmth, friendliness and a strange appeal to the passersby. The secret of enjoying this is to stop for a moment and listen to their unsung songs of desolation. They are trying to reach out to us in hope of being saved. They are urging us to listen to what secrets they hold. They are hoping to entice us with aromas and flavours. They are hanging on to a tiny shred of hope that we can see through the stone facades and unite to retain their character. 

As for the excuse that it's noisy and congested and just so full of smoke, I must draw attention to the fact that all parts of Karachi cannot be the same. That is the beauty of it. The plethora of sounds and colours, the interesting wares, the different styles of architecture in individual buildings as well as smaller tightly packed clusters, all add to the character of this city. The haphazardness is the beauty of this place. I for one do not want to be living in a place that has identical apartment buildings lying parallel to each other with no old world charm, no history. A lot can be done to improve the general condition of Karachi; traffic, cleanliness as the prior issues to be dealt with and conservation and restoration after that. We just need to get together, understand our responsibility as a citizen and work for the betterment and improvement of this city. After all, aren't we the same people who abide by the traffic rules and do not throw trash on the roadside when we visit other countries? We do it out of fear of being fined, why can't we do it out of love for our hometown and a general civic sense? 

Dig deep in your hearts and you will discover great love for the city you call home.

The intricate architectural details add to the charm 

Such charming clusters should be preserved and looked after

The interesting grillework on each of the balconies is different from the usual that we see 

Sajji!!!

The tall Corinthian columns give a distinctive character to an otherwise unkempt structure

I can well imagine what a beautiful balcony this must be once! Can you?

Diagonally opposite NED City Campus, this is a semi gutted building with a unique dome that makes it stands apart from the rest of the buildings on the road

Echoes of the past

The Ruins that should have been preserved a long time back

Not many know what delicious Gulab Jamuns Bhasani is known for, with khoya on top