Book Reviews Jürgen Wasim Frembgen and Paul Rollier (eds.), Wrestlers, Pigeon Fanciers, and Kite Flyers Traditional Sports and Pastimes in Lahore

Abstract

Lahore has always been a vibrant cultural city. It has absorbed a multitude of cultural influences from diverse sources, indigenous and foreign, in abundance. In any culture the roots are no doubt in the soil, but the plant is free to catch light, air, and vibes from the whole universe. The popular culture reflects the actual longings of the people and how they pursue what they think is essential for their pleasure. The book under review discusses three aspects of the popular culture in the old Walled City of Lahore—an urban space—which is taken as a representative of the culture of old Lahore, trying to survive under the pressures of a modernizing and globalizing surrounding. Here there is wrestling, an Olympic sport; kite flying a seasonal activity in many parts of the world, and pigeon flying, a common scene in the sky but a rare hobby of those who fancy it today. All these three indicate varying degrees of passion; wrestling is a fulltime activity for which daily exercise and fitness is essential, whereas the pigeons and kites can be abandoned anytime. Excellence in the three comes from the professional standards, accepted globally or locally, but expertise is involved which requires practice and a perfect temperament. The book under review throws light on such aspects adeptly. The