Children of the River
This zine explores the many names, personalities and mythology of River Indus. Titled Nadi de Baal (Children of the River), the zine brings together testimonies from indigenous and local communities that have long engaged with the River, contributions from artists, scientists and cultural practitioners, and reflections on sacred spaces intertwined with it’s history. It also charts the River’s journey, originating in the Tibetan glaciers, flowing through the plains of Punjab, and culminating in the Arabian Sea. From its visual narrative to its tactile experience, the zine serves as a homage to the visual culture associated with River Indus.
It includes field notes and documentation from site visits to Odero Lal Shrine, conversations with Mohannas at Manchar Lake and the faqirs from Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai’s Shrine in Bhitshah. Drawing on archival records from the mountains, plains, and the delta, the zine includes excerpts of oral histories from local experts speaking in 4 local languages (Sindhi, Saraiki, Punjabi, Urdu, translated into English), and features work by artists Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Jr and Abdul Mohammad.
Children of the River, 2024, Zine (digital/limited print edition 250 copies, 22 cm x 16 cm
ISBN: 978-627-94822-0-4)
Click to read the zine
Click to watch an animation of the zine
Contributors:
Narrators / Local Knowledge Holders / Participants: Abuzar Madhu, Allah Dino, Attiya Dawood, Baba Raj Kumar, Fatima Majeed, Saif Samejo, Manthar Faqir, Maula Baksh, Mehboob Ali, Muhammad Hasnain, Syed Shaukat Hussain Latif, Yousuf Hussainabadi
Interlocutors / Scientists: Dr. Ali Lajwani, Ghazala Rahman Rafiq, Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur, Ghulam Mustafa Shaikh
Artists: Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Jr, Abdul Mohammad
Facilitating Institution: The Citizens Archive of Pakistan: Eman Faheem, Shaheen Jaffrani, Maryam Hina Hasnain, Zaheer Khan, Yousuf Sohail, Sheherazad Siddiqui, Shafaq Bashir, Fatima Shah, Shamim Ahmed Jatoi, Maan Sheeraz, Hammad Umer Daraz, Haya Faruqi, Sarah Hussain, Qaima Hossein, Muhammad Kashif, Charles Liaqat, Haroon Yousuf, Ghulam Muhammad Hamza, Muhammad Ubaidullah, Mohammad Kamran Qureshi, Muhammad Umair Khan
Curator: Noor Ahmed
Noor Ahmed is a curator of Karachi biennale 2027 and co-curator of River Landscapes. She was part of the team curating the award-winning Pakistan Pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020, was Project Director/Lead Curator of the Digital Curation of Lahore and Taxila Museums, and was heading The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP) from 2022-2025. Furthermore, she is a member of the collective “Beyond Geographies” which initiated the project “River Landscapes: A New Glossary”. CAP is a robust, leading digital archive in South Asia that has focused its attention on the tradition of oral storytelling for historical and cultural preservation. CAP curates public museums, exhibitions and festivals to highlight the history and culture of South Asia for local and international audiences.