Recently, on a bright and sunny Sunday, when Lahore shone in all its glory, and days of smog and fog were seemingly over, a couple of friends planned an excursion. Next, we had booked with Lahore Ka Ravi for their special trail, called the Women of Lahore.

It was meant to celebrate the “seven women [who had] inspired the culture and beauty of Lahore” through centuries, in areas such as politics, art and music. God knows we all came back having fallen in love with the city all over again.

For the uninitiated, Lahore Ka Ravi is an immersive storytelling initiative, led by the ever so eloquent Ghazi Taimoor and a bunch of other young historians. The idea is to “foster an understanding of the rich and diverse heritage of Lahore.” They don’t call themselves a tour company but a “social and educational movement.”

One of us thought that it would be a women-only walk, but it turned out to be one that focused on issues the region had faced over time and the strong role of women in helping the patriarchs sail through.

Our first stop was Kuri Da Bagh (the Daughter’s Garden), which stood right opposite the FBR building in Old Anarkali. The place is surrounded by busy markets and run-down buildings. The entrance leads you to a smallish tomb whose octagonal structure with petals thrown around on the dome pay homage to the times of Ranjit Singh, the 19th Century Sikh Maharaja of the Punjab. The building’s crisp white paint shone against the blue morning sky.

We were led upstairs where we were greeted by a Persian scripture announcing the date of death of Marie Charlotte buried inside.........

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