Paradise comes from the ancient Persian word pairidaēza, meaning ‘an enclosed garden,’ and in arid land, the idea of an orchard filled with the sound of water, the glow of ripening fruit and the perfume of flowers was indeed a vision from the celestial realm. Persians perfected the art of gardening and their ideas influenced the way orchards were designed around the world. To see one such garden, I traveled to Karachi, a bustling port city in the south of Pakistan, continued my journey along the Indus River, and navigated the mad traffic of Lahore. An orchard may not be worth such an effort, but the Shalimar Gardens were no ordinary place.
I have a new article in the magazine Oh Comely. It follows me on my travels through southern Pakistan to reach the fabled Shalimar Gardens. They were created in the 17th century by the emperor Shah Jahan and while many changes have befallen them, they’re still one of the reasons to visit Lahore, the city that was the jewel of the Mughal Empire. My article is in Issue 48. The spring issue has fruit as its leitmotif, and if you read my article, you’ll see what the Shalimar Gardens, the founder of the Mughal Empire, emperor Babur, and fragrant mangoes have in common. And the Shalimar perfume, of course.
Oh Comely is a relatively new publication that focuses on art, literature, social topics and much more. Please take a look at the sample articles here and subscribe to receive more. I’ve previously written for the magazine on scents and books, and I was glad to return with a piece about one of the treasures of the Indian subcontinent. My article is titled “No Ordinary Place,” and it can be found on page 111.
Photography by Bois de Jasmin.
9 Comments
Karen A: This looks like a beautiful magazine! The issue with your article wasn’t up on the web site when I checked earlier. Do you know if they mail to the US? Your article sounds enchanting! April 19, 2019 at 12:08pm
Victoria: Oh, it’s probably going to be up shortly. The issue is due to launch. If I remember correctly, they mail all over the world, including the US. April 21, 2019 at 3:42am
Annie: The magazine looks so nice. Will take a look at it. April 19, 2019 at 12:19pm
Victoria: Thank you, Annie! April 21, 2019 at 3:42am
Matty: The magazine does indeed look nice and interesting. April 20, 2019 at 7:29am
Victoria: I think so too. An interesting collection of articles about art, literature, fashion, travel, food, social topics. April 21, 2019 at 3:43am
Aurora: Congratulations, Victoria, I see the photos illustrating the articles are by you as well. I remember a previous article of yours in that same publication, I had read it at work and you spoke about Gogol and Encens Flamboyant if I remember correctly. How I love this perfume too. April 21, 2019 at 12:07pm
Victoria: Yes, I took the photos used in the article.
You’re right, my previous one was about Gogol, Proust and scents in literature. I liked writing about that topic. April 22, 2019 at 2:27am
Maria: Hi Victoria!!
Thanks to you I have subscribed to OhComely. It helps me practice my english and I really like the visuals and the “nonchalance” of some articles. I will be glad to read you soon! April 25, 2019 at 4:28pm