Why More Pakistanis Should Be Using 'Find A Grave'

Here is an online resource that should be on everyone's list:

Find A Grave is a website that helps genealogists locate their ancestor's graves. The above shows an example of a memorial and includes information such as death date and details about the person's life as well as the burial location. It has been added by myself (a volunteer) and can be viewed by anyone who visits the site.

Find A Grave, therefore, acts as a genealogy research tool as it holds some cemetery records that might not otherwise be available.

I've heard about a 'request a photo' button on the website but haven't actually seen one. If anyone could point it out to me that would be great. (yes, I can be dim sometimes -.-) Apparently, this is a way for researchers to ask a volunteer to take a picture of a grave stone/marker.

You can even search for specific burial locations for example, Pakistan and England. Unfortunately, Pakistan is only listed as having 21 records on the site whereas England has 4,104.

So, go forth all Pakistanis and explore this amazing website and perhaps even contribute!

Tombstone Tuesday - Susan E. Pratt Attar (1948-1992)

Here I have another photograph from CM Fish on flickr for today's Tombstone Tuesday. Thank you once again for letting me use the photograph. It was taken at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Seattle, Washington.

'[Arabic script]
SUSAN E. PRATT
ATTAR
BORN IN SEATTLE
1948 - 1992'

Unfortunately, I can't translate everything but the top line translates as "In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate" and above the name written in English, its the name written in Arabic script. However, the Arabic name says 'Susan Elaine Attar' which tells me the middle name that's been abbreviated in the English translation.

Tombstone Tuesday - Unknown Bi

Here is another photograph of an ancestral tombstone, of who, I don't know, which was taken in October 2010.

It was taken in our private family graveyard in Punjab. Again, the writing on the stone isn't clearly visible but I can make out the Urdu script to read her surname. I say 'her' because the surname is 'Bi' which was (is?) a common female surname for Pakistani women. Other information on the tombstone seems to have faded away.

I'd like to find out whose grave this is and how they were related to me.

Any help on deciphering the writing on the tombstone would be appreciated, you can contact me on pakistani_g[at]hotmail.co.uk

Tombstone Tuesday - Aziz Fatma (1914-1993)

For Tombstone Tuesday, I am posting this photograph I came across of a Muslim tombstone on Flickr. It was taken by CM Fish at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Seattle, Washington so thanks to him/her for letting me share it with you.

'[Arabic script]
AZIZ FATMA
(FROM PAKISTAN)
BORN IN INDIA - 1914
DIED IN SEATTLE - 1993
WIFE OF
ABDUL HAMEED KHAN - LAWYER'

Translation of the Arabic script:
"In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"
"To God we belong and unto Him is our return"

Tombstone Tuesday - N. Bi (?-?)

I obtained this photograph of my greatgrandmother's tombstone from my brother who took photos of some of our ancestors graves while he was in Pakistan (yes, he went too).

N. Bi is buried in our private family graveyard in Punjab. The writing on the stone isn't clearly visible but I can make out the Urdu script to read her name. Other information seems to have faded away such as when did she pass away. I haven't found out much information about her and missed out on seeing the grave for myself, which just goes to show if you have the chance to visit an ancestors grave, you should do it.

N. Bi was the mother of my grandfather, M Y.

Here is what it says:

"[First name] Bi
???
Wafaat ???" (Translation: Death)

Some day I hope to see it in real life..

Pakistan Trip

As promised, here are the pictures from my trip to Pakistan:

Sitting in the plane watching the clouds..

..land from above..

Finally..after 7.5 hours, the information on-board the plane states we're now flying over Pakistan

Islamabad from above

The morning sun in my ancestral village

The road into my village




Fields


Family graveyard

I also have some photographs of some tombstones in our family graveyard which I will be hopefully uploading soon.

Please do leave a comment about any of the pics :)

Graves in Karachi

Readers of this blog might remember that I posted about the condition of graveyards in Pakistan. I managed to find a list of cemeteries in Karachi (which I obtained from Wiki):

Muslims
Jannatul Baqi Graveyard at Hub River Road, S.I.T.E.

* Azeempura Cemetery, Shah Faisal Colony
* Bagh-e-Ahmed (AMI's Karachi Chapter Cemetery)
* Essa Nagri Graveyard, Main Sir Shah Suleman Road (officially declared closed)
* Gizri Cemetery, D.H.A.
* Mewashah Cemetery (officially declared closed)
* Jannatul Baqi Cemetery, Hub River Road, S.I.T.E.
* Leemo Goth Graveyard, Haji Leemo Goth, Gulshan-e-Iqbal
* Metrovill III Graveyard, Metrovill III, Gulshan-e-Iqbal
* Mian Goth Cemetery, Malir
* Model Colony Cemetery (New), Malir
* Model Colony Cemetery (Old), Malir
* New Karachi Cemetery, New Karachi
* Old Morraro Cemetery, S.I.T.E.
* P.E.C.H.S. Cemetery, Tariq Road (officially declared closed)
* Paposh Nagar Cemetery (officially declared closed)
* Sakhi Hassan Cemetery, North Nazimabad (officially declared closed)
* Peer Bukhari Graveyard, Mannoo Goth, Gulshan-e-Iqbal
* Pehalwan Goth Graveyard, Pehalwan Goth, Gulistan-e-Johar
* Saudabad Cemetery, Malir (officially declared closed)
* Shah Faisal Cemetery(Colony Gate), Shahrah-e-Faisal (officially declared closed)
* Shanti Nagar Graveyard, Dalmia Road, Shanti Nagar
* Wadi-e-Hussain Cemetery, Super Highway (Wadi-e-Hussain.com)

Christian

* Gora Kabristan, Shahrah-e-Faisal.

Jewish

* Bani Israel Graveyard

Zoroastrian (Parsi)

* Parsi Dar-e-Meher (Fire Temple), Dr Umar Bin Muhammad Daudpota Road.


In Urdu, a grave is called a qabar and a graveyard/cemetery is called a qabarstan.

Which cemeteries have you visited? How did you find them? Did you think the cemetery was being well looked after? How important is it for the future generations that gravestones are preserved? Leave a comment below or email me at pakistani_g[at]hotmail.co.uk

Private Family Graveyard

Some of my ancestors are buried in a private family graveyard in Pakistan. The graveyard is on privately owned land which belongs to our family. Unfortunately, I have not visited this place even though I have been to Pakistan many times. I know that my maternal grandma often visits the graveyard and is often the one who takes along visiting relatives to pay respects to the departed souls as she is one of the very few people who knows who is buried in which place. However, as she is getting older she is beginning to forget and therefore there is a need for grave markers or gravestones which identify the person that is buried there. So its been decided that indicators should be put down for the graves and money has been set aside for this purpose and hopefully my uncles in Pakistan will make sure the work is done.

But how many other Pakistanis are taking care of their private graveyards? Who should be in charge of the upkeep? Or should relatives co-operate and fund the maintenance of the graveyards so the responsibility is shared?

Here is a picture of the Bhutto family mausoleum:



It is situated in a village called Garhi Khuda Baksh in Sindh.

Topic questions:
Do you have a private family cemetery in Pakistan? Who takes care of it? Is there a sign at the entrance? Are the graves marked or unmarked? Is there a record of who is buried there?

If you have something to say on the topic, please do comment.

Tombstone Tuesday - Muhammad Ayaz Malik and Wendy Leigh

The Geneabloggers website has some interesting daily themes for bloggers to write about in their own blogs. If you don't know what Tombstone Tuesday is, then click here for an explanation. Although I have no tombstone pictures of my own, here's my contribution:

I came across this picture of a Muslim tombstone on Flickr. It was taken by Hammad Mian at Indianapolis in Indiana so thanks to him for letting me share it with you.

'[Arabic script] To God we belong and unto Him is our return. (Qur'an 2.156)
MALIK
Muhammad Ayaz 1957 Wendy Leigh 1962'

I wonder who they were. The man has a Muslim name and there is a verse from the Quran on the headstone. How would you go about learning more about these people?

What do you think? Leave me a comment.