The Paradise in Winter
There, under the shades of the mountains, you will freeze at the land with no sunshine…
People of Hunza in Northern Pakistan warned me when I attempted to move further north, closer to the mountainous border of China and Afghanistan. Hunza and Gojal in Northern Areas of Pakistan (now known as Gilgit Baltistan province) are blessed (or cursed?) by snowcapped mountain ranges, among the highest in the world. They are majestic heavenly scenery, potential to attract international tourists, but with current situation in Pakistan, tourism is not in good shape anyway. While most tourists come in summer, I arrived in Chapursan in winter, when sunshine does not come to villages for two and a half months continuously.
Unlike most parts of Pakistan, the people in Hunza and Gojal believe in Ismaili sect of Islam, which are very moderate and forward-looking. Good education to both boys and girls result in the highest literacy rate nationwide. The Ismiali spiritual leader, His Highness Aga Khan insisted that girl education has to be prioritized as woman will teach the whole family. Mehmannavazi, or hospitality, is the way of life here, as the culture dictates them. There might be no sunshine up there, but there is always sunshine deep in heart.
Related blog posts:
For other photography works, please proceed to Photography Album.
All photography materials in agustinuswibowo.com are copyrights of Agustinus Wibowo, unless specially specified. Any unauthorized use or distribution of these copyrighted works is illegal. Agustinus can be contacted here.
[zoomfolio settings_mode=”masonry” skin=”skin-default” settings_specialgrid=”special-grid-2″ settings_posttype=”post” settings_lightboxlibrary=”zoombox” design_item_width=”” design_thumbw=”” fullscreen=”off” sort_order=”ASC” settings_disablecats=”on” disable_itemmeta=”off” settings_preloadall=”off” design_categories_style=”normal” design_pageContent_pos=”top” settings_specialgrid_chooser_enabled=”off” design_categories_pos=”top” settings_biggalleryall=”off” orderby=”date” settings_ajax=”on” settings_ajax_loadmoremethod=”scroll” posts_per_page=”70″ settings_hide_category_all=”off” settings_uselinksforcategories=”off” settings_uselinksforcategories_enablehistoryapi=”off” cats=”2487″ bgcolor=”transparent” settings_mode_masonry_layout=”masonry” design_total_height_full=”off” settings_mode_masonry_layout_straightacross_setitemsoncenter=”off” design_preloader_bottom=”off”]
it is nice to see the cute pictures of my valley. here I must mention that most the pictures are from Gojal valley,Gojal is the upper part of Hunza and the people of Gojal are diffrent from the people of Hunza. they have their own language (Wakhi)and culture. there is less similarity between them in both parts oh Hunza. The Gojal culture is more resemblance to central Asia.
again nice attempt
Javed From Gojal(Hunza)
Thank you Javed for your input. Yes, the photos were taken from Karimabad (Hunza), Sust (Upper Hunza/Gojal), and Chapursan. I felt I was somewhere in Central Asia (Tajikistan or Kyrgyzstan) when I visited Gojal as the language (Tajik) is very different from Burushashki in Hunza area. Too bad we didnt meet in Sust…
Light so characteristic! Neven seen such photo in your album before.
Carefully tune to B/W will yield an even greater one;-)
I love this photo about memory. God ! they are beautiful…
well, the pictures are breathtaking, as usual. Respect for your undoubtable talent!!!
It’s nice to see Pakistan from its best side – the local people! I’m allready missing it! Take care!
lovely family..
dramatic !
Nice photos…. keep it up!
Hi Agustinus!
Thank you so much for the invitation (in the past when I tried visiting your site it wasn’t available, so I’m happy that it is now).
In your photos we see things that we simply don’t see anywhere else; and this album is another striking opportunity to become very familiar with a very unfamiliar reality.
As usual, your work is highly professional, and yet you look the people at the eye level, with respect and desire to learn. I was especially moved to see that you have found the same children back from 2 years ago. It was also nice to see you have shown locals books of Indonesia.
Have a Happy 2006,
Orly
I love their rossy cheeks..
Asikk asikk
pilihan angle yg ok banget boss
surroundingnya asikk n ekspresi nunggunya natural bgt.
Pendekatannya luar biasaa
The man had a serious face, while the lady was crying out loud (literally).
Is this an arranged marriage where the groom and bride only meet the first time during the wedding?
Der sir your web site is very intrested and so attractive I hope that you will be do more work on our cultur and tradtion because our tradition is famous in the wourld
Suer.. Unbelieveable, ketemu orang2 yang sama in the middle of nowhere.
Saya pernah lihat foto dalam foto ini, di album lama kan?
Saat itu pasti lagi musim semi.
So 2 years ago, It was your plan to visit the Pakistan again.. someday..
It must be great place na?
So Its captioned now..
Glad to read that 😀
its very fantastics,, but the fotos r in winter season…
Fascinating additions about the wedding. The poignant pictures of the bride have made me cry myself…
Hello, thankyou so much im still in india so having trouble opening them all up. But the ones i have seen are so amazing you inspire me to travel there. Thank you, thankyou. Please keep sending me more.
i got your cd already, thanks a lot.
your pictures are so great,
that i really wanna join you to find out another world.
happy chinese new year!
take care my dear friend:)
hope we can meet again somewhere
Mas Agus, gadis sana cantik2 ya! mereka sebenarnya keturunan bangsa apa? India bukan.. Pakistan… bukan!
Ato mungkin bangsa campuran mongoloid ma India ya? 😀
thanks to visit chapurson.I was looking for you in Zoud Khon.
but i knowthat was to could.you stayed in kill with my friend
Alam Jan dario
Pamir srarai
zoud khon chapursan
http://www.geocities.com/pamirserai
hi
very nice photos indeed. would u please let me know more about urself and the area (where in karimabad)from where u have taken the nice images of a traditional wedding ceremoney.
beautiful work
it is great to have pic. of hunza during the winter season.
i really appreaciate this hard visit.
nice website.
its very cool and like album,, i know how much time it takes to end ,, really u r the great,,
best wishes
karim ghuly
Let me guess, the one missing was the little one.. Am I rite?
This is amazing Weng… you found those girls again after 2 years?
Very good little history 🙂
dear avgustin
if u want to bring some changes in sost english school . visit us once again and work for the prosperity and for the development of sost gojal .we all hope u will visit us again special the sost peoples(local). meet with my father AMAN ALI WHO LIVES NOWADAYS IN HUSSAIN ABAD SOST HE IS VERY KIND PERSON HE WILL PROVIDE A ROOM IN HIS OWN HOTEL SO PLZ DONT WASTE UR TIME VISIT US AGAIN WE ALL ARE WAITING FOR U I M RAZZZAQ I WILL BE THERE IN SOST DURING THE SUMMER SEASON. OK BYE TO ALL
i want to vist to sost i lesion about sost is v beauty ful villy
that is reail or not
would u like to tell me about sost brifly then i want to go their my frind is also from their that is why
would u like to tell me about sost english school is the english school is sutabile in sost
and what is the the suctation now