Not
many women in the history have left us bedazzled with their dignified
demeanor. One such lady was Nur Jahan- the twentieth wife of Jahangir
in the Mughal Kingdom.
Nur
Jahan, the name given by Jahangir meaning ‘light
of the world’ was
born as Mehrunnisaa.
Besides family fusses, she was well educated and showed interest not
just in the expected areas of poetry, arts and culture but also in
ruling over the Mughal kingdom after Jahangir’s death. She was a beloved
wife who took care of the throne while her husband was busy drinking
and smoking up. Her other pursuits counted of inventing perfumes for
women popular as ‘Ittars’, designing clothes out of laces and
brocade that still are influencing us today big time.
Influenced by Nur Jahan's experiences in so many dimensions, a young designer from
Mount Carmel College, Syma Ahmed realized the necessity of her revival.
The
rich hues of red and blue brushed with pinches of gold and
hand-painted Mughal faces, with pearls that add charm to her beauty
and gold pins that define it sharp and sexy, Syma came up with a hotter Nur Jahan on the ramp. Dip-dyed lace robes, harem pants and
suspenders just made the perfect coordinated collection. Designing accessories and jewels with it was enough
to call it a Kingdom of the twentieth wife.
Nur Jahan's grave reads,
"On
the grave of this poor stranger, let there be neither lamp nor rose.
Let neither butterfly’s wing burn nor nightingale sing."
Cheers
