Visit to Pakistan Army Museum, Rawalpindi

Museums all around the world attract a large number of visitors and tourists for here in the museums one can see history compressed and preserved in a few halls and galleries. But unlike ordinary museums, army museums always attract visitors to see weapons from very close quarters otherwise only seen in movies and war documentaries and documents.

Rawalpindi in Pakistan has always been a military city and a garrison - or I would say it because of the the Rawalpindi garrison that the city thrived and became one of the important cities of Pakistan - located next to its capital Islamabad. 

And it is here, just a few hundred meters from the main entrance of Pakistan Army General Headquarters, is the Army Museum situated. Although the museum in its present location was established in 1961, but it is only recently that it has become one of the largest museums of Pakistan equipped with tons of military equipments and weapons dating back to centuries after centuries. 

Very recently, a friend of mine Major Imran along with his children visited the museum and I am sharing his photos after seeking his consent to present to my readers with a pictorial tour of his visit.

Depicting the address by Jinnah, founder of Pakistan, at a colour presentation ceremony of an army unit

The staff car used by General Muhammad Ayub Khan (later president of Pakistan) as first native commander in chief of the armed forces

Posing in front of the gallery of Chiefs of the Army Staff of Pakistan Army

The bows and arrows and armour of soldiers

The people of Pakitan - the Pakistan Army defends

A depiction of life of soldiers  at Siachen fighting at the highest battle of the world

Motorcyclists or the despatch riders (DR) play an important role in taking messages in the battlefield. With the passage of time, their role has somewhat been restricted due to more secure and speedier electronic means. Nevertheless, these still continue to play their important role even today. 

Motorcycles also give faster mobility to the military police personnel for traffic control and supervision of convoys and coordination of moves of large bodies of troops using the same axis or roads. 

My friend being from the air defence branch of the army seems to have spent more time in the army air defence pavilion - and his children too seem to interested in weapons and other pieces of information and historical value.

Imran's son posing in front of a painting depicting the Dacca airfield at Kurmitola, where one of the air defence regiments of Pakistan shot down 23 enemy aircraft and created a world record - the unit is known as The Glorious for its extraordinary performance

The junior crew of the artillery gun

Amid the arsenal

Imran's younger daughter posing in front of the uniforms of cadets of Pakistan Military Academy, specially that of a female cadet - may be one day she too gets the honour to wear the complete uniform, peak-cap already worn. 

It may be added that recently Pakistan Army, and Air Force and Navy as well, have opened doors for the females to join the forces and defend the country along with their brethren. Previously females were inducted only as doctors - now females are serving even fighter pilots. Recently, a brave daughter of the soil Flying Officer Mukhtiar perished in an air crash while on a training mission in a F-7P fighter aircraft.

Playing the trumpet

The artillery and armoured corps pavilion also include the Muzzle Loader Gun of Sher Shah Suri dated 16th century which was used by Sher Shah Suri against Ghakars of Punjab

Mules are very important means of transportation in the mountains and hilly areas. Despite the advancement in mobility means, mules continue to play an important part in supplying rations and ammunition to posts otherwise inaccessible by all mechanical means. Mules have the capability to hold ground and once they put their feet on ground, they stick to it and thus play as a very reliable means of transportation.

Outside the museum, a large number tanks, self propelled artillery, anti aircraft guns, vehicles and helicopters are displayed. Besides, emergency bridges for river crossing of tanks and statues of some warriors are displayed - prominent among these is the statue of Subedar Khuda Dad Khan: the first Indian, South Asian who got Victoria Cross at Holay Becks Belgium in 1914. The tanks also include Sherman Tank captured in Indo-Pak war of 1965 at Chamb Jaurian.

Imran with his daughter - could not select any of the three motorcycles/scooter 

The clock of the Khem Karan Railway station captured by Pakistan Army during 1965 Indo-Pakistan war

Should you want to visit the army Museum, here are the essential details:

Address: Iftikhar Khan Janjua Road , Rawalpindi, Pakistan , Rawalpindi , 46000 , Pakistan

(Located next to the Army Library - behind the Pearl Continental Hotel) 

Hours: 09:00-15:00 Wed-Mon, 09:00-12:00 Tue

Phone: 00-92-51-56132608, 00-92-51-56131449

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Miniatur Wunderland Hamburg, Germany

Gone are the days when children played with Meccano - a set of metal strips of many shapes and sizes, screws and wheels to make many objects  either from drawings given with the Meccano set or one could make anything out of the available material as per one's aesthetic and innovative mind. I too as a child made things from our Meccano set - but that was long ago.

But there are people still who make models for fun - for them miniaturized scaled down models is their passion and hobby. And those who still love, besides their children,  to see miniature trains running on plastic tracks, Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg Germany is a place never to be missed. Although called Miniatur Wunderland.

The Miniatur Wunderland is enormous as it includes 930 trains made up of over 14,450 carriages, 335,000 lights, 228,000 trees, and 215,000 human figurines. Besides there are a large number of airplanes from Cessna to Airbus 380 and the entire airport depiction from passengers to maintenance buildings and runways.

My son who is in Germany studying, visited the Miniatur Wunderland last week and has sent me a large number of photos which I am sharing through this post for those who love models and have a hobby of model making.

The Wunderland is today home to the largest model railway in the world, and one of the most successful permanent exhibitions in Northern Germany. There are more than 100 trains seen running on the numerous tracks across the model city. The railway is located in the historic Speicherstadt. 

As per information available, by 2020, this model railroad will feature 1900 signals, 4000 switches, 6000 buildings and bridges, and over 500,000 lights. Presently only seven sections are on display.

Parking garage at Knuffingen Airport

 Passenger aircraft scattered across the apron at Knuffingen Airport 

Night lights at Knuffingen Airport 

Besides Germany, there are exclusive sections that depict Austria, America, Scandinavia, Switzerland. Italy is under construction while France, England and Africa may come up between 2017-2020.

At places like Miniatur Wunderland, no one can resist a selfie - not even my son!!

A football stadium based on Volksparkstadion

The Volksparkstadion stadium located in Bahrenfeld, Hamburg, Germany. It is the home ground of German Bundesliga club Hamburger SV and was one of the 12 stadia used in the 2006 Football World Cup.

All Photos Credits:

Wahaab Jalal Bhatti: Wahaab JB is studying in the Kiel University of Applied Sciences and doing his Masters in IT. He has a flare for gadgets and has been fascinated with model cars 'Dinkys' since his childhood - which why he was attracted to the place that infused in him his childhood nostalgia once more. As of now he has his sights set on software development and engineering and has already developed a few prototypes apps which he may someday field into Android world. He has taken these photos with his One+1 smartphone.

Read the complete account at my blog:

Hobby Shobbys: Miniatur Wunderland Hamburg 

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