Article Published In Vol.3 (Sept-Oct-2015)

Pictures of Love and Piety in Pakistan’s Domestic Spaces

Author : Muhammad Asghar

This paper is part of an ethnographic field research project conducted in Pakistan’s Punjab to investigate the ethnic, cultural, socio-economic and aesthetic traits and patterns that are operative behind the way people of different social levels decorate their domestic spaces. Here specifically we study the popular religious icons, posters and pictures of Sufi saints -pictures of love and piety, which are displayed mostly in the houses of the poorer class and that bring peace, benediction and solace to these dwellings. Here we attempt to understand not only the different meanings that religious art has for various classes of people, but also delve into the important aspect of personal piety and religion in the daily domestic lives of people.

Keywords: Ethnographic field research, Informal interviews conducted with an ethnic based sample of households of various social classes, Domestic space: An area in a dwelling place that may be a whole room or more or just a nook or wall which is a special domestic place for the household, Interlocutors: The interviews I had with people were informal and since primarily they were informing and telling me about their beliefs I refer to them as interlocutors and not interviewees