Past in Perspective.

'Those who danced were thought to be quite insane

by those who could not hear the music.'

-Anonymous

Pashtun students performing attan at their

weekly gathering in Lahore's varsity.

Wise men say that man is a social animal. What they say is correct. People living in any community share certain habits, styles of interactions on the eve of joys and sorrows, language, cuisine. These shared traits make them different from other communities in a beautiful way. Almost every group of people has its ways of celebrating the moments of joy. Pashtuns are no exception to this. They commemorate the peaceful moments of gatherings by singing folklores and beating drums. The beat of the drum electrifies the people. They can't resist the sound and respond to the music by rhythmically moving their bodies in a circle. They call this dance attan.

Historically, the Pashtuns used to perform attan both in times of war and...

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