This week, I took my camera to capture a new addition to Lahore’s streetscape.
Not a landmark.
Not an artwork.
But something quietly transformative—new Punjabi signboards now appearing across the city.
Punjabi Signboards and Language in Public Space:
Installed as part of an initiative under CM Punjab Maryam Nawaz, these signboards are not decorative gestures. They are practical, informative, and rooted in local culture. They guide, identify, and explain—while doing so in a language that feels familiar to the people who use these roads every day.
A Photographer’s View of Everyday Urban Change:
As a photographer, I’m drawn to changes that blend into daily life rather than interrupt it. These signboards do exactly that. They function first as information—directions, names, instructions—while simultaneously restoring Punjabi to public visibility.
Lahore has always spoken Punjabi out loud—in conversations, humour, and everyday exchanges. But on walls, poles, and official spaces, that voice was largely absent. These boards quietly correct that imbalance, allowing the city to read itself in its own tongue.
While photographing them, I noticed how naturally they sit within the urban rhythm. Against traffic movement, pedestrians, vendors, and passing rickshaws, the Shahmukhi script doesn’t demand attention—it belongs. It communicates clearly, especially to those for whom Punjabi is the first language, making public information more accessible and immediate.
What stands out is how these boards educate without instruction. They normalize Punjabi as a language of function, not just folklore. They inform residents while affirming that local language has a place in governance, navigation, and civic life.
From a visual perspective, these signs add texture to the city. They interact with light, weather, and movement—becoming part of Lahore’s living archive. Through my lens, they felt less like installations and more like long-overdue acknowledgements.
Small Changes That Reshape How a City Feels:
A city is not only defined by its buildings, but by how it communicates with its people. These signboards do that gently, clearly, and respectfully.
This week’s Sunday Snapshots is about noticing those small shifts that reshape how a city feels. About recognizing information as culture. And about Lahore reclaiming space for its own language—not as nostalgia, but as everyday utility.
