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This guy travelled to all the landmarks on Pakistani currency notes

This guy travelled to all the landmarks on Pakistani currency notes

"K2 was a once in a lifetime trip. 2 weeks, 300 km trek, sleeping in freezing temperature - the only thing driving me, the photo"
Updated 20 Aug, 2020

Have you ever looked at the back of your local currency notes and wondered what the locations would look like in real life?

Think no more! Cloud Solution Architect and travel enthusiast Emaad Paracha just went backpacking across provinces and photographed all the mesmerising landmarks printed on Pakistani notes.

"It all started in 2015 when I went on a family trip to Mohenjodaro. I had always noticed it at the back of our 20 rupee note", said Emaad, as he revealed the initial idea behind coming up with the Currency Project. "So when I got there, I asked the guide where the picture was originally taken."

"I clicked a picture with an older crumpled note not thinking much of it then, but to my surprise, it was received well on social media. I thought to myself, why not make this an excuse to travel around Pakistan, take more of these pictures, and learn more about our history?"

With this spirit in mind, Paracha made sure to explore the rest of the locations over the course of the next four years. On his list were monumental historical sites such as Bab-e-Khyber (10 rupee note), Badshahi mosque Lahore (500 rupee note), Islamia College Peshawar (1000 rupee note) and Faisal Mosque Islamabad (5000 rupee note.)

Travelling to these locations was fairly convenient on family trips, as the UofT student revealed, but the overall journey was stretched, primarily because of K2 and Ziarat - the accessibility of which was a little more troublesome than the rest.

"The last one, and by far the toughest of them all by a million miles, came last summer when I was finally able to go on a trek to K2's base camp - something I had planned for 3 summers before it finally happened," said Emaad, whose student life kept him occupied before the project could be completed.

"That was a once (and only once) in a lifetime trip. It was nearly a 2 week, 300 km trek, which involved sleeping on one of the world's largest glaciers at night, in negative degree weather, with rocks poking into your back. We used to walk 20-30 km in the sun for up to 12 hours a day but the only thing driving me was the picture," he told me with enthusiasm and awe.

As Paracha was overwhelmed with nostalgia, he excitedly mentioned how even the local porters on his trip loved the idea! Even though they had been there for years, the resemblance rarely ever occurred to them.

"When I finally got to K2, it was covered in clouds, and the locals told me that rain forecast for the next few days meant the mountain would be pretty much covered throughout. However by then, everyone in the group was set on pushing departure by a few days. What was the point of trekking so much if we couldn't even see the mountain?!" he laughed.

Thankfully, the stars aligned and the effort was fruitful when during sunset, clouds scattered to make view for the magnificence that is the second highest mountain in the world.

"Because of the delay, we had to cross over from one glacier to another and walk on extremely slippery ice on the edge of deep crevasses - that too in pitch darkness," he remembered, narrating the tale of that horror story on the way back.

"I remember we all held hands while walking in a line, using just our headlamps."

But all is well that ends well! Exploring local history, the 23-year-old also managed to picture locations coined on coins. How many can you identify?

Comments

Umair Aug 20, 2020 05:25pm
wow
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Noman Tayyab Aug 20, 2020 05:44pm
Such an exciting story, would love to do at least half of them... a wishful reader from the UK.
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Hassan Sheikh Aug 20, 2020 06:21pm
Good for photo. That money is useless anyway. It has no value abroad.
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Addan Nawaz Khan Aug 20, 2020 06:24pm
Wonderful!!
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bhaRAT© Aug 20, 2020 06:27pm
Wonderful adventure.
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Raja Aug 20, 2020 06:34pm
He’s missing Gwadar Port,
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Tarif Khan Aug 20, 2020 06:41pm
I think the coins should have different landmarks instead of repeats.
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Yankee Cricket Fan Aug 20, 2020 06:58pm
A couple a friends and I plan to visit K2 base-camp 3 years from now.....all the way from the US!
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Jehanzeb Khan Aug 20, 2020 07:19pm
What a Legend!
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TZaman Aug 20, 2020 07:44pm
Wow. What an adventure.
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Javvad Aug 20, 2020 07:45pm
Good one, you're the only one who has done this. Bravo!
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Nadia Neely Aug 20, 2020 07:47pm
awesome.
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Suhail Aug 20, 2020 07:52pm
Super-mega-awesome achievement!
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Salma Qureshi Aug 20, 2020 07:53pm
wow, A new record.
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Sam Aug 20, 2020 07:55pm
Cool,
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Ehsan Aug 20, 2020 08:13pm
Wonderful
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Ram Aug 20, 2020 08:35pm
This is fantastic and very refreshing..greetings from India.
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Asif Burhan Malik Aug 20, 2020 08:36pm
Photos at the back of currency notes, He should also visit Khojak Railway Tunnel connecting Shella Baghd and Chaman in Baluchistan near Pishin. This picture is on the back of The old five Rs. Note: A very historic site of Pakistan. The longest Railway tunnel
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Eva Aug 20, 2020 08:45pm
Really appreciated it work
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well-wisher Aug 20, 2020 09:17pm
A high spirited and focused adventure that no one before attempted. A proud young man that thinks ahead.
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St. Mercury Aug 20, 2020 09:22pm
Good story. I would have love to travel that way.
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Chrís Dăn Aug 20, 2020 09:37pm
@Hassan Sheikh any and every money has its value. I wish you had studied economics .
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Taj Ahmad Aug 20, 2020 09:43pm
Great job, it shows how much we love our beloved country Pakistan.
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Joe Aug 20, 2020 09:53pm
Fantastic, kudos to Emmad
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Mudasar Aug 20, 2020 10:06pm
Very impressive travel. Would it be possible for u to manage a meeting to discuss your experience about K2. I be much obliged.
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SR Aug 20, 2020 10:09pm
@Hassan Sheikh This has nothing to do with the value of the currency, it is purely a narrative about depiction of landmarks. Either praise the man's efforts or refrain from making hate-filled, ignorant comments that are totally out of place.
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Salim Badruddin Aug 20, 2020 10:10pm
Wow what great length of work you went through. Proud of you. Especially 10 Rs and 5 Rs awesome. Loved it. Thanks for sharing.
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Salim Badruddin Aug 20, 2020 10:11pm
Sorry I forgot to mention I am from Los Angeles
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Shehzad Aug 20, 2020 10:19pm
@Hassan Sheikh we don't need useless dumps like you.. go earn dollars and never return..
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Emaad Paracha Aug 20, 2020 10:34pm
Thank you so much for the feature, Dawn! Do follow my travel instagram @parachaexplores for more currency project pictures and other travels!
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Mansoor Aug 20, 2020 11:11pm
Missed the one on the old 5 Rs. note
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SS Aug 20, 2020 11:14pm
Mission accomplished, Ethan.... Bravooooo
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NK Aug 20, 2020 11:46pm
@Hassan Sheikh Who is responsible for this money to be useless? The answer is we the people of this nation are responsible for the constant devaluation of this money. We just want to be rich by ourselves for ourselves if we could have only thought for the country this money would have been very valuable.
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Abc Aug 20, 2020 11:47pm
Wow..good job ..passionate work by this traveller.. hats off to him..
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Sul Aug 21, 2020 12:10am
Well done Emaad. We are proud of you.
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Saqib-ur-Rawah Moosvie Aug 21, 2020 12:12am
Shabash.... A true patriot.
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Ali Mehdi Aug 21, 2020 12:47am
That’s so fantastic. Except of the K2 the rest were accessible easily. But one has to set aside so many things and embark on the journey to all these locations scattered across the beloved country. Bravo young man.
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Reader Aug 21, 2020 01:31am
Well Done. Great effort and what a amazing achievement.
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Reader Aug 21, 2020 01:32am
@Hassan Sheikh : If you can not measure success and happiness, you should not contribute.
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Salman Aug 21, 2020 01:33am
Very cool !
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Ga Aug 21, 2020 02:01am
Brilliant idea. Kudos!
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HashBrown® Aug 21, 2020 02:09am
@Hassan Sheikh . Newsflash - no nation's currency has any value abroad. That's why it's a national currency.
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Vinod Kumar Aug 21, 2020 02:28am
Impressive.
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Hari Aug 21, 2020 02:55am
Thats amazing idea. Hats off to him
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avtar wasson Aug 21, 2020 03:12am
Admire your spirit! "There is no foreign land. It is the traveller who is foreigner." Robert Louis Stevenson once said. Just a beginning of what lies ahead.
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Seema Aug 21, 2020 03:53am
What an original, cool idea. Well done young man!
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Abdul Qayum Aug 21, 2020 04:03am
Amazing story with him all the best in his future adventures thanks for sharing all information.
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Sam Aug 21, 2020 04:20am
Wow!! As a Pakistani I’ve not even seen half those places
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Aliya Bibi Aug 21, 2020 04:27am
@Hassan Sheikh See the message and beauty in the content. Obviously it's not about value of the money. Statements reflect on the state of mind!
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Aqasha Aug 21, 2020 04:34am
Truly Inspirational. When you're passionate about something than nothing could restrict from reaching the desired goals.
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Dr.Grouf Aug 21, 2020 04:59am
Excellent effort.
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Hard to bite Aug 21, 2020 05:06am
Interesting travels.
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Dr. Azhar Hussain Aug 21, 2020 07:08am
@Hassan Sheikh You just showed your character to the world
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Amaan Aug 21, 2020 08:13am
Wow
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Niazi Aug 21, 2020 08:38am
Fascinating to read. Also it feels exciting to see that editor board is headed by Full female heads. Kudos to the selection team. Love from Neighborhood.
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THE MORNING STAR, MD. Aug 21, 2020 09:26am
Good job. I wonder never thought of it.
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Shafiq ur rehman Aug 21, 2020 09:50am
What a novel idea of visiting these places on the back of currency notes!!! Will follow the same in a times to come.
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Fatima Aug 21, 2020 10:35am
Very impressive. Bravo!
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INDEPENDENT Aug 21, 2020 11:18am
This is called a great passion for a great country. Hats off to Emaad for making a great tour.
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Mir Aug 21, 2020 01:13pm
Neat!
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Milan Aug 21, 2020 02:45pm
Interesting story
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BM Aug 21, 2020 03:04pm
This is Remarkable. Well Done Sir
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Waris Aug 21, 2020 03:08pm
Agreed
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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad Aug 21, 2020 04:35pm
Great achievement and wonderful accomplishment, which I did many years ago as a undergrad Mechanical Engineering student of the West Pakistan University of Engineering and Technology, Grand Trunk road, Mughalpura, Lahore-Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
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Farjad Shah Aug 21, 2020 05:10pm
Such an amazing story. I really want to visit K2 base camp. It must be an adventurous journey.
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Secularist Aug 22, 2020 01:31am
Very imaginative! Keep it up.
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Ahmed Aug 22, 2020 02:00am
Very very cool idea and brilliantly executed
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Shoaib Aug 22, 2020 02:41am
@Noman Tayyab why half, u may visit all of them!!
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Bekky Adams Aug 22, 2020 02:42am
@Noman Tayyab I want to go with you Tayyab...
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tktransit Aug 22, 2020 03:13am
Congrats Emaad, this was not only a personal achievement but is a reflection for the country.
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Practical Aug 22, 2020 03:22am
I don’t think it is a good idea to print Religious pictures/sites on currency notes. The currency notes are used for paying for illegitimate purpose also.
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Hamid shafiq Aug 23, 2020 07:45am
Similarly I have visited all places on currency notes but not K2 so my next plan for K2.
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Sabiha Aug 25, 2020 05:21am
Loved it Great job at the right age Emaad Congrats -
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Ali Vazir Aug 25, 2020 09:18am
Simply amazing. This young man has filled all of us with joy, hope and thrill. We are proud of you Emaad. Thanks again Dawn for such a wonderful article.
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