Ban Phulwari (Flowers in the Wilderness)

The book ***Ban Phulwari*** (Flowers in the Wilderness) is based on the research done on the customs and village lore in the environs of the Potohar plateau. The writer Afzal Parwez, who was a Pakistani poet, music scholar & journalist, documented the folk songs thereby rendering a valuable service for students of anthropology and culture. For performances in a western milieu, staff notations of folk songs have been provided by the author’s son Dr. Akmal Parwez, a New York-based composer, vocalist , conductor and music teacher. Akmal, after his master's degree in electronic engineering from Japan, studied music composition at Queens College, New York, and Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester, New York, obtained master's and Ph.D. degrees respectively. The book is recommended reading for Master's of Arts students (Punjabi language). The book has an introduction by famous Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz. Pothohar Plateau (also spelled Pothwar, Potowar or Potohar) (Urdu: سطح مرتفع پوٹھوہار) is a plateau in the province of Punjab, Pakistan and the western parts of Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The area was the home of the Soanian Culture, which is evidenced by the discovery of fossils, tools, coins, and remains of ancient archaeological sites. The local people speak the Potwari language.