Off to Thatta Kedona
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Unimaginable – a generation ago, the journey from Lahore to Thatta Ghulamka Dheroka (TGD) took eight hours; a round trip in one day was hardly possible. Tongas and rickshaws were the usual means of transport in rural areas. There wasn't a single gas station between Lahore and Okara.
The situation improved with the construction of the Lahore-Multan Highway, so that visitors, by car or bus (e.g., from universities), increasingly visited the village of TGD.
Sustainable tourism developed. Guests could stay overnight with accommodation and meals; thanks to the drinking water project, fish could be offered for local consumption; neem tree leaves for insect repellent were available, as were sugarcane spread and fresh buffalo milk.
Historical sites were highlighted in the surrounding area (the fort in Gogera, Lord Berkeley's cemetery near Gogera / separatist terrorists rebelled against the occupiers – the first days of independence); the publication "Dolls, Toys and More" by S A J Shirazi, published by Feroszons, draws attention to places of interest: Patoki, Sahiwal, Okara, and Sher Garh.
The project's sustainability in this context was repeatedly hampered by major political events (nuclear tests), security concerns, and natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and pandemics, so that domestic and international guests and visitors could take advantage of the pleasant temperatures between September and March.
TK (Thatta Kedona) lives on, preserving its traditional character. Local culture and looks optimistically to the future:
-In 2019, an art project (Artist in Residence Peter Hecht) was successfully carried out,
-In 2021, the crime novel *The Village of Dolls* by Hans Sachs was published,
-In 2024, Dr. Gwendolyne Kulick received her doctorate with a research dissertation in which the TK project also played a role.
-In 2025, after 25 years, the doll project participated in the Bazaar 2025 in Berlin with its own stand, under the patronage of Dr. Senta – a wonderful sign of the connection between tradition and the future.
Labels: Dolls Toys and More, Dr Norbert Pintsch, Dr. Gwendolyne Kulick, Peter Hecht, TGD, Thatta Kedona, The Village of Dolls
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 3:15 PM,
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Thatta Kedona is more than dolls and toys
When the article "German Connection" by Asgher Javed appeared in Nation, Sunday Plus, April 27, 2008, p. 14, readers were probably unaware of the connections between the three women in the village project; among other things, Ruth Pfau had a connection to Mango-Pir near Karachi with the workshop for leprosy patients there, and Annemarie Schimmel had a connection to TGD because of the vibrant local, traditional culture.
In one case, the Ruth Pfau Basic Health Unit was created, and in the other, the Annemarie Schimmel Cultural Complex, where theater performances, film screenings, and village music concerts took place!
Senta Siller's work was not only that of a -researcher (fieldwork in the Five Provinces), -designer (dolls based on village life), -producer (marketable items), -teacher (training village women), -marketing strategist (museums at home and abroad), -networker (Schimmel-Pfau-Kenoyer-Salima Hashmi/Ex-NCA Lahore, DSFestival, Expo 2000, 2005), but she is rightly considered an anthropologist. All of this demonstrates the visibility and awareness of local village culture, bridging the gap between science and culturally informed consumption, while also creating sustainable measures for village women.
Incidentally, village dolls are housed in the Lok Virsa Museum in Islamabad, and thanks to the IWSA Prize, village toys found their way to the Children's Museum in Izmir!
It all began with the production of the film "Amjad's Village," a 24-hour glimpse into village life in TGD. An interesting article by Maqbool Malik, "Planning of a Model Village," was published in Dawn in 1994. Numerous articles by journalists have praised the project, which, through Senta Siller, has received several awards, including one from UNESCO in 2007, recognizing it as the outstanding doll project in South Asia. Ultimately, it's all on the path to UNESCO World Heritage status.
Labels: Amjad Ali, Annemarie Schimmel, BHU, Dr Ruth Pfau, Dr Senta Siller, Germany, Pakistan, TGD, Thatta Kedona
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 11:08 AM,
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The web never forgets – so says
Monday, January 26, 2026
Since 2000, village project information has been primarily disseminated online; since January 2004, there has been a dedicated blog: www.THATTAKEDONA.blogspot.com
Only those who browse the blog will realize that while the flagship project of dolls and handicrafts has successfully established itself as a tradition (an initiative of Dr. Senta Siller), behind and beneath the surface of these crafts were a multitude of other projects that also addressed the future.
Photovoltaics, harnessing wind power with kites, windmills for electricity generation, sustainable and climate-friendly construction with clay, internet radio, and much more were topics intended as inspiration but have since become part of the urban culture; for example, the Photovoltaic system (the first and only private installation in Pakistan in 1997).
Student groups from NCA, UEAT, Comsats, BNU, and PU traveled by bus to the AFA's Technology and Transfer Centre in Thatta Ghulamkha Dhirokha.
The AFA's TTTC conducted workshops in Karachi and Abbottabad, experimental houses were built in Lahore, and an Institute for Experimental Building was established there. The FPAC's magazine, GREENMAG, featured several articles showcasing certain results of the TTTC. At the former NWFP, special houses with adapted technology were built for flood victims.
Not only did the AFA's WAC, now the Senta Siller Design Centre, operate outside the region, but the TTTC also collaborated with the CAT in Cameroon and TM in Colombia, where institutes were established at universities. A dedicated university for Appropriate Technology and Traditional Medicine was even founded in the Northwest Region of Cameroon.
Labels: Culture, Dr Senta Siller, Prof Dr Norbert Pintsch, Thatta Kedona
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:44 AM,
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Dr. Senta Siller Receives the First-Ever Ruth Pfau Medal for a Lifetime of Lifting Pakistan’s Village
Thursday, November 20, 2025
At 90, a German Artist Receives Pakistan’s Highest Tribute for Her Lifelong Service to Its Poorest Village
On 16 November 2025, in the quiet Brandenburg village of Gross Behnitz near Berlin, an extraordinary moment unfolded: Dr. Senta Siller, the celebrated German artist, designer, and humanitarian visionary, was awarded the inaugural Ruth Pfau Medal by Her Excellency Saqlain Syedah, Ambassador of Pakistan to Germany.
The date was no coincidence - it was Dr. Siller’s 90th birthday.
Surrounded by more than sixty family members, friends, and longtime supporters, the ceremony became both a celebration of a remarkable life and a profound recognition of more than thirty-five years of unbroken commitment to one of the most overlooked corners of rural Pakistan: the small village of Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka in Okara District, Punjab.
She never asked for recognition. She simply kept showing up - year after year, decade after decade - turning creativity into dignity and friendship into lasting development.
As she steps into her 91st year, Dr. Senta Siller’s story reminds us that one determined heart, armed with compassion and imagination, can still change the world — one village, one woman, one child at a time.
Across borders, cultures, and generations, her light continues to shine.
Labels: Amjad Ali, Dr. Sena Siller, German Embassy, Germany, Ruth Pfau, Saqlain Syedah
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:48 AM,
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Ambassador H.E. Saqlain Syedah honors Dr. Senta Siller on Her 90th Birthday
Monday, November 17, 2025
Memories were shared, and posters showcasing Senta's activities were displayed in four rooms, accompanied by refreshments.
The ambassador spoke about Senta's selfless work and honored her achievements with a medal and a certificate.
Senta's former student, Amjad Ali, who continues her work in the village of Thatta Ghulamkha Dhiroka at the Senta Siller Design Centre, took the opportunity to provide further information.
Previous: Birthday
Labels: Amjad Ali, Birthday, Cultura e V Nauen, DGFK e V Berlin, Dietrich Eckardt, Dr Henri Siller, Dr Senta Siller, H E Saqlain Syedah, Michael Stober, Prof Dr Norbert Pintsch
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 11:21 AM,
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Bazaar 2025 in Berlin
Thursday, November 6, 2025
The project soon led to subsidiary projects (Cameroon, Colombia, among others) and gained recognition through EXPO 2000 in Hanover and Aichi (Japan). The dolls received a UNESCO award and were sold as a special item in Dubai, at the United Nations in New York, and at museum bazaars in Central Europe – always under the motto "unique pieces, not mass-produced" and with the vision: "Preservation of local traditional culture and UNESCO World Heritage..."
Labels: Cultura e V Nauen, DGFK e V Berlin, Dr Senta Siller, Thatta Kedona
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:49 AM,
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Senta Maria Anna Siller Awarded Sitara-e-Pakistan
Saturday, August 16, 2025
To ensure authenticity, Dr. Siller herself travelled to northern Pakistan to study traditional attire, including that of the Kalash people, believed to be descendants of Alexander the Great’s soldiers. Over time, these handcrafted items were not only showcased in major Pakistani cities but also internationally — particularly in Germany — under the name Thatta Kedona.
The project brought more than just recognition. It offered the village women a steady source of income, enhancing their self-esteem and improving their position in a traditionally patriarchal society. But Dr. Siller’s vision went far beyond dolls. She contributed immensely to the welfare and development of the village. She helped build and furnish the primary school, provided students with free books and stationery, and played a key role in introducing solar power and later connecting the village to the electricity grid. Thanks to her, a proper asphalt road was constructed, connecting the main road to the Women Art Centre, which was later renamed Senta Siller Design Center (SSDC) in her honour. Dr. Siller also initiated a clean drinking water project that serves the entire village. She launched a green initiative, encouraging tree planting and environmental care. Her idea "One Baby, One Tree" provided each newborn’s mother with a fruit tree, encouraging them to nurture the tree as they would their child.
As a symbolic gesture, every doll-maker received a Bougainvillea plant, so that blooming flowers in front of homes would signal to visitors: a doll-maker lives here.
Dr. Siller's efforts transformed Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka — not just in infrastructure, but in spirit. To provide basic healthcare to the people of Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka, a village dispensary was established as early as 1992 by Dr. Leila Siller, a medical doctor and the daughter of Dr. Senta Siller. The nearest hospital is five kilometres away, so the dispensary became a lifeline for the local community. Dr. Senta Siller personally supervised and supported the handicrafts project until 2007, before returning to Germany. She left the initiative in the capable hands of a self-organised group of village women, empowering them to run it independently. To this day, she remains in regular contact with them through occasional Zoom conferences, offering guidance on handicrafts and welfare-related matters.
Today, the villagers are overjoyed by the announcement that the Government of Pakistan will honour Dr. Senta Siller with the Sitara-e-Pakistan (also known as Sitara-e-Imtiaz) in recognition of her outstanding service. She will celebrate her 90th birthday this year and is expected to receive the award in person on March 23, 2026.
Previous: Governor Award Conferred Upon Senta Maria Anna Siller
Labels: Amjad Ali, Dr Norbert Pintsch, Dr Senta Siller, Germany, Okara, Pakistan, Thatta Ghulamka Dhiroka, Thatta Kedona
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 10:26 AM,
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In eigener Sache - Où est quoi - Where is what - Dónde está que?
Thursday, July 24, 2025
ARCHIVE
www.dgfk-archive.de mit Interviews, InternetRadio, Sounds, Movies, SlideShows, Animations, Books, Poster-Exhibitions, Graphics, Blogs, Organizations, Events, Projects incl. PR
www.cultura-archive.de mit www.fbtc-project.blogspot.com und www.fbtc-blogspot.com www.ppparchive.blogspot.com mit Haedlines seit 2000 und Zugang zu allen Blogs mit Vorlesungen, Seminaren, Ausstellungen u.a./ with headlines since 2000 and access to all blogs with lectures, seminars, exhibitions, etc.
WebSites mit Blogs
Pakistan: www.thattakedona.com mit www.thattakedona.blogspot.com
Kamerun: www.camcatbam.com mit www.haatc.blogspot.com
Kolumbien: www.tanto-mejor.com mit www.elcampomirando.blogspot.com
Web Sites ohne Blogs:
United Emirates: www.royalglobage.com
Griechenland: www.ac-criti-project.com
Island: www.id-museum.com
Groenland: www.dolls-project.com
Projektuebergreifende Blogs von Gesellschaften:
Pakistan www.sparc-project.blogspot.com
Kamerun www.spathcameroon.blogspot.com
Kolumbien www.spaetcolombia.blogspot.com
BanglaDesh www.spocabangladesh.blogspot.com
Indien www.spaci-project.blogspot.com
Nepal www.sodshnepal.blogspot.com
SriLanka www.sutolsrilanka.blogspot.com
Island www.semoliceland.blogspot.com
Polen www.spokupolonia.blogspot.com
UniversitySpecials:
www.fpac-greenmag.blogspot.com
Ueber pdp33@hotmail.com erhaelt man auf Anfrage und Antrag Zugang zum gesamten gescannten Material!
L'accès à tout le matériel numérisé est disponible sur demande via pdp33@hotmail.com !
Access to all scanned material is available upon request via pdp33@hotmail.com!
El acceso a todo el material escaneado está disponible previa solicitud a través de pdp33@hotmail.com!
Suchhilfen / aides à la recherche / search aids / ayudas de búsqueda
Personen koennen mit dem Zusatz einer Organisation im Internet gefunden werden, z.B. XYZ / SES oder DGFK oder ABC.
Les personnes peuvent être trouvées sur Internet en ajoutant une organisation, par exemple XYZ / SES ou DGFK ou ABC.
People can be found on the Internet with the addition of an organization, e.g. XYZ / SES or DGFK or ABC. Se pueden encontrar personas en Internet con la adición de una organización, por ejemplo, XYZ / SES o DGFK o ABC.
Labels: Dr. Norbert Pintsch
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:52 AM,
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Remembering Naeem Bhajwa: A Tribute to His Quiet yet Impactful Work
Sunday, July 13, 2025
Naeem collaborated with Anees Yaqub and Mohammad M-Ali to develop the Society for the Promotion of Art and Culture, a subsidiary of DGFK e.V. Berlin. He was also involved in waste reduction programs, including a notable project in Ladakh and Sunderbans, where he introduced a simple system of waste separation to mitigate the environmental impact of burning waste. Additionally, Naeem worked on climate-friendly construction and renewable energy projects, including model test houses built by Professor Pintsch in Lahore.
Naeem's dedication to his work and his passion for making a positive difference in the world were evident in all that he did. He received the Environmental Protection Award for his selfless work on solar cookers and windmills. Lahore University students from various institutions, including COMSATS, BNU, UEAT, NCA, and PU, came together to visit examples of climate-friendly construction and decentralized, adaptive technology, showcasing Naeem's impact on the community.
Labels: obituary
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 1:33 PM,
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Thatta Kedona
Wednesday, July 9, 2025
Labels: Thatta Kedona
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5:46 PM,
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