Spiritual legacy: Reflecting the true colours of Sufi heritage

Large number of residents attend event and praise artists’ outstanding performances.

Saturday night belonged to folk artists from Sindh, who twirled to the music from the land of saints and Sufis.

A large number of residents attended the event and praised the artists’ outstanding performances. The musicians who performed at the event included Humaira Channa, Taj Mastani, Mai Dhai, Jamaluddin Faqir, Mazhar Hussain, Zulfiqar Ali, Ustad Fateh Ali Khan and Diba Kanwal.

Sindh Culture Minister Sassi Palijo was scheduled to be the chief guest at the event but was unable to come due to prior commitments.

Sindh is famous for a wide range of folk crafts including lacquer art, farasi weaving, blue pottery, ajrak, block printing, traditional carpet weaving, rilli (appliqué work), khes weaving, wood works, thari embroidery and several others handicrafts, all of which are being exhibited at the festival.

The contingent from Sindh consists of more than 100 artists, craftsmen, musicians, dance groups and other officials. The Sindhi craftspeople at the festival are Sahib Dino, Mitho Khan Bhutto, Samila, Jani, Khan Chand, Naseem Sultan, Gopal Das, Imdad Ali, Arbab Ali Soomro, Siani Khatoon, Muhammad Suleman, Zameer, Khadim Hussain Solangi, Pari, Poonam, Faqeer Muhammad, Gaino, Munawwar Khatoon, Sara and Sumaira.

The most prominent among these artists is Sahib Dino, from Ranipur village in Khairpur. Dino specialises in khes weaving and acquired the skill from his father at a very early age. He has more than 36 years of experience in this field and comes to Lok Virsa every year.

Apart from that, several folk musicians from Sindh are also participating in the festival. They include folk singers Raza Allan and Lakha Dao, murli player Misri Jogi, algoza nawaz Urs Bhatti, flute player Ghaus Bukhsh Brohi, harmonium player Ahmed Ali, dholak player Manzoor Bhatti, matka nawaz Ali Hassan, banjo nawaz Ahsan Bhatti and surinda nawaz Muhammad Hassan. The folk dance group comprises Sain Dad Faqir, Imam Dino, Chandi Faqir, Vishno Mal, Ajmal and Khuda Bakhsh.

Earlier in the day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Minister for Information Mian Iftikhar Hussain visited several different stalls at the K-P pavilion.

Talking to media, he said, “It is important to have cultural activities which provide healthy entertainment to people who are severely affected by war and terror. It also gives a clear message to the world that we are a peaceful nation.” He praised the efforts of Lok Virsa management and added that even the remotest regions of the country can be seen at the festival, which gives a sense of unity among the provinces.

The 10-day festival started on June 4 and will conclude on Sunday, where cash awards and certificates will be distributed among prominent artists and craftspeople.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 12th, 2011.