Margalla Festival: Artists and artisans continue to regale visitors

A CDA official said that a large number of well-known folk artists have been invited to the festival.


Our Correspondent June 10, 2014
Traditional folk dancers with painted face during Margalla festival. PHOTO: INP

ISLAMABAD:


Artists and artisans, folk singers and dancers continued to regale visitors at the ongoing Margalla Festival featuring cultural diversity of the country.


The event, being organised by the Capital Development Authority (CDA), aims at highlighting different colours and hues of rural life in the country.

The festival, which kicked off at the Arts and Crafts Village on June 6, will continue till June 15. Visitors could be seen taking keen interest in different cultural stalls at the festival.

A CDA official said that a large number of well-known folk artists have been invited to the festival. He said that it was for the second time that they were organising the grand event. He said that people from urban areas are oblivious to regional and rural cultures and the festival basically aimed at familiarising them with the cultural diversity of Pakistan. He said that famous regional performers including the Ranti Group from Cholistan and Chaap Party from Balochistan and a large number of folk singers and dancers were participating in the festival.

More than 80 stalls including food, garment, handcraft, antique and shoe stalls have been set up at the festival, providing an opportunity for the visitors to pick things of their choice.  Artisans can also be seen working in their makeshift stalls. Almost 40 artisans from all over Pakistan were participating at the festival.

Regional artists from Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab can be seen performing regional music and dancing to the tune of drumbeats. A large stage has also been set up where artists entertain the audience.

Famous singer from Rahim Yar Khan, Karishan Laal Bheel, who was participating in the festival with his team, said that he could sing simultaneously in many languages including Hindi, Saraiki, Punjabi, Rajastani, Thari, Bagarki and Urdu. He said that he was also attached with the Rafi Peer Theatre and the National Arts Council. He said that his team makes it to several cultural and religious festivals all over Pakistan every year.

Another famous artist from Punjab, Fazal Ashiq Jat, said that he was representing the culture of Punjab. He said that he also performed at the festival last year. He said that two days had been marked for the artists from Punjab.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10th, 2014.

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