Handmade: Huner Mela brings colour to winter

The festival, which attracted artisans from all areas, ends Sunday

PESHAWAR: The three-day-long Huner Mela, featuring the traditional handicrafts, music and food, commenced in Hayatabad on Friday. The event has been organised by Tourism Corporation Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and attracted people from across the province.

“We have come here from Abbottabad so others can see our talent and share our culture,” said Naheed Kausar, who makes woolen products. Kausar said she learned a lot about other cultures at the event.

Not easy to reach

However, most of the artisans were of the opinion the venue was far from the reach of most of the public. As a result, the mela drew a thin crowd.

The craftspeople with more than 60 stalls on display came from places such as DI Khan, Hazara, Bannu as well as parts of Attock. The stalls displayed embroidery, taghar (rugs), shawls, bead work, Peshawari caps, wax paintings, oil paintings, calligraphy, jewellery, musical instruments like sitars, Gandharan art, drooza (straw work), Charsadda chappals and pottery, among many other items.

Live music

Musicians were playing musical instruments like the rabab at the festival while dances such as the Khattak, Mehsud, Attan, Chitrali, Gatka, Attan Ball and Bangash were also performed – regardless of the small, smattering of a crowd present.There was also a variety of stalls from Chitral, showcasing goods from the culturally rich Kalash Valley. Artisans had brought clothes made of Chitrali Patti.

“These crafts, if promoted, can contribute greatly to the economy of the province, even the country,” Shakira Ayon, an artisan from Kalash, said.

Wearing the now iconic Kalash dress, Ayon said they have displayed their work around the country and received a good response. “However, today, there was complete silence,” she said.

She added Kalashas have a unique culture and crafts. However, it has been affected due to the recent floods in the region. “We need support. Such fairs help provide us with a platform to display our talent and crafts, promoting our culture throughout the country.”

For the foodies

No fair can be complete without the lure of food. Hunar Mela might bring colour and culture but more importantly it came with the aroma of fresh chapli kebabs, cooked at the venue. Stalls offered Katwa from Swabi, Kabuli pulao, fresh sugarcane juice, as well as dozens of other mouth-watering dishes representing the province.

“We need to expand the handicrafts industry and mechanise it," Khwaja Safar Ali, an antique and cultural crafts dealer, said. “Innovation and research is equally important in this industry. However, it is not possible without the help of the government.”

He added crafts like traditional jewellery, antique utensils with brass, among others have a demand in the international market. However, artists are unaware how to reach it.

“The handicrafts industry is filled with people from weak economic backgrounds, and they can really use the support,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 16^th, 2016.