Lok Mela inaugurated in Multan

‘Festival will help eradicate poverty by promoting local craftsmanship’.

MULTAN: Lok Mela, a folk heritage show, began in Multan on Saturday.

The event has been organised by the Ministry of Culture and the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage (Lok Virsa). It was inaugurated by MPA Syed Ahmed Mujtaba Gillani. Gillani thanked the Lok Virsa for bringing the exhibition to Multan. More than 500 artistes and artisans including painters, folk singers and dance groups from around the country would perform at the event. The major attractions of the 9-day festival include pavilions representing all provinces and the Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Song and dance ensembles, Seraiki culture pavilion, music concerts and a play area for children are also part of the festival. The participants are showing embroidery, wood works, weaving, block printing, papier mache, shawl weaving, doll making, metal work, lacquer work, wax printing and stone carving among other skills. A visitor said the exhibition will provide the people a chance to present their products to the buyers without a middle man.

Khalid Javaid, the Lok Virsa executive director, said that the festival was an important step towards eradication of poverty among the craftspeople. Federal Secretary for Culture Moinul Islam Bukhari said the festival would provide an opportunity to the craftspeople and folk musicians to win recognition for their talent at the national level. The festival will continue till February 27.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 20^th, 2011.