Local artisans get to show off their skills at Sindh Folk Festival

People throng the festival to take part in two-day event

KARACHI: With people dancing to the beats of Sindhi instrumental songs, Sindh Folk Festival kicked-off on Saturday morning, where local artisans from across the province displayed their products. Artisans from across Sindh have come to attend the two-day event, which has been organised by the Sindh government’s culture department at National Museum. Around 35 stalls were set-up at the festival this year. According to the culture department secretary Ghulam Akber Laghari, the festival has been taking place annually since minister Saussi Palijo’s time. “The festival promotes love and harmony amongst the people of Sindh,” said Sindh government’s culture secretary Ghulam Akber Laghari, speaking to The Express Tribune about the festival that will be ending today.

People thronged the venue to take part in the festival in which local handicrafts were exhibited. The stalls had a variety of items on display, such as embroidered mirrors and hand bags from Mithi in Tharparkar, chunri outfits from Badin, shahi khussa from Kashmore, block printed shawls from Mohlai Dinno Satho village in Matiari, hand painted tiles from Hala and khess shawls from Hyderabad.



Shahnawaz Soomro, who had brought hand-painted tiles, said his family had been involved in the business for the past 100 years. The designs on these tiles are from Hala, he said, referring to the ones that were on display that had floral designs on them while some had birds. Another artisan Shahid Hussain from Hyderabad had displayed khess shawls made of wool, cotton and silk fabric, with hand-made designs on them. “I come here every year to display my products, such as these shahi khussas,” said Raja Bheeshan Lal, who had come all the way from Kashmor.  “The festival has led my business to grow so much that I am able to display my work in Dubai too,” he jubilantly added.

Another Badin-based artisan Naveed Hussain, who runs the business of chunri outfits, had a vibrant stall set-up for the people. Hussain said his father first started this business more than 60 years back in Pakistan, after he migrated from the Kutch area of India and re-married here. “Just like I practice this handicraft here, my step family has the same business in Kutch area too today,” he said. “Intrinsic quality of culture is such that it is like a huge sea. It will take away all the hatred brewing in the world at large,” said Sindh culture minister Syed Sardar Shah speaking at the festival.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2017.