Musicians play ‘Shah Jo Sur’ at the fifth Ayaz Mela, being held at Cafe Khanabadosh at the Sindh Museum in Hyderabad. PHOTO: ONLINE
Ayaz, a poet who simultaneously dealt with the themes of romance and rebellion, is credited with evoking Sindhi nationalism during an authoritative era. Born in 1923, he authored and translated over 50 books in his lifetime.
The five-day festival, which will include panel discussions, musical performances, mushaira and live theatre, drew crowds of over 3,000 people on its first day. "We have 300 experts on board for panel discussions, 100 singers who will perform during the event and 80 poets to present their poetry in front of the audience," said Arfana Mallah, one of the chief organisers. Moreover, there are 20 stalls set up for visitors, which include 12 bookstalls and others for food and different items.
10-day Lok Mela starts today
Inaugurated by the Sindh Minister for Culture and Tourism, Syed Sardar Ali Shah, the festival is being organised with the help of funding from the Sindh Culture Department and donations from within the country as well as from the United States of America and other parts of the world.
The festival will continue till December 25. The inaugural Ayaz Mela, which was held in 2015, lasted for eight days. Since then, it has shrunk, occurring over seven days in 2016, six days in 2017, and five days for the past two years.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 22nd, 2019.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ