Punjab culture casts spells at Lok Mela

After mesmerising Balochi night, visitors taste rare elements of Punjabi folklore

ISLAMABAD:

Even though the federal capital is essentially surrounded by the Punjab province, some Punjabi folk traditions, songs, dances, crafts and cuisine put on display at the Lok Mela on Sunday evening were new to residents of the city.

The "Punjab Musical Night" at the National Heritage Museum - Lok Virsa - on Sunday evening drew huge crowds.

Popular Punjabi folk songs were sung while people participated in communal folk dancing to the beat of the drums at the Lok Virsa Open air theatre on Sunday.

Eminent Punjabi artists and musicians, including Sain Aslam, Sain Raiz, Bashir Lohar, Sain Iqbal, Shaukat Dholi, Afshan Zaibi, and Quraban Niazi among others enthralled the audience.

Moreover, as part of reserving the day for the Punjabi culture in the week-long cultural festival, the Punjab pavilion stood out from the pavilions of all the other provinces at the festival.

Little surprise then that the biggest rush was seen at the pavilion on Sunday as they squeezed in to catch a glimpse of the several traditional folk performances and demonstrations of Punjab's rich legacy.

Apart from traditional crafts and skills, products of the province including colourful and opulent embroidered dresses, music and food were available in the pavilion - which is rare to find in Islamabad generally.

Set up by the Punjab Culture Directorate in collaboration with Lok Virsa, the pavilion included craftspeople, folk artists, folk musicians and dance groups.

MPA Farah Agha, who hails from Rawalpindi, commended Lok Virsa for promoting the rich cultural heritage of the country in such a way.

"We will support every initiative that can lead to the creation of national harmony and integration, which is the need of the hour," she said. A visitor, Abdul Hannan said, "One can see the glimpses from every corner of Pakistan created in the lush green surroundings of the Shakarparian Hills, contributing significantly to enhance the stature, beauty and landscape of the federal capital."

The festival is expected to culminate with a colourful award ceremony on November 15 when cash awards will be distributed amongst the most talented and deserving artisans on the recommendations of a national jury.

Baloch artists

Earlier on Saturday, the rich culture of Balochistan was put on display at the Lok Mela, which provided an opportunity for visitors to appreciate arts and crafts from each province.

The Baloch pavilion was set up by the Balochistan Culture Department in collaboration with Lok Virsa. Visitors’ attention was attracted with presentations on arts, crafts, folk music and other traditions. The entrance to the pavilion was designed beautifully with arches designed in consonance with traditional Baloch architecture, virtually transporting the visitors to the province.

A female artisan, Kaneez Fatima, exhibited traditional Baloch embroidery at the mela. She carried on the centuries-old tradition and devoted years of her life to learning this art.

Fatima, 44, shared that she has been participating in Lok Mela for the past 20 years and has over that time won several accolades and cash prizes. A Baloch folk singer, Jhangi Khan, could be heard across the pavilion with his rendition of traditional melodies.

Baloch cuisine was a great hit at the mela as sajji was served at the pavilion, which is a speciality of the mountainous region. Scores of visitors made their way to try the traditional cuisine, appreciating its unique taste.

“One can see the glimpses from every corner of Pakistan in the lush green surroundings of Shakarparian hills,” Shahzad Khan, a tourist, commented.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 9^th, 2020.