Week-long Gandhara festival begins today
Artworks are on display at the Gandhara Art Gallery in Taxila. PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE
The Gandhara Festival 2023, organised by Punjab Arts Council (PAC), will be inaugurated today in Gandhara Art Village Taxila by Secretary Information and Culture Silwat Saeed.
In this regard, Director General Punjab Arts Council Muhammad Mehboob Alam said that the promotion of culture is the top priority of the Punjab government. The recent approval of the first cultural policy of the Punjab province is a testament to the efforts of the Punjab Arts Council, he added.
Gandhara Festival 2023 will be held from January 29 to February 4 at Gandhara Art Village Taxila and Punjab Arts Council Cricket Stadium Road Rawalpindi. Moreover, several other 3-day cultural festivals will be organised in different regions of Punjab on the civilisation of Harappa, Sindhi, and Hakra culture of Cholistan along with Gandhara.
More than 20 stalls based on sculpture, stone carving, and Gandhara art are being set up by expert artisans. Moreover, traditional food, a kids' play area, and a book fair on Gandhara are also part of the festival.
The event will begin with an opening ceremony where Sufi Sain Zahoor will be performing on a Sufi night. The very next day (January 30), the audience will get to enjoy Sham-e-Ghazak with Ustad Hamid Ali Khan. Moreover, a storytelling programme is organised where Fazal Jatt along with Naeem Hazarvi will present stories in their unique style.
On the other hand, Saraiki folk singer Rahat Multani will perform at Punjab Arts Council Rawalpindi on February 2 whereas Sawaal Band from Lahore will grace the Sufi night on February 3. A theatre play directed by Sulaiman Sunny on the life of a famous character from the history of Gandhara, named Ashok Samrat will be demonstrated on February 4. The festival also features the famous Sami folk dance of Pothohar.
Moreover, painting and sculpture-making competitions will also be held to ensure active participation of youth in the Gandhara festival. The winners will be awarded cash prizes and certificates of appreciation.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 29th, 2023.