Cultural festival: High on the spice of life

Ten-day Margalla Festival ends with colourful display.

ISLAMABAD: Under the scorching sun, a troupe of traditional dancers seemed one with the universe at the closing ceremony of Margala Festival at Lok Virsa on Sunday. Clad in bright hues, they moved to the beat of drums and harmonium, wooing a large crowd. Two fire-breathing dancers had the audience cheering over their dexterous movements and control over the blazing embers.

Hira, an eighth-grader attending the event, said she had only seen such performances in movies.

“The dance is symbolic of both joy and sorrow, it is the beat of life,” said Krishan Laal, who has been making and playing spiritual music in Rahimyar Khan District for about four decades. He seemed content with the arrangements at the festival and the kind of response he and his entourage had gotten during the course of the 10-day festival.

Attired in a burnt-orange gown, he wore a variety of studded amulets and a pair of dull gold earrings. “Ordinary people don’t dress this way. It is the tradition of sufis,” he said in a thick Rajisthani accent. A traditional instrument, Yaktara slung to his arm as he strummed gently.



Children enjoyed carousel rides as adults relaxed on the ground, taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the festival that attracted performers and artisans from all provinces. Food stalls saw a hefty turnout, as visitors enjoyed traditional delights. Women browsed through stalls of embellished clothes and jewellery, haggling over the ethnic specialties.

Zahid Hussain, a stone carver from Taxila, worked quietly at his stall. He displayed a collection of stupas and relics of Gadhara art. “Sadly, nobody wants to promote this heritage of the world’s oldest civilisation anymore,” he said. What good will festivals such do when there is no political will, Hussain added.

Meanwhile, a group of dancers and musicians from Lyari, stole the show with their animated moves.

“This is an African-inspired dance which has been improvised with zig-zag movements. The dancers go in a circle, adding their own touch,” said Qadir. “Dance has no language,” he said with a smile.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10^th, 2013.