Put on your ajrak and your topi: Sindhi Cultural Day to be celebrated tomorrow

Demand for traditional clothing shoots up in anticipation of Sindhi Cultural Day

KARACHI:

With traditional clothing, folk songs and rallies, Sindhi Cultural Day, which began as Sindhi Topi Day, will be celebrated across the province tomorrow.

Different organisations, including nationalist and political parties, are arranging events and rallies, which will start on Saturday evening with 'mach katchehries' (traditional gatherings).

"It is like an Eid day for us," explained Mumtaz Sehto from Raniput. "The celebrations aren't just limited to Sindh, but occur all over the world. Even members of my family who live in Australia are celebrating it!"



Ghulam Nabi, a supplier of Sindhi topis, said that the cultural day celebrations had significantly increased his sales. "Organisations ask for hundreds of pieces for this day," he said, adding that not only men but also women and children liked wearing the traditional caps on the occasion. While most of the men prefer wearing white shalwar kameez to go with the caps, the women often don colourful Sindhi dresses.

"People have started demanding printed ajraks instead of the original ajraks over the past few years," said Fayaz Soomro, who supplies ajraks to different parts of the province from his hometown of Tando Muhammad Khan. He added that the original ajraks could cost anywhere from Rs1,000 to Rs3,000.

Most of the rallies are held in front of press clubs, with participants dancing to Sindhi songs, especially 'Jeay Sindh Jeay, Sindh Wara Jiyan'. Schools across the province are also organising cultural activities and presenting tableaus based on folk songs.

Literary figures, journalists, civil society activists and political leaders will participants in a candlelight vigil in front of the Karachi Press Club (KPC) today at 12am. A stage will be built at the venue, with singers performing there from Sunday morning till the evening, while rallies from Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulshan-e-Hadeed, Malir, Lyari, Keamari and other areas of the city will gather at the KPC as well. An event for cultural activities has also been arranged at the Karachi Arts Council in the evening.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 6^th, 2014.