The carnival committee has prepared digital plans of how they will decorate the venue, Port Grand, during the nine-day festival to celebrate the city’s diversity. PHOTO: COURTESY JAVED JABBAR
The Grand Karachi Carnival is ready to kick off on World Happiness Day that falls on March 21 at Port Grand Karachi, announced former federal minister Javed Jabbar, who is also the chairperson of the carnival’s advisory council. Jabbar told The Express Tribune that they are working on the theme ‘It’s all about happiness’. “The carnival will bring together the entire town to celebrate happiness on one platform,” he hoped.
The event is specifically geared towards celebrating Karachi due to the diversity this city embodies. “Everyone living in this city has the same share of misery and we are gifting a little ounce of happiness,” he said. Our motive is to honour the people of Karachi for their decency, hard work and varied customs, he added.
The carnival does not limit itself to a particular age group and hopes to cater to all the people. The kids’ world, book world, dance and film theatre, and the fashion world will attract people from all walks of life. The organisers had paid attention to choosing the perfect venue as well. “The venue [Port Grand] represents the various dimensions of Karachi: the sea, the railway tracks, the feel of the port,” he said. “All of this under one roof will make people enjoy the diversity of this city, which lies in every citizen.”
Choreographer Joshinger Chaggar and her team will be performing free-of-charge on the weekend during the carnival, pointed out a member of the advisory council, Pervez Iqbal. “There are specific programmes for children, such as storytelling sessions, jumping castles, shooting balloons and face painting,” he added.
The carnival will also feature fireworks from a group of Lyari residents, along with a Carnival Bazaar, Food Numaish, a wall of fame called ‘Stars of Karachi’ and several cultural performances. The carnival will start at 5:30pm every day and will go on till midnight. The entry ticket for the Grand Karachi Carnival will be Rs500 for all adults and children but Rs200 of it will be utilised inside on food and other activities.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 8th, 2015.
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