Imran Ammar
The objective of the festival was to promote Pakistan’s folk heritage, strengthen national harmony and integration among all federating units through a cultural perspective and provide a much needed platform to master artisans and folk artists to demonstrate their skills at national level.
Hundreds of master artisans, rural musicians and folk artists participated in the ten-day mela and won recognition of their talent.
All provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kasmir ensured their effective participation.
Inauguration
The formal opening of the festival was held on 3rd November at 5.30 pm at Lok Virsa open air theatre. Federal Minister for National Heritage & Culture Syed Jamal Shah was the chief guest on the occasion. The ceremony started with the recitation of excerpt from Holy Quran. National anthems of Pakistan and Palestine were also played on the occasion.
Executive Director Lok Virsa Mr. Uzair Khan while giving his welcoming speech thanked the minister, secretary, diplomats, high level officials and distinguished guests who attended the inaugural ceremony. He apprised the audience about the salient features of Lok Mela. ED Lok Virsa said that the festival not only showcases living cultural heritage of Pakistan but it also aimed to revive endangered folk traditions like arts and crafts and musical forms. The Mela helped to keep all the units of the federation actually connected with each other..
Federal Secretary for National Heritage & Culture Division Ms. Humaira Ahmed said that “I am delighted to see that there are such institutes like Lok Virsa which are carrying out its duty professionally and introducing Pakistan bright images to the world.
As per tradition of Lok Mela, a Dastarbandi/Chaddarposhi ceremony held each year in which established craftsperson and eminent folk artist/musician is honoured by placing a turban or a chaddar on his head/her shoulder. It is a symbol of Lok Virsa’s commitment to keep the heritage of Pakistan alive and continuing and a way of showing that the folk practitioners have importance in national life and they have made a great contribution towards our culture.
This year Ms. Siyani Khatoon, a master artisan of Khes/Lungi weaving from Sindh and Fazal Jutt, folk artist from Punjab was honoured. The chief guest placed a shawl on the shoulder of Siyani Khatoon and put a turban on the head of Fazal Jutt.
During the ceremony, folk singers from all provinces and regions of Pakistan gave electrifying performances. A special performance from Ms. Saira Peter, opera singer was also a part of the event who specially came from UK for Lok Mela.
ARTISANS-AT-WORK
EXHIBITION
Apart from many entertainment programs for the visitors, the exhibition of the work of the artisans is a special attraction for the visitors at the ongoing “Lok Mela” organized by Lok Virsa.
More than 400 artisans are seen showcasing their work of making aesthetically made handicrafts, using their creativity in folk arts and crafts and mesmerizing the visitors with their unique craftsmanship.
Handicrafts on display include embroidery (including Multani, Bahawalpuri, Hazara, Swati, Balochi and Sindhi embroidery), block printing, wood lacquer work, khusa making, pottery, chunri work, doll making, khaddar weaving, truck art, wood carving, namda and gaba, metal work, shawl weaving, zari work, bead work, ajrak, stone carving etc.
Lok Virsa being an important institution for promoting Pakistani folk culture, is well aware of the need for gender equality, that is why the stalls of women artisans are seen in every pavilion. Both men and women have an equal opportunity to express their talents in the mela.
Many women artisans can be seen displaying their skills in the mela as well. The most prominent among them is Kaneez Fatima. She is an expert craftsman of Balochi embroidery and is carrying forward this centuries-old tradition of her ancestors and has dedicated 35 to 40 years of her life to this profession and making this art useful for future generations too.
Men artisans are also no less than women in demonstrating their art, among them
Muhammad Riaz, an expert craftsman of lacquer work hails from Silanwali, Punjab. His father was also an expert craftsman. He continued to exhibit his art in many fairs and exhibitions across the country and was awarded several times with cash prizes and certificates. He was recently conferred upon President’s medal for Pride of Performance.
Fayyaz is an expert block printing artisan using the natural dyes from Kahror Pakka. The centers of the ancient art of wood block making are in the lower part of the Indus Valley which encompasses southern Punjab and the whole of Sindh. It is a more than 9,000-year-old craft dating back to the Mehrgarh civilization in Balochistan, which is the earliest evidence of pottery production.
The Indus Valley Civilization of Mohenjo Daro in Sindh and the Harappan Civilization of Punjab (5,000 BC) indicate traces of cotton and woolen cloth production. The form, design and color of Pakistani handicrafts still have a dominant historical influence at the core. Handicrafts represent a valuable material heritage, a solid part of our historical and contemporary culture. Unlike in the West, most traditional crafts in Pakistan are neither a profession nor a hobby, but an integral part of a diverse cultural pattern. The impact of the industrial age is destroying the heritage of this craft in rural areas as well, but there is a recent trend towards the use of handicrafts as art in urban homes.
Historical motifs and designs are being revived by an increasing number of artisans and designers for the tourist and export trade.
PUNJAB PAVILION
A detailed look at Punjab pavilion introduced the visitors with the wide range of colourful and dazzling crafts along with vibrant and energetic traditional folk music of the area. Punjab is the land of five rivers and its culture is very attractive and centuries old. Keeping alive the spirit of fanfare and festivity, the Punjab pavilion depicting the indigenous folk culture, arts, crafts, traditional cuisine, folk music and folk entertainment remains the centre of attraction for the visitors.
As one enters the Punjab pavilion, it welcomes with more than fifty master craftsmen and craftswomen, who are seen sitting in the artistically erected stalls practicing centuries’ old traditional crafts including bone work, lacquer art (jundri ka kaam), Multani blue tiles, tie & dye, bock printing, wood carving, darree weaving, khaddar weaving, basketry, pottery, embroidery, zardozi, metal work, camel bone carving, shoe (khussa), needle work, etc.
Several female artisans are also taking part in the festival, giving a sense of gender equality, which is usually witnessed in almost every activity of Lok Virsa.
Among these craftswomen, the prominent is Hajra Bibi from Bahawalpur. She is a young lady and has ample knowledge of basket-weaving. She weaves many colourful items like baskets, changer, hand-fans, women’s footwear, chhaaj (grain separator), etc.
Surraya from Karror Pacca makes traditional ‘chunri’ (tie & dye work) with its tiny details and dark colours like maroon, green, yellow and red.
Male artisans are also proving their mettle by creating equally exquisite handicrafts. The outstanding among them is Ameer Buhsh, who is an expert in natural dyes. The ancient art of wooden block making has its centres in the lower Indus valley encompassing southern Punjab and all of Sindh. He has not only trained his family members but also imparted training to many artisans in other crafts of textile.
At the evening, a Qawwali concert was organized at the Open Air Theater featuring the famous Qawwal Bakshi Brothers. He performed Qawwali in their unique style and gave an electrifying and riveting performance and received great applause from the fans.
BALOCHISTAN PAVILION
The rich culture and traditions of Balochistan displayed at Lok Mela is the centre of attraction for visitors to enjoy the arts and crafts of the province along with the display of cultural materials of other provinces.
The organizers have allocated a spacious place for all the provinces for showcasing their indigenous folk culture in a creative and interactive manner.
The Balochistan pavilion set up by the Balochistan Culture Department catches the visitor’s eye with the presentation of the richness of Balochi culture, arts, crafts, rituals, traditions, cuisine and folk entertainment.
The Balochi pavilion is marked with various crafts including wooden boat making, embroidery, wood work, peesh (basketry) work, bead work, traditional shoe making, jewellery making, leather embroidery, khaddar weaving.
While visiting the festival, one cannot ignore the enticing and mouthwatering smell of traditional Balochistan Sajji. It is the specialty of this mountainous region of Balochistan. It consists of chicken or sometimes whole lamb, in wooden skewers, marinated only in salt and roasted around burning coals for several hours. Residents of Rawalpindi-Islamabad are thronging to the Balochi food daily appreciating its unique taste.
UNESCO representative also spoke on the occassion, she said that the purpose today conference is to understand the importance of living heritage.
She said that Pakistan rich heritage equally acknowledged.
Puppet Shows attract children at Lok Mela
Colourful puppet shows at Lok Mela were serving as major attraction for children. Lok Virsa in collaboration with Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) is presenting puppet show daily at its open air theatre.
These shows highlight various issues like health, education and environment etc. through stories with lessons. Children along with parents attend the show.
A Fusion night was also held on 8th November 2023 presented by Ashraf Ali and Group during Lok Mela at Lok Virsa open air theatre presented fusion pop music with folk and sufi songs.
Kashmiri Culture Attract Visitors
Like other provinces and regions, the rich culture, crafts, folk music, rituals and traditions of Jammu and Kashmir are being showcased in the Lok Mela through the participation of craftspeople, folk artists and musicians.
The Kashmir pavilion has been set up by Azad Kashmir Culture and Tourism Department. A contingent of over 25 participants from Azad Kashmir is taking part in the festival.
They include 11 craftspeople in the field of wood carving, carpets, namda, gaba, Kashmiri shawl and embroidery artisans are Yasmin Mustafa, Shahzadi Bano, Amjad Ali, Irfan Ghulam Nabi, Jamal Zafar, Sadiq Ali, Kamran Butt, Sheikh Muhammad Yousaf and Azra Kausar.
A cultural night was also part of the activities by Azad Kashmir Department of Sports, Youth and Culture during Lok Mela featuring many folk artists and musicians from Azad Kashmir.
Lok Mela Showcases Sindh Culture
Art and culture of Sindh were celebrated the ongoing Lok Mela here on Friday where artisans from Sindh, at their cultural pavilions, became a major attraction for the visitors.
The 10-day Lok Mela held here at Shakarparian has entered its last phase. It provided the residents of Islamabad and Rawalpindi to entertain themselves with the art and culture of Pakistan in single place. While visiting the festival grounds, one can see an aesthetically designed Sindh pavilion depicting the rich culture of the land of Sufi saints. Sindh is famous for a wide range of folk crafts like lacquer art, farasi weaving (floor rug), blue pottery Sindhi embroidery, Ajrak block printing, ralli (appliqué work), tie-dye, khes weaving, woodwork, Thari embroidery and several others which all have been beautifully showcased here.
Prominent among the artisans is Khan Chand who excels in Sindhi Jutti (Shoe) making. He is 68 years old with a standing experience of 43 years. He attained mastery in the field from his father who was also an accomplished master craftsman.
He creates exquisite Sindhi shoes which are famous all over Sindh. He uses pure leather, cotton and silk threat etc. for making this beautiful craft with unmatched quality not found anywhere in the province.
He has trained a number of students in his native town. He has also been attending various festivals and exhibitions organized locally as well as federal level including Lok Mela for the last 36 years.
The artisans who were seen displaying their craftsmanship include Nadia, Gul Khatoon and Badshahzadi in ralli making, Anila Channa and Ghulam Muhammad in khes and lungi weaving. Rahiba in date palm leaf work, Faqeer Muhammad in pottery making, Sabreen Soangi in Moenjodaro replica, Shahzad Khan in Farasi weaving, Fida Hussain and Ghulam Nabi in Ajrak making.
KPK musical night was posponded due to death of senior Politician.