Sindh pavilion centre of attraction for visitors

‘Lok Mela’

Islamabad: Culture pavilions established by different provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir are the centre of attraction for visitors at the folk festival ‘Lok Mela’ currently in full swing at Shakarparian.

The ‘mela’, inaugurated on Friday, is a mega cultural event organised by the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage (Lok Virsa), a specialised institution working for the promotion and preservation of Pakistan’s traditional culture.

One of the pavilions designed with colours of Indus civilisation depicts rich culture and traditional architecture of the land of ‘sufi’ saints — the Sindh province, is always full of activity and visitors looking for their favourite crafts at a reasonable price. Coordinated by the Sindh culture department, a contingent of over hundred participants including master artisans in various craft fields, folk artists, rural musicians, instrumentalists and folk dance groups is actively participating and showcasing their beautiful cultural heritage at the federal capital.

Sindh is famous for a wide range of folk crafts like lacquer art, Farasi weaving, blue pottery, Sindhi embroidery, Ajrak, block printing, traditional carpet weaving, rilli (appliqué work), tie-dye, khes weaving, wood works, Thari embroidery and several others, which all have been showcased at the festival.

The craftspeople who are seen demonstrating their artistic work at the Sindh pavilion include Faqeer Muhammad in pottery, Muhammad Suleman in lacquer art, Haleema Bibi, Parri Bibi in ‘farasi’ weaving, Siyani Bibi in ‘lungi and khes’ weaving, Sarran in ‘charka’ weaving, Qadir Bukhsh Jani in blue pottery, Khan Chand in traditional shoes, Qadir Bukhsh in ‘ajrak’, Gul Khatoon in handlooms, Arbab Ali in block printing, Muhammad Aslam in ‘sussi’ weaving, Abdul Majeed Soomro in ‘ajrak’ block printing, Zaheeran and Badshahzadi in ‘rilli’ and embroidery work and others.

Muhammad Suleman is a craftsman who always manages to catch the visitor’s eye. He is a bona-fide artisan in lacquer art (Jundri ka Kam) from Hala. He has a vast knowledge and experience in practicing this ancient craft.

Adding to the flavour, the Lok Virsa administration has planned Sindhi musical night to be held on April 5 at 7 p.m. at Lok Virsa open air theatre. A number of eminent folk artists, musicians and performers from Sindh province will perform live in a concert at Lok Mela.The Lok Mela continues with all its activities and attractions. Daily timings are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Entry ticket is Rs30 per head for adults and Rs20 per head for students.