Cultural pavilion at Lok Virsa source of attraction for visitors

Islamabad Lok Virsa has become the centre of attraction as pavilions established at the annual Lok Mela have set a galaxy of cultural diversity depicting the heritage of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Kashmir.

Talking to this agency, Executive Director Lok Virsa Talha Ali said, special pavilions from all provinces showed the beautiful culture of their regions through, music, food cuisines, embroidery, and dresses.

Folk artists, musicians, craftsmen, and dance groups were presenting their outstanding performances throughout the day, he added.

“All provinces have been allocated separate pavilions to showcase their indigenous folk culture in a creative and interactive manner,” he added.

Talha said that this festival provided an opportunity to the diplomatic community and residents of the twin cities to have cultural entertainment and buy handcrafts at reasonable prices.

Every pavilion was truly a window to the unique cultural heritage of each province and region, and Punjab’s pavilion at the festival was of particular interest to many people, said artisan Muhammad Riaz.

The crafts on display at the Punjab pavilion including lacquer art, Multani blue tiles, tie and dye, block-printing, wood carving, darree (carpet and mats), metal work, camel bone carving, ‘khussa’ were attracting a larger number of women, Riaz added.

Another artisan Faraz Niaz from the Punjab

pavilion is an expert at using natural dyes and the ancient art of wooden block making that centered in the lower Indus valley.

For printing, a printer dips a block in natural vegetable and mineral dyes and presses the design onto the fabric to engrave eye-catching patterns, he added.