‘Jashn-e-Shahi Guzargah’ to revive culture of Lahore

LAHORE
THE Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) has planned to hold a three-day festival ‘Jashn-e-Shahi Guzargah’, the opening ceremony of restored Royal Trail from today (Thursday).
The WCLA officials said this event would be the first of its kind in the history of the Walled City of Lahore as well as in the country. The event is taking place at Shahi Guzargah - The Royal Trail Project from Delhi Gate to Masti Gate, they said, adding that this route holds within itself many monuments like Shahi Hamam, Chitta Gate, Wazir Khan Mosque, Dina Nath Haveli and Well, Sonehri Mosque, Baoli Bagh, Mariam Zamani Mosque and Lahore Fort.
Starting from ‘Delhi Gate’, 383 meter long Heritage Trail ‘Shahi Guzargah’ leading up to ‘Chowk Kotwali’ has been restored by WCLA, said Tanya Qureshi. This project encompasses a restoration of heritage architecture and a replacement of infrastructure and services, including underground electricity, telecommunications, gas storm water and sewerage, she maintained. Removal of encroachments, street pavements and excess furniture is also part of this project. For the first time, the unsightly veils of encroachments on the facades of two remarkable monuments ‘Shahi Hammam’ and ‘Wazir Khan Mosque’ have been eradicated, Tanya claimed.
‘We have engaged local street performers like monkey show, snake charmer, poets, musicians, singers, jugglers and many more,’ she said. She said that our new generation had no idea of these performances and through this festival the authority aimed at promoting every bit of the walled city.
Director Marketing WCLA Asif Zaheer said the authority, through this festival intended to preserve and promote the tangible and intangible culture, which would draw in domestic and international tourism. This event will boost and motivate the spirit of Walled City artisans and performers, and would also open up the way to different

economic opportunities, he added.
‘We have arranged this festival for the families to peep into the heritage and restored trail. We have engaged more than 100 artisans of the Walled City to display their art and craft in the festival. This will be the promotion of the art as well as the heritage itself,’ he maintained.
As per programme, the opening ceremony will be held on Friday night, in which a theatre drama ‘Lo Phir Basant Aee’ will be displayed while performances of Arif Lohar, Bushra Sadiq, Riaz Ali Qadri, Asif Ali Santo and Saien Ghulam Abbas will also take place.
On the second day of the festival, the same theatre along with performances by Saien Zahoor, Mulazim Hussain Nirmal Shah (female Sufi singer), Rafaqat Ali Khan and Tabraiz Aziz Mian will take place.
The closing ceremony will take place on Sunday night in which theatre drama ‘Lo Phir Basant Aee’ will be displayed again. Performances of Sanam Marvi, Adeel Barki, Shair Ali, Mehar Ali and Nida Faiz will also take place.
Director General WCLA Kamran Lashari said the Walled City of Lahore was a hub of cultural activities and full of life. ‘We intend to promote the forgotten or probably the neglected Lahori life through this festival’, he said, adding that anyone visiting the royal trail would find a heritage coming alive.