Pakhtun Culture Day marked at Edwardes College

PESHAWAR: A large number of youngsters, including girls, enthusiastically celebrated the Pakhtun Culture Day here at the historic Edwardes College.

The visitors thronged stalls selling traditional dresses and offering local cuisine. 

The Pashto Society of the Edwardes College had organised the event to promote the culture of various parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the adjoining Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).

Students from all over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Fata and Afghanistan had sat up stalls showcasing traditional cuisine, dresses, and handicrafts.

Indigenously grown famous fruits like oranges, walnuts apples and almonds were on display and so were knives made in Dir, Sohan Halwa from Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu’s painda, turbans from Waziristan, Charsadda Chappal and its delicious rice called Shola. Badayuni Pheray from Mardan, Chitrali caps, shawl, coats and dry fruit, Malakand’s sweet bread and traditional Pakhtun jewellery were also displayed at the stalls.

Stalls showcasing books about popular Pashtun poets Abdur Rahman Baba, Khushal Khan Khattak, Ghani Khan, Hamza Shinwari and other writers, warriors and nationalist politicians were also set up.

The handicrafts prepared by the prisoners serving their terms in Central Prison Peshawar and special persons were also displayed.

Young boys and girls attired in traditional dresses attended the visitors and told them about various items. Children were also among the visitors.

Enthusiastic youth presented traditional dances while charpoys were arranged for the visitors to sit and enjoy the traditional food and other delicacies.

A first year student from Afghanistan at Edwardes College, Sameer Ahmad was satisfied with the response to their stalls where traditional Afghan artwork, carpets, dresses, dry fruit and food were displayed.

“The young male and female visitors are taking keen interest in the items we have put on display,” he added.

Wearing traditional dress and jewellery, Kashmala Khattak, a fourth-year student at Edwardes College, said that she displayed traditional Pakhtun jewellery that was fast losing its attraction as girls now preferred new designs made of gold.

“Few girls now wear traditional jewellery. The purpose of setting up of the stall is to highlight the importance of wearing this kind of jewellery to keep our heritage alive,” she argued. She said that boys took interest in rings, lockets and others items.

The attendant at the stall displaying handmade items made by the prisoners said that visitors came, checked the items and inquired about the price but few bought them.

Waqas Khan of Maidan valley in Lower Dir district said that those who had set up the stalls had collected money from the students of their native districts to buy the items for displaying at the stalls.

“We are not selling these items to make money. We want to highlight the traditional items and culture,” he added.

Riaz Ghafoor, one of the organisers, said that 21 stalls displaying the culture and traditions of various district, tribal areas and Afghanistan were set up. He said that Edwardes College organised the event regularly. He added students from all over the province set up stalls at the exhibition to showcase their culture, traditional dresses and food.

He said the event was held with the aim to show the diverse culture of the students studying at the college besides promoting the soft image of the Pakhtuns.