Lok Mela begins today

Islamabad: The National Institute of Folk & Traditional Heritage (Lok Virsa) on Thursday announced the holding of its annual mega event known as Lok Mela from today (Friday).

The festival will last until Nov 24 at Lok Virsa Complex, Garden Avenue, Shakarparian, Islamabad.

The main features include provincial cultural pavilions, artisans at work, folk songs and dance performances, exotic craft bazaar, cultural nights, folkloric performances and many other activities.

As per tradition exists for the last four decades, the festival will formally open with a chadarposhi/dastarbandi ceremony, which is a way of proclaiming Lok Virsa’s commitment to the high stature that craftspeople and folk artists have in the cultural mainstream of the nation.

This year, one established master craftswoman and one male folk artist/ musician will be honoured with chaddarposhi and dastarbandi by Minister for Federal Education, Professional Training, National History & Literary Heritage Shafqat Mahmood on November 19, 2019. Culture departments of all provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir have been invited to set up pavilions presenting their indigenous folk culture, artisans, folk artists and traditional cuisine as link nodes of the festival’s foundation grid.

Special attractions featuring folk singers, folk entertainers and other entertaining shows will be organised throughout the festival period. Display of traditional folk dances from all over Pakistan will be held in open air at intervals.

Folk entertainers and rural musicians are invited from all over the country to participate in the festival.

An exotic craft bazaar with score of tastefully decorated pavilions offering a variety of knickknacks, antiques, craft items and cultural materials will also be set up. Each province, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir will hold its cultural night during Lok Mela in which eminent folk artists and folk performers hailing from the respective province/ region will perform live in a concert. Traditional mouth-watering Pakistani cuisines will be arranged at the venue of the festival. The ‘mela’ entry ticket will be Rs50 per head, while its timings will be from 10am to 9pm.