Sindh cultural festival popular in Pakistani capital

by Muhammad Zeeshan Niazi

- A four-day Sindh Cultural Festival, which is popular among local residents, concluded on Monday at the Lok Virsa folk museum in Pakistani capital Islamabad.

The Sindh festival highlighted the culture traditions and lifestyles of the people in south Pakistan with stalls artistically designed with colorful jars, clothes, Sindhi caps and many more in the Sindh culture pavilion.

Pakistan’s southern province Sindh, with an area of about 140, 900 square kilometers and a population of about 35 million, is a land of Sufi saints such as Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, Sachal Sarmast and Lal Shahbaz Qalandar who immensely contributed towards the cultural heritage of Sindh besides spreading the message of love, peace, harmony and brotherhood through their teachings and poetry.

The important craft fields in which these artisans demonstrate their professional skills included Sindhi ajrak, block printing, Sindhi embroidery, traditional shoe making, woodwork, blue pottery from Hala, kashi work (embroidery), durree (floor rug), Thari embroidery, spinning wheel, weaving with special emphasis on sussi and khes.

People from across Pakistan came to visit the Sindh festival at Lok Virsa. “Today I am very happy to see such kind of festival which is arranged by Sindh government, it promotes Sindh culture and the generation gap will be removed,” 17-year-old girl Maharukh told Xinhua.

The folk singing and dancing were also a major part of the festival. Musicians and folk singers from Sindh were invited to perform in the cultural show.

“I am a government employee and I am living in Islamabad for 20 years. I often go to Sindh and that is why I came to see the Sindh festival along with my family so that they know their own culture, ” said 40-year-old Imran, who was born in Sindh.

Outside the pavilion, visitors also enjoyed the live musical concert without paying for any ticket, having a taste of the great cultural strokes including folk instrumental music, folk songs and folk stories.

Pakistan has a rich culture which needs to explore yet and the Lok Virsa museum and other cultural bodies in Pakistan can play the role as a backbone between the new generation and Pakistani culture, especially at international forums, organizers said.