Lok Virsa (National Institute of Folk & Traditional Heritage), Ministry of National Heritage & Integration, Government of Pakistan organize folk festival at Shakaar Pariyaan Islamabad in spring. Folk festival is also known as Lok Mela and it is celebrated every year at Lok Virsa Islamabad with lots of trepidation. It is a very colorful ceremony and all provinces of Pakistan are expressed in detailed and splendid manner. Dresses, jewelry, glaze pottery, truck art, tile making, traditional food stalls and many other cultural attributes are shown to recall the culture of every region of Pakistan.
Many people go to visit Lok Mela and know about our traditional dances, instruments, music, dishes and trends of pottery and way of living in other provinces. Lok Mela allure tourist especially instruments that we see rarely like Alghoza, Murli, Borindo, Dhambura, Dholak, banjo and people from all over the world come to visit not only Lok Mela but heritage museum as well, as it is also the safe point of our heritage. Students of schools, college, universities go for their assignments and projects i.e. documentary, photography on Mela. National media channel also cover it to show the world that we commemorate and will keep our national heritage alive.
Lok Mela remains for 10 days in spring season every year since 1981. Stalls sell embroidered bags, lacquer art, farasi weaving, blue pottery, Sindhi embroidery, Ajrak, block printing, traditional carpet weaving, Rilli (Appliqué work), tie-dye, Khes weaving, wood works, Thari embroidery, glaze pottery (Halla Kashi) and others are on display at the Lok Mela. Girlish things like Khuse, apparels both traditional and casual, decorative items, wall hangings of stone, hand fans that are designed so competently with funky colors that no one can resist looking at it also force people to stop. Pakistan’s most acclaimed person Habib Ullah is also there showing his efforts of truck art. He has taken so many awards and our art of truck is popular in foreign countries as well as in Asia.
Lok Mela is so informative for younger kids because it make them aware from their own culture. Media is lacking this information now in modern scenario. Kelassh way of living , dances make the event more lively. The olden ways of doing embroidery, making threads revive the old culture. This Lok Mela is not only awesome interpretation of cultures but it gives entertainment and employment opportunities to many people. People wait for this annual Lok Mela and they prepare special stuff for the stalls.
The workers who are there are so much co-operative with visitors in terms of guidance where to go? Where do you get the food? or your required stall. They are so nice and ready to give any kind of help. Every province culture is shown and pavilions are made for KPK, Sindh, Baluchistan and Punjab. From an elite class person to a common layman can be seen enjoying colors of Mela.
Pakistan culture is rich with colors, flavors of culture, norms and values. Everything depicts our religion and tradition as well. Promotion of this Lok Mela is needed because not only national channels but also private channels should work for the promotion of this event. Because it is the only place where all cultures are represented in a sophisticated form. It should be covered wholly and more air time should be given to it. So other countries come to visit our country and this will improve image of Pakistani’s.
