Nowruz, a festival that heralds the arrival of the spring season in the Persian world, was celebrated by the Lok Virsa (National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage). The event was designed to share understanding of the Iranian culture with the Pakistani people.
The Iranian Embassy’s cultural consulate in collaboration with Lok Virsa and the Ministry of National Heritage and Integration is holding a two-day festival marking Nowruz from 26-27 March.
The opening ceremony was held at the National Heritage Museum on Monday.
Federal Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan was the chief guest.
Inaugurating the festival, she said: “Pakistan and Iran enjoy very cordial relations. I am proud to join the celebrations for this centuries-old festival.
“I would like to felicitate the Iranian government and people on behalf of the government and people of Pakistan. Pakistan and Iran share great similarities in culture, some glimpses of which are seen at the National Heritage Museum.”
Appreciating the contribution of the Lok Virsa, the minister said: “This institution has worked hard to document and project Pakistan’s culture and traditions as well as the cultures of the other countries.” The Dr Awan also lauded the Lok Virsa and the Iranian cultural consulate for organising the Nauroz festival.
Dr Awan added: “The PPP-led government is determined to bring happiness to the people of the country through various initiatives. The Nowruz festival is a step forward in this direction.”
Iranian Embassy Cultural Counselor Taghi Sadeghi also spoke on the occasion and shed light on the important features of the event. Lok Virsa Executive Director Khalid Javaid said: “Apart from documenting, preserving and projecting Pakistan’s cultural heritage at home and abroad, the Lok Virsa also explores the possibility of showcasing different aspects of the cultures of other countries that have deep rooted cultural affinities with Pakistan.” Explaining about previous initiatives of the Lok Virsa, Javaid said his organisation created a three dimensional creative dioramic display depicting Pakistan historical links with Iran at the museum of ethnology, popularly known as the Heritage Museum, for which artifacts have been gifted by the Iranian government.
He expressed the hope that missions of other friendly countries will also consider holding such events at the Lok Virsa premises. The festival features crafts, miniatures, books, photographs, paintings, feature films, a group recitation of the Holy Quran, Naats and devotional folk music from Iran. The oldest of Iranian traditions, the Nowruz recalls the Iranian mythologies.
The dynamics of love between the Creator and his creation and the annual return of the spirits of the departed to their homes is celebrated. The Persian Nowruz begins on the first day of spring and is equal to the first day of Farvardin of the Islamic solar calendar.
According to Iranian people, the word Nowruz invokes colorful images which are elegant, and opulent as well as delightfully simple. Although coloured with vestiges of Iran’s Mazdian and Zoroastrian past, the Nowruz celebration is neither religious nor national in nature, nor is it an ethnic celebration.
Turkish Iranians and Central Asians also celebrate the Nowruz with the same enthusiasm and sense of belonging.
Perhaps it is this very universal nature of the message of Nowruz that is identified as the continuity of the Iranian culture.
Nowruz Festival opens at Lok Virsa
