The on-going folk festival at Lok Virsa has beautifully showcased Kashmir’s culture in different specialised fields of arts and traditions.
Lok Mela, the 10-day festival which kicked off on April 12 and is being organised by Lok Virsa, the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage.
The Kashmir pavilion has been set up in collaboration with the AJK Government. A performance pit has also been created in the pavilion.
Many professional and amateur singers give periodic performances and present Kashmiri folk music. When one enters the Kashmir pavilion, the sweet voice of young Kashmiri artists can be heard. They sing different popular songs including “Teri janat men ain ge ik din”.
Over 30 participants from the AJK took part in the festival including 16 craftspeople in the field of papier mache, wood carving, calligraphy, jewellery, carpets, namda, gabba and Kashmiri shawl and embroidery and many other folk artists, musicians and performers.
Zulfiqar Ghazi, Qazi Ali Muhammad, Babar Zaman, Deeba Rana, Hafeez Nasir, Rubina Zulfiqar, Muhmood Ghani Mir, Muhammad Salman, Sher Zaman, Munir Ahmed, Nasir Ali and Liaquat Ali are the prominent artisans among them.
Zulfiqar Ghazi specializes in the famous Kashmiri art of papier mache. He excels not only in the art of papier mache and miniature but is also an accomplished artist in stain glass, fabric designing and traditional furniture painting. Ghazi paints nature, floral motifs, birds, animals, Mughal monarchs in his paintings as well on papier mache artifacts. With artistic skills and creativity running in his veins, Ghazi is determined to preserve and revive the golden era of Mughals. He has participated in scores of festivals, fairs and exhibitions in the country and abroad and has won cash prizes and certificates in recognition of his talent.
The other one is Muhammad Irfan, who is a master craftsman in wood carving from the Kashmir Valley. He learnt this art from his forefathers at the tender age of seven. Due to oppressive policies of the Indian occupation forces, his family migrated to Pakistan and settled in Rawalpindi permanently. He is imparting training to several students, thus ensuring continuity of his art to the younger generation. Irfan uses walnut wood, cedar, dalbergia sissu (shisham) for creating exquisitely carved furniture, doors, boxes and decorative items.
