02/11/2024
KPCTA set to set up KP Pavilion at Lok Mela
Chanzeb hopes KP diverse culture and vast tourism potential will bring more laurels for province
Advisor to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister on Culture and Tourism Zahid Chanzeb said on Friday that KP Pavilion would be established at the Lok Mela to showcase the province’s diverse culture and tourism potential at the folk festival and clinch another award like the yester years for the KP.
He expressed these views while chairing a meeting held at the Conference Room of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority (KPCTA) Director General Tashfeen Haider, Director Administartion and Finance Omar Arshad Khan, Manager Events Haseena Shaukat and other officials also attended the meeting.
Chanzeb said that the Lok Mela would be held in Islamabad starting November 8-17. The KP, he added, as well as Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and other provinces would set up pavilions to showcase their cultures and tourism potential of their respective provinces at the gala.
In the festival, artisans from various districts of KP would be given opportunity to set up stalls to showcase their skills and sell their handicrafts. Traditional rubab music and Kalash and Khattak dances would be the centre of attraction for tourists.
KPCTA DG Tashfeen Haider said that millions of local and foreign tourists visit the pavilion each year. More than 25 stalls displaying handicrafts and cultural items would be set up in the KP Pavilion.
Also, KP traditional foods such as Painda, Chapli Kebab, Tikka Boti and Chicken Boti as well as Kalashi cultural dance and rubab music would be other features of gleeful gala.
The pavilion, he added, would also showcase videos and documentaries about various tourist destinations and traditional foods of the province, along with an information desk for tourists.
The musical gathering at the KP Pavilion will take place on November 13 (Wednesday), featuring performances by KP artistes and singers.
Tashfeen Haider emphasized that the purpose of participating in the festival was to present a soft image of the province, and inform the world about its rich cultural and traditional heritage, and support the province's artistes.
The much-awaited annual Lok Mela will be held at the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage (Lok Virsa) from Nov 8-17, presenting a diverse cultural extravaganza for the art lovers.
The event is being arranged by Lok Virsa, which is an autonomous cultural organisation working under the National Heritage and Culture Division.
Preparations for the Lok Mela are underway to make it a success by adding all the attractions. The festival is set to attract artisans, performers and visitors from across the country.
As this year’s festival will mark the golden jubilee celebrations of Lok Virsa (1974-2024), several new and innovative attractions are being added to the event.
The objective is to promote Pakistan’s indigenous folk heritage, strengthen national harmony and integration among all federating units through a cultural perspective and provide a much-needed platform to the master artisans, folk artistes, folk musicians and folk dancers to demonstrate their skills at the national level.
