Festival of colours, culture | The Express Tribune

ISLAMABAD:

This November, the rolling green slopes of Shakarparian in Islamabad transform into a kaleidoscope of colour, sound, and scent.

This year’s Lok Mela 2025, now well into its final stretch, has drawn record-breaking crowds and breathed new life into Pakistan’s folk traditions. From the thunder of dhols to the aroma of chapli kababs, the 10-day celebration has become a living museum of the nation’s diversity.

The sixth day of the festival belonged to the highlands. As twilight descended on Lok Virsa’s Open Air Theatre, the rhythms of Gilgit-Baltistan filled the night air.

The ‘Gilgit-Baltistan Musical Night’ brought together a lineup of celebrated performers —Shah Zaman, Sabir Hayat, Raja M. Ali Shah, Faisal Karim, Dawood Ahmad, Shan Ahmad, and Shayan Ali Shah —whose haunting melodies carried echoes of mountain valleys and glacial rivers.

Accompanied by Sabir Ali Khan on keyboard and Mir Afzal on sitar, the ensemble’s harmonies mesmerised the audience, many of whom swayed to the beats under a crisp November sky. Moderated by Mir Aman Hunzai, the event was not merely a concert but a reminder of how music transcends geography.

As visitors later wandered through the Gilgit-Baltistan Pavilion —a showcase of intricate embroidery, carved woodwork, and handwoven woollens —it became clear why the region’s artistry has long enchanted travellers. “These crafts are more than souvenirs; they are stories,” remarked one artisan proudly demonstrating his loom work to a group of schoolchildren.

Just a day earlier, another night of magic had unfolded. The fifth evening of Lok Mela had drawn an astonishing 200,000 people to witness a qawwali performance that quickly became the talk of social media.

The Sharafat Sher Ali Khan Qawwal Group’s soul-stirring renditions of classical verses and devotional poetry brought the crowd to its feet in applause. Videos of the performance flooded online platforms, turning the open-air theatre into a digital sensation overnight.

Amid the whirl of celebration, the festival has also attracted diplomatic visitors and cultural admirers from abroad. Uzbekistan’s Ambassador Alisher Takhthaev praised Pakistan’s “cultural wealth and warmth,” while the US Charge d’Affaires, Natalie Baker, who toured the Punjab Pavilion, called the province’s artistry “a reflection of Pakistan’s beautiful soul.”

The Multani-inspired pavilion, glowing with blue pottery, camel-skin lamps, miniature paintings, and the haunting strains of folk music, became one of the fair’s most photographed corners.

Over at the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Pavilion, the energy was distinctly earthy. The aroma of roasted tikka, painda, and chapli kabab mingled with the sound of Khattak drums and the rhythmic swirl of Kalashi dancers.

More than 50 artisans from across the province displayed traditional crafts —Charsadda chappals, Swati shawls, engraved glass, and carved woodwork —while video screens played sweeping scenes of the province’s valleys and heritage sites. “This is how we tell our story,” said one craftsman from Chitral, gesturing towards his intricately chiselled marble mosaic.

Each pavilion —from Sindh’s ajraks to Balochistan’s embroidery —tells a chapter of a broader narrative: that Pakistan’s identity is neither static nor singular, but woven from countless threads of tradition, faith, and artistry.

Visitors have not only been spectators but participants —tasting, dancing, and learning. The children’s corners buzzed with laughter from puppet shows and storytelling sessions, while elders lingered at the food courts where regional delicacies revived memories of hometown kitchens.

Dr Muhammad Waqas Saleem, Executive Director of Lok Virsa, called the overwhelming public turnout a testament to Pakistan’s love for its roots. “Lok Mela isn’t just about entertainment,” he said. “It’s about reminding ourselves who we are, and celebrating it together.”

As the festival enters its final days —open daily until November 16 – its true success lies in how it bridges divides: rural and urban, provincial and national, traditional and modern. In a country often defined by its differences, Lok Mela 2025 offers a rare moment of unity —where every rhythm, flavour, and colour finds a place in harmony.

And as the music fades each night into the cool Islamabad air, the message lingers: Pakistan’s culture is not fading; it’s alive, evolving, and joyously loud.

(WITH INPUT FROM APP)