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MISCELLANEA
Jashn-i-Baharan 2004
When my ears perceived the shouts of Bo-Kata I smelt a strange perfume in the air which was indicating that spring had approached.
Spring Festival or Jashn-i-Baharan provides a platform for loads of social activity and fun and no one wants to miss this opportunity.
King of Festivals — Basant signifies the end of winter. On this day one can gauge in the country’s cultural capital the true advent of spring by watching colourful kites, like gay butterflies, fill the skies. Night-time kite flying as usual was in vogue, celebrated on February 14. The hub of all activities was the walled city where roof-tops were choked with people, flying white kites in the illuminated sky. Special arrangements were made at the Shahi Hammam Delhi Gate, Haveli Asif Jah by PHA and the Tourism Development Corporation of Pakistan. In connection with Jashn-i-Baharan, Youth Council for Anti Narcotics (YOCFAN) organized the Lahore Basant Festival from February 12-15 and included programmes such as an International seminar on cultural understanding at the Lahore Museum, Basant night and day at Shadbagh, special programmes for foreign delegates at the Wagah Border and the closing ceremony of Basant festivities called Basant key dhaltey saaye.
To welcome the season the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) had organized an array of colourful cultural programmes. On February 7, the Punjab Housing and Urban Development Minister Syed Raza Ali Gillani inaugurated the opening ceremony of the Spring Festival at the Race Course Park which was followed by music sensation Abrarul Haq’s popular numbers. A special food and craft village had been set up in one section of the park where one could witness the the culture of all four provinces. Different street performers also performed here. Traditional mouth-watering food was also enjoyed by the visitors.
To give the whole metropolis a festive look — roads and streets were decorated with bunting, flags, kite cut-outs. A giant kites display sponsored by multinational companies was worth watching too.
Other colourful attractions organized by PHA included a flower festival, a dog show, a flower arrangement competition, Basant thrill-ride competition (at dirt bike track, Jallo), Basant festivals (at Minar-i-Pakistan and Gulshan-i-Iqbal Park), mega musical shows (at open air theatre, Gaddafi Stadium, Race Course Park and Kamran Baradari) and the All Pakistan Kite Flying Championship.
The birds’ exhibition at Race Course Park was truly bewitching. A variety of birds were on display in an open aviary under a mesh. The Canal Mela held at Lahore Branch Canal where one could witness decorated and illuminated boats, flower courts and many other features was captivating.
The Lahore Parade was also worth-seeing organized by Art, Music and Theatre School Programmes (AMT). The main features included floats made by school children, students and youth parade, skating and cycling competitions, school bands, boy scouts parade, tableaus and lots more. Other programmes organized by AMT in collaboration with PHA were mural painting competitions in which a large number of schools participated. A Lahore based schools competition featuring national songs, tableaus, etc. was also held.
The National Horse and Cattle and Tattoo Show organized by the Local Government and Rural Development Department in collaboration with other departments at Lahore’s Fortress Stadium nearly after nine years was the star event. Here a number of cultural activities took place daily; The main events of the day time show was the army band display, cavalcade of livestock, grey hound race, tent pegging, motorcycle trick-riding by the military police, calisthenics by 1700 students (Pakistan is the third country in the world after Korea and China), unity show presented by 1300 students, horse and camel dance, army dog show, free fall by the paratroopers and bullock cart race (first time in 2004). Mashal/Shama parade, night horse and camel tent pegging, folk dance, pyrographics/ fireworks were highlights of the evening show.
Daily light and laser shows were other striking features of the spring festival that took place at the historical Lahore Fort, this programme was held for five days. The Mughal Empress Noor Jehan was the theme of the show.
The Lahore Arts Council organized a Punjabi mushaira, The All Pakistan Mehfil-i-Mushaira, Abida Parveen show, Folk programmes, Youth Rang-i-Bahar, Mehfil-i- Gazal, classical dance programme, painting exhibition and puppet and magic show. The Punjab Council of the Arts arranged programmes such as the All Punjab Punjabi Mushaira, drama festival, painting exhibition at Alhamra Art Gallery, Child Art Competition, Grand Musical Night. A Punjab Pavilion in one section of the Race Course Park was also set by the Punjab Council of the Arts.
Food Street Gawalmandi also organized captivating programmes like Basant Night and Grand Musical Show, Folk Jahangir Band competition, traditional horse dance, saxophone/ Clarinet/ flute and lots more.
A number of captivating and colourful programmes were held at Ravi Town as well. These included Mehfil-i-Naat, Qirat-Naat and debate competition, Cricket, football, hockey and badminton tournaments, Karate competition, flower exhibition, Rustum wrestling, Arts eleven final match, musical night, Sab se Chotta, Sab se Motta and Sab se Lamba Lahori competition, Athletics/Gymnastic competition, Rasa Kashi competition and Food village. Jashn-i- Baharan festivals were also held at Minar-i-Pakistan and Gulshan-i-Iqbal. Main features of the festival were food courts, kite courts, street performers, children play area, kite flying area, buggi and train ride, crafts stalls, lucky draws, circus, merry-go-rounds and grand musical evenings.
Amna Nasir Jamal
World Children Cancer Day
The Children Cancer Foundation organized a colourful function on the occasion of the World Children Cancer Day on February 15. Under the supervision of Principal Naheed Aamir of City School, North Nazimabad. Various stalls were set up and songs and skits were presented on the occasion. Certificates were also distributed among the children who were successfully treated by the Foundation.
The function was attended by well known social worker Jimmy Engineer, artist Amin Guljee, cricketer Rashid Latif, singer Rahim Shah and TV artist Dr Humayun Naaz, Dr Shamvil Ashraf, chief executive of the Foundation and other guests also addressed the gathering.
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