Written by: Aiman Javed
Posted on: April 26, 2019 | 
| 中文
Lok Virsa lit up in the evening for the event
Lok Virsa National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage recently held a three day long ‘National Exhibition of Textiles’ from 19th April, 2019 to 21st April, 2019 in Islamabad. Craftsmen, artisans, small industry workers and entrepreneurs from around the country gathered to set up stalls of indigenous textiles. Residents of the twin cities eagerly flocked to Lok Virsa in order to purchase their unique products.
The exhibition had been set up in the courtyard space in front of the museum entrance. We began our walk through the exhibition with the Balochi stall, where beautiful pashk (local hand-embroidered dress), cushion covers and shawls could be bought.
We headed to a stall of Kashmiri textiles next, which was managed by entrepreneur Azra Razzaq from the Punjab Small Industries. Products such as rugs, wall hangings and tea cosies, had been decorated through gabba work created out of jute, and namda work consisting of woolen embroidery. The wall hangings, which depicted scenes from local villages in bright colours, were especially striking. Another stall of Kashmiri crafts was selling aari work on raw silk and needlework on chiffon. While the former was cheap in cost, the latter was slightly expensive with a single set of clothes costing 7000 PKR. Nevertheless, the finesse of the work was evident and the product was clearly worth the money. Two other Kashmiri stalls featured similar artisanal goods.
A stall of block printed material caught our attention next. Haji Ameer, a craftsman from the small tehsil of Kahror Pakka, Lodhran District, Punjab, was busy managing this stall. His products are unique due to his usage of natural dyes only. Priced at 800 – 1000 PKR, the bed sheets and table cloths attracted several customers. Sharing the space with Haji Ameer were other entrepreneurs from Punjab, in particular from Bahawalpur, showcasing works of phulkari (floral silk embroidery on cotton cloth), kamdani (embroidery with metallic threads) and chicken kari (delicate hand-embroidery done on soft materials such as chiffon). The ever-vibrant chunri dupattas and shirts embellished with gota were also available.
The presence of hand looms in different parts of the venue also drew onlookers, since people wanted to learn how certain textiles are created. However, the most striking presence was of an old woman from Thar, dressed in a traditional green attire with white bangles, who was seated at a charkha (spinning wheel) and making thread from cotton. Clothing, bags and wallets with mirror work and local embroidery of Thar were being sold nearby. The stall managers had travelled all the way from Chikar, Mithi and Khairpur in Sindh. Another stall of Sindhi clothing was being managed by craftsmen from Matli Taluka, Badin District, and contained Ajrak and Susi cloth, as well as Ralli designs. The red, black, blue and white Ajrak cloth ranged from 800-3000 PKR, and was available in materials ranging from chiffon to lawn, while ralli designs were being sold in the form of shirts, bed sheets and cushion covers.
At the KPK stall, craftsmen from Haripur took centre-stage, including the owner of Sanai Boutique who presented textiles with cross-stitch embroidery, shadow work, ribbon work and fabric painting. Besides clothing, she had also created decorative wall hangings, while another KPK stall had various shawls, coats and coasters with beadwork.
Nearby, Gilgit-Baltistan was represented by two stalls, which sold similar goods such as clothing, camera straps, wallets, traditional caps. Most of them were embroidered with Hunza Kashidakari. We spoke at length with Hakima Sultana, an experienced entrepreneur who has been in the textile business for 14 years. Although Sultana has shops in Hunza and Gilgit, she informed us that she is frequently invited by Lok Virsa. “Such exhibitions are great for the marketing of our products, since foreigners and locals both visit the institute. Moreover, since artisans have gathered here from every part of the country, we also get a chance to interact and learn about each other’s cultures. We do face issues with arranging our transport and residence, but besides that this is an encouraging platform.”
Sultana also gave us a brief insight into the growth of small industries in Gilgit-Baltistan, by mentioning that her collective of 80 local women has grown to around 500 women working in the business of dry fruits, honey and handicrafts. Perhaps, the biggest indicator of their growth is the fact that Sultana has taken advantage of Pakistan-China cultural connectivity, and formed business connections in Tashkurgan, China, where she is supplying indigenous cultural Pakistani products.
The event was an interesting collective of local craftsmen and showcased a great variety of products. However, one wishes that such items weren’t limited to a single venue or an annual event, and quality products could find their way to our marketplaces as well. By taking away the middleman/ shopkeeper, Lok Virsa provided artisans the chance to sell their goods without inflated prices, and customers to provide feedback.
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