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Promoting heritage, culture and tourism through flowers
By Shanaz Ramzi
July 07, 2020
Pakistan, who are doing so much and so quietly to promote peace, beauty, harmony, heritage, tourism and education in Pakistan!
Although I have always been a firm believer in the resilience, perseverance, bravery and commitment of the women of Pakistan, I witnessed all these virtues first-hand early this year, and perhaps a lot more, and that too in women most of whom were easily on the wrong side of sixty, if not seventy. For, members of Floral Arts Society (FAS), Pakistan, and specifically, of its Peshawar chapter, Lotus Club, hosted an ambitious, two-day, action-packed, international standard flower show in Peshawar and played host to members of Karachi and Lahore chapters, and in some cases even to their spouses, amid fears of cancellation of events thanks to coronavirus – which was gradually beginning to spread its tentacles at the time - bureaucratic hurdles, and peer pressure. And what an event it turned out to be!
The most impressive aspect of this two-day event was that FAS’s theme for the year of celebrating heritage and culture with flowers was strictly and aesthetically adhered to. The wider objective of the Club was to promote tourism in Pakistan, as well as floriculture, by encouraging the use of home-grown flowers rather than only importing them as in previous years. Hence, Pakistan Blooms 2020 spread khushbu (perfume) from Lahore to Islamabad mostly with local flowers, and culminated at Khyber where care was taken by the host club to not only use heritage sites for the background of the festival throughout - but also to artfully weave culture into the celebrations.
Around 150 people registered for the Peshawar event from Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, and the UK, and arrangements had been made for the stay of the majority of out-station guests at the historical Peshawar Club, though quite a few also stayed at the houses of friends or family. On day one, all guests were transported to the beautiful, iconic landmark building of Islamia College, its sprawling lawns and flowers in the garden artistically lit up with thematic lights, where the welcome reception and hospitality dinner titled Ittar (essence) had been arranged - courtesy the Ministry of Tourism, KP at the century-old Roose Kepple Hall.
But that was just the beginning of an exciting night that had been planned. Right after dinner, the delegates were taken to the heritage site of Gorkutreein what is known as andrun-e-shehr or walled city, the oldest living city in South Asia. Gorkutree meaning warrior’s grave, dates back to 3 BC, and is a historical site that was originally a Buddhist monastery and later housed a Hindu temple. The site was converted in the 16th century into a caravan serai by the daughter of Emperor Shah Jehan.
After a tour of the site, where guests had the opportunity to visit the historic Hindu temple standing on its grounds, see the display of ancient Mereweather fire engines and visit traditional craft shops, arrangements had been made to transport everyone in Pakistan’s traditional, signature rickshaws to Sethi Haveli, a unique national treasure comprising seven heritage mansions that belonged to the Sethi family, once one of the most powerful mercantile families of the city. With most of the original residents having moved out of the haveli, by and large the houses have been either sold off to be demolished or had drastic renovations done. One of these mansions, that would have met the same fate, had it not been for the Fareeda Nishtar, also the founder of the Peshawar Chapter of Floral Arts Society and the creative spirit and force behind holding the Pakistan Blooms 2020 - was finally bought over by the government and so saved from being destroyed.
The ambience of Sethi Haveli, beginning with thematic lighting of the streets, and display of creative floral arrangements following the theme of Islamic calligraphy, an undeniable part of our heritage, in the arched windows of the heritage mansion left everyone spellbound. Every floral display depicted one of the 99 names of Allah, skilfully incorporated within the exhibit. Not only did the setting and backdrop seem almost fairy-tale like, the small cultural touches like two young hostesses in traditional attire welcoming all the guests with traditional gajras, (fresh flower bracelets), cultural live music - of rabab and mangai - and offerings of dry fruit and masala gur, and excellent traditional kehva made the entire experience an unforgettable one.
By Shanaz Ramzi
July 07, 2020
Pakistan, who are doing so much and so quietly to promote peace, beauty, harmony, heritage, tourism and education in Pakistan!
Although I have always been a firm believer in the resilience, perseverance, bravery and commitment of the women of Pakistan, I witnessed all these virtues first-hand early this year, and perhaps a lot more, and that too in women most of whom were easily on the wrong side of sixty, if not seventy. For, members of Floral Arts Society (FAS), Pakistan, and specifically, of its Peshawar chapter, Lotus Club, hosted an ambitious, two-day, action-packed, international standard flower show in Peshawar and played host to members of Karachi and Lahore chapters, and in some cases even to their spouses, amid fears of cancellation of events thanks to coronavirus – which was gradually beginning to spread its tentacles at the time - bureaucratic hurdles, and peer pressure. And what an event it turned out to be!
The most impressive aspect of this two-day event was that FAS’s theme for the year of celebrating heritage and culture with flowers was strictly and aesthetically adhered to. The wider objective of the Club was to promote tourism in Pakistan, as well as floriculture, by encouraging the use of home-grown flowers rather than only importing them as in previous years. Hence, Pakistan Blooms 2020 spread khushbu (perfume) from Lahore to Islamabad mostly with local flowers, and culminated at Khyber where care was taken by the host club to not only use heritage sites for the background of the festival throughout - but also to artfully weave culture into the celebrations.
Around 150 people registered for the Peshawar event from Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, and the UK, and arrangements had been made for the stay of the majority of out-station guests at the historical Peshawar Club, though quite a few also stayed at the houses of friends or family. On day one, all guests were transported to the beautiful, iconic landmark building of Islamia College, its sprawling lawns and flowers in the garden artistically lit up with thematic lights, where the welcome reception and hospitality dinner titled Ittar (essence) had been arranged - courtesy the Ministry of Tourism, KP at the century-old Roose Kepple Hall.
But that was just the beginning of an exciting night that had been planned. Right after dinner, the delegates were taken to the heritage site of Gorkutreein what is known as andrun-e-shehr or walled city, the oldest living city in South Asia. Gorkutree meaning warrior’s grave, dates back to 3 BC, and is a historical site that was originally a Buddhist monastery and later housed a Hindu temple. The site was converted in the 16th century into a caravan serai by the daughter of Emperor Shah Jehan.
After a tour of the site, where guests had the opportunity to visit the historic Hindu temple standing on its grounds, see the display of ancient Mereweather fire engines and visit traditional craft shops, arrangements had been made to transport everyone in Pakistan’s traditional, signature rickshaws to Sethi Haveli, a unique national treasure comprising seven heritage mansions that belonged to the Sethi family, once one of the most powerful mercantile families of the city. With most of the original residents having moved out of the haveli, by and large the houses have been either sold off to be demolished or had drastic renovations done. One of these mansions, that would have met the same fate, had it not been for the Fareeda Nishtar, also the founder of the Peshawar Chapter of Floral Arts Society and the creative spirit and force behind holding the Pakistan Blooms 2020 - was finally bought over by the government and so saved from being destroyed.
The ambience of Sethi Haveli, beginning with thematic lighting of the streets, and display of creative floral arrangements following the theme of Islamic calligraphy, an undeniable part of our heritage, in the arched windows of the heritage mansion left everyone spellbound. Every floral display depicted one of the 99 names of Allah, skilfully incorporated within the exhibit. Not only did the setting and backdrop seem almost fairy-tale like, the small cultural touches like two young hostesses in traditional attire welcoming all the guests with traditional gajras, (fresh flower bracelets), cultural live music - of rabab and mangai - and offerings of dry fruit and masala gur, and excellent traditional kehva made the entire experience an unforgettable one.