A taste of Pakistan
Pakistan Cultural Club brings the festival of Basant to the Greek Theatre
Saba Naseem
Issue date: 4/8/09 Section: Lifestyles
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Before the partition of India and Pakistan, Hindus in Lahore used to celebrate the festival of Basant to welcome the spring season and to honor Saraswati, the goddess of music, knowledge and art. Slowly, the event became less religious and more cultural as Muslims of Lahore started participating. With the separation of the two countries, the Hindus left behind the tradition of Basant, which has now merely become a time of fun and celebration in Pakistan.
The event was sponsored by the Pakistan Cultural Club, an organization dedicated to bringing out the colorful culture of Pakistan. Despite the cold weather, many students attended the celebration and expressed their enjoyment.
"I came to watch the cultural displays…and for the food, of course," said Utsab Khadka, a UA physics graduate student. "Pakistani food is very flavorful, and I'll definitely come again next year."
The food was ordered from Aroma Restaurant in Bentonville, Ark., and included chicken and vegetable biryani, samosa, Pakistani tea, curried garbanzo beans and spicy yogurt.
Rahul Pesaru, a sophomore computer engineering major, said he used to celebrate this festival in India where it is a lot grander.
"In India, the festival would last for a couple of days," he said. "We would have 'kite fights' where we try to cut the kites of our neighbors - this could get pretty crazy."
In Pakistan, the streets of Lahore are full of music, flowers and people dressed in brightly colored clothes, mainly yellow and orange, during the week of Basant. Celebrities perform stage shows, people fly kites off their rooftops and large picnics are held.
"Here, we are just trying to bring a small taste of that grandness by dancing the traditional Punjabi bhangra, flying kites shipped from Pakistan, and having a good time talking with friends while listening to Pakistani music," said Amen Ismail, vice-president of PCC.
The club celebrates Basant celebration every year, said Asad Halim, president of PCC.
"Next year, we will try to have more decorations and hopefully it won't be so cold," Halim said.
"Also, it would definitely help if ASG was more lenient with schedule changes for outdoor events," Halim said. "Especially during the springtime since Arkansas weather is impossible to predict, going from 70 (degrees) one week to 30 (degrees) the next."
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sikander
posted 4/09/09 @ 9:35 AM CST
I don't agree with the collapse in six months theory as Pakistan has been subjected to these kind of warning many times before in last many decades. There has never been more perilous time when Soviets were knocking at Pakistan's door and doomsayer's predicted an imminent collapse. (Continued…)
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