Lahore is the richest cultural city of Pakistan. A number of festivals celebrates here throughout the year. It is most popular for the festivals of Basant and Mela Chiraghan, but many others are celebrated in the city as well.
1. Basant Festival
In early March to welcome the arrival of spring the Basant Kite flying festival is held in most cities of the Punjab with the highlight in Lahore. Basant is celebrated to bid farewell to the winter season and to announce the arrival of spring season. n Lahore Basant is celebrated in the month of February usually around 20th of February. Lahories prepare for the big event with a lot of enthusiasm and zeal. They start the preparation for the festival very early. It is more colorful in the old city of Lahore where everyone wears yellow clothes and flies kites from the rooftops. People from different cities throng to Lahore, where kite flying begins at dawn and continues until the dusk.The kites are in a variety of shapes , size and different colors. From huge kites which need three to four people to fly to tiny ones for the kids. Ground glass coats the kite strings to cut down rivals, and excitement reaches fever pitch in the many kite battles throughout the city.Colorful gates are built at all entries including airport, railway station, Ravi bridge, Minar e Pakistan, Thokar Niaz Beg, Chungi Ammar Sadhu and Motorway toll plaza to greet the people reaching Lahore.
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| A Painting on Basant View |
Basant is just one aspect of this spring festival which opens up with a colorful ceremony featuring performance of 16 army bands, folk dances of Punjab, displays of brass band, fireworks, acrobatics and stall of traditional foods and artisans at work.
2. Mela Chiraghan
Mela Chiraghan is a major event in Lahore. It is called Festival of Lights. The event is a three day annual festival celebrated to mark the URS (death anniversary) of Punjabi Sufi Poet & Saint Shah Hussain. The URS is held at his shrine in Baghbanpura, adjacent to Shalimar Garden. The saint died in 1599 and is buried here along with his friend Madho Lal Hussain who converted to Islam from Hinduism.
Around half a million people from every corner of Pakistan and every religion come to attend and enjoy this colorful, cheerful and extravaganza event in Lahore. Cultural dances are performed; dervish dances, folklore singing to the drum beats along with qawwali are the main attractions. Shah Hussain’s kafi is recited by the faqirs. Pilgrims sit by a bonfire where by doing so they believe their prayers will be answered and others come and toss candles into the bonfire hoping that their wishes will be granted.
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| Mela Chiragha |
The devotees never let up extinguishing of this fire, a symbol of inner fire of the saint. It is kept on burning for 72 hours till the end of URS.
3. National Horse & Cattle Show
One of the most famous annual festivals, the National Horse and Cattle Show is also held in Spring in the Fortress Stadium. During the week long activities main events included unity show, army band display, calisthenics, cavalcade of livestock, grey hound race, folk dance, tent pegging, motorcycle trick-riding by the military police, bullock cart race, horse and camel dance, and free fall by Army paratroopers. Girl students of Junior Model School, sang lilting national songs. The show wound up with the spectacular free fall display by a group of Army commandos who landed with pinpoint accuracy on the target area inside the stadium from a dizzying height of 10,000 feet.
From February till March horse & cattle shows are held in different agricultural centers of Pakistan. The famous ones being at remount stadium Sahiwal horse show , Dera Ismail Khan horse and cattle show, Sibi mela and Lahore. Such shows are held to provide an opportunity to breeders to exhibit their stock and ex- change views and learn about cattle and horse breeding.
4. National Industrial Exhibition
This Exhibition held in 3rd week of November for 15 days at Fortress Stadium. This Festival is basically the Exhibition and sale of industrial products and handicrafts of Pakistan.
5. World Performing Arts Festival
World Performing Arts Festival is the biggest international cultural event which takes place in Pakistan. The festival takes place in Lahore at the Gaddafi Stadium. Organized by The Rafi Peer Theatre, the festival showcases Pakistan's rich cultural tradition in performing arts and has kept it alive for generations to come. For those of you visiting Pakistan do not miss such exposure and interaction between different cultures and performing arts.
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| Music Night 2006 at the WPAF in the open air theatre, Alhamra Cultural Complex Gaddafi Stadium. PHOTO RAFI PEER THEATRE WORKSHOP |
6. Lahore Literary Festival
The Lahore Literary Festival celebrates the pure power of the written word and explores the interconnections between literature and art, theater, film, television, journalism, and activism.
The festival is being held in Pakistan's creative capital. Lahore has a proud and long tradition of producing literary stars and inspiring enduring works.
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LLF at Alhamra Hall |
7. National Festivals
Pakistan Day (23 March): Military parade takes place to commemorate the anniversary of Pakistan Resolution passed on March 23, 1940.
Independence Day (14 August): Meetings, processions, rallies, decorations and illustrations.
Defense Day (6 September): Parades and exhibitions of military equipment. Visits to the war memorials.
Air Force Day (7 September): Display of latest aircraft of Pakistan Air Force and air shows.
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| Making human national flag of Pakistan |
8. Religious Festivals
Eid ul-Fitr: Eid-ul-Fitr is a religious festival celebrated at the end of fasting month, Ramadan on 1st of Shawwal. It is a three days celebration during which time family and friends gather together for long meals, the sharing of gifts, and religious devotion.
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| Eid ul-Fitr at Badshahi Mosque |
Eid ul-Adha: Eid-ul-Azha is a three days celebration when Muslims from all over the world offer a sacrifice by slaughtering a sheep, cow, or goat following the traditional Islamic customs. It is also called the Festival of Sacrifice. The meat from the sacrifice is shared by friends, neighbors, relatives, and also distributed to the poor and needy.
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| Animal Sacrifice on Eid ul-Adha |
Eid Milad-un-Nabi: Eid Milad-un Nabi is the birthday of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). It is celebrated by all the Muslims with religious enthusiasm and solemnity across the world. It falls on the 12th of Rabi'-ul-Awwal every year. This is a day of remembrance for Muslims, marked by prayers and reading of the Holy Quran.
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| Lightning on Eid Milad-un-Nabi |
Shab-e-Barat: Shab-e-Barat is a religious festival celebrated on 14th of Shaaban. The festival of Shab-e-Barat is celebrated with pomp and enthusiasm by Muslims all over the world. Muslims believe that on the night of Shab-e-Barat Allah writes the destinies of all people for the coming year by taking into account the deeds committed by them in the past. On this festival, prayers, fire works, exchange of sweet dishes and visits to friends and families are held
Christmas: Held on birthday of Hazrat Esa(R.A)
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