RAWALPINDI: The opening ceremony of Gandhara Festival 2023 organized by Punjab Arts Council (PAC) will be held at Gandhara Art Village Taxila on Sunday.

Secretary Information and Culture Ms Silwat Saeed will inaugurate the festival. Director General Punjab Arts Council Muhammad Mehboob Alam says that the promotion of culture is the top priority of the provincial government. The recent approval of the first cultural policy of the Punjab province is a testament to the efforts of the Punjab Arts Council.

Ambassadors from China, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Laos, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Indonesia are expected to arrive in the festival. The embassies of different countries have been invited to set up stalls. A large number of students from all the educational institutions of Islamabad and Rawalpindi Division will participate in the Gandhara Festival on a daily basis.

Punjab Arts Council will organize festivals on Harappa, Sindhi and Hakra culture of Cholistan along with Gandhara, 3 three-day cultural fairs will also be organized in all other districts of Punjab. The festival will be held from January 29 to February 4 at Gandhara Art Village Taxila and Punjab Arts Council Cricket Stadium Road Rawalpindi.

More than 20 stalls based on sculpture, stone carving and Gandhara art are being set up by expert artisans in the festival. Traditional food, kids play area for children, and book fair on Gandhara are also part of the festival. In the opening ceremony, Sain Zahoor will perform at Sufi Night. Sham-e-Ghazak with Ustad Hamid Ali Khan will be held on 30th January.

Fazal Jatt will present a story-telling program in his unique style, while Naeem Hazarvi will also accompany him. Saraiki folk singer Rahat Multani will perform at Punjab Arts Council Rawalpindi on February 2. Sawaal Band from Lahore will grace the Sufi Night on February 3.

A play on the life of Ashok Samrat, a famous character from the history of Gandhara, will be presented on February 4, directed by Sulaiman Sunny. The famous Sami folk dance of Pothohar is also a part of the daily festival. Painting and sculpture competitions are also being conducted to ensure the participation of the youth in the Gandhara festival. The children will be awarded with cash prizes and certificates of appreciation.