Bridal dresses of Pakistan, Norway go on display

[LahoreEstate]

Saturday, June 27, 2009
Ishrat Hyatt

Islamabad

A colourful exhibition of bridal dresses from Pakistan and Norway was inaugurated at the Lok Virsa by the Ambassador of Norway, Robert Kvile.

The exhibition attended by a few culture vultures — among them Madiha Gauhar — and a lot of curious people.

There are four very traditional costumes from Norway — probably heritage pieces — and about a dozen Pakistani ones on display. Of these not all are fully authentic but the ones which do fall into this category are really beautiful and showcase the rich cultural heritage of our country. These costumes are the same that were sent to Norway in June 2008 and were exhibited in the Norwegian Folk Museum.

Addressing the gathering Executive Director, Lok Virsa, Khalid Javed revealed that the Norwegian government had been very generous in supporting the cultural heritage of Pakistan, which collaboration allowed for the revival of Lok Virsa’s important programmes and benefited the marginalised communities living in remote areas. He went on to speak of Pakistani and Norwegian marriage customs and said the wedding ceremonies of a culture are always an integral part of its history and traditions. As a living culture moves forward in time, its traditions are also bound to vary according to the demands of modernism and changing trends.

Ambassador Kvile said while Pakistan and Norway may differ in politics; history and culture and are far apart geographically there are many bonds between the two countries which have been created by many years of co-operation and those by the citizens of Pakistani origin in Norway.

“Pakistan matters to us,” he said. “We feel close to Pakistanis and we follow developments in this country closely and today with great concern.” He went on to say the core of Pakistan-Norway relations was development of education, good governance and culture and Lok Virsa has been chosen as a strategic partner for cultural co-operation because of its multi-faceted approach to its preservation and promotion. He concluded by saying such exhibitions give the opportunity to compare and realize that after all we are not that different!

Speaking informally, Ambassador Kvile said women in Norway like to wear bridal costumes from the region they belong regardless of where they live and get married, it being a matter of personal choice and pride in the heritage of the country. He gave some insight into the preferences of the women in his family and said his daughter had chosen to wear a costume of the region to which her paternal grandmother belonged.

The exhibition is a good effort but the Lok Virsa needs to pull up its socks when such exhibitions are organised so that genuine traditional objects and outfits are displayed. In this instance the Kashmiri dress is an eyesore as cheap material has been used for the outfit, which has been embellished with machine embroidery. Considering the fact that Kashmiris are experts at beautiful hand embroidery and their distinctive designs are known all over the world, this particular piece should be removed from the exhibition to preserve the credibility of the other costumes.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=185252