Islamic Religious Festivals

Eid ul Fitr and Eid ul Azha are the two major religious festivities celebrated throughout the country among its Muslim populace.

Thankfulness is one of the four qualities of a Muslim, others being truthfulness, modesty and good behaviour. Eid ul Fitr is the day of rejoicing and thanksgiving to Allah for giving the strength to the believers to fast for 29-30 days during the holy month of Ramadan.  The day is celebrated at the end of the Ramadan on the first of Shawal (the 10th month of Islamic calendar). In the evening of 29th Ramadan, all men and women alike flock on the rooftops to witness the new moon.

No sooner it is sited, a euphoria sets in and everyone rushes to market places to make the last day shopping. Girls flock the stalls to get their hands beautiful decorated with "henna". On Eid day, women folk prepare delicious sweet dishes to celebrate the beginning of the day. Before going for the exclusive morning prayers, each head of the family is to give "fitrana" (alms) equal to 2 1/2 kilo of wheat in respect of each member of his family to the poor and needy so that they could also share the joy and happiness of the day. After the prayers children gather around the head of the family to receive "Eidi" - a sum of money as per the status and financial position of the head - a ritual in which everyone shares. A lot of fairs are organized for children while the elders call on to the relatives. More than men, women and children (specially girls) enjoy the festivities of the day by wearing colourful specially made-for-the-occasion clothes.

Eid ul Azha is celebrated on 10th day of the Zil Hajj (the 12th Islamic month).  This day is celebrated in the memory of the sacrifice made by the prophet Abraham (Abraham) wherein he offered the life of his son Prophet Ismail to fulfill the decree of the Allah. On this day, all people who can afford sacrifice a sheep or a goat in the name of Allah as was done by prophet Abraham. Here too the poor are not forgotten. The meat of the sacrificed goat/sheep/lamb is divided into three parts; one for distribution among the poor, second for the relatives and third for self and own family.

In addition to the two Eids, the 12th of Rabi-al-Awwal (3rd month of Islamic calendar) is celebrated as the birthday of the prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon Him) with religious zeal and fervour. The roads, shops and other buildings are skillfully decorated with buntings and lights to express love and devotion to the Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon Him). Special conferences are held to project the peacefulness of the religion of Islam and the way the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) desired it to be followed. How sad it is that a faction of Muslim hardliners have given a new and ugly dimension to this peaceful religion by terrorizing the world. This certainly isn''t the Islam Allah and His Prophet wanted. Islam continues to be a religion of peaceful co-existence despite what some radicals are trying to portray it otherwise.

Non Muslim Religious Festivals

The Christian community celebrates Christmas, Easter and other religious festivals as are celebrated all over the world. Although the Christmas day coincides with the birthday celebrations of the father of the nation, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, on 25th December, Muslims also visit homes of Christian friends to celebrate Christmas with them. The other minorities like Hindus, Sikhs and Parsis also celebrate their religious days with equal enthusiasm. In fact the largest community that comes from all over the world to Pakistan are the Sikhs who flock their religious sites in thousands, specially the Baba Guru Nanak birthday celebrations, in November each year.

Spring Festivals

A Spring always brings happiness and adds hues to life as flowers blossom and birds sing and chirp happily. Lahore, the city of gardens covers itself with multi colour flowers and it is then that the festivities of Spring Festival, locally known as the "Jashan-e-Baharan" get into their full swing. Likewise all over the country, the spring is welcomed with dance of men and trained animals and music. Some of the festivals worth mentioning are:

Basant

The Basant or the Festival of Kite Flying is celebrated with much fanfare and pomp and show in mid February every year in Lahore. The kite flying is a favourite pastime of Lahorites who start preparing for the festivals much in advance.  The main venue for kite flying is the old Lahore, where from dawn to next dawn (including night) flyers along with their families and friends flock on the roof tops and

Horse and Cattle Show

This is held each year in March to celebrate the incoming spring, when there still some chill left in the air. The first Horse and Cattle Show was held in 1954 and since then the show has progressed gradually. It is held at the Fortress Stadium, in Lahore Cantonment. Basically a military fanfare, which by and by has included more of rural people who bring their well fed and high quality breed horses, cattle and other animals. Cattle races & dances, tent-pegging, folk music, dances, bands, cultural floats and folk games add colour to the festival. In the evening a special tattoo show is held by the Army which creates an atmosphere of is own with hundreds of torches lit in darkness and performed skilfully in many arrangements.

Silk Route Festival

When the other provinces are enjoying their festivities, the Silk Route Festival on the Roof of the world attracts visitors from many a adjoining countries including Xingjian Province of China and Central Asia flock together in the highest mountains of the world amid some breathtaking spectacles of scenic beauty, wildlife and nature and awe-inspiring snow peaks. The festival included folklore, arts, crafts and display of cultural heritage.

Sibi Mela

When people in the north tuck themselves under blankets all over the country, Sibi - which lies 163 kilometres to the south east of Quetta at the mouth of the famous “Bolan Pass” almost sizzles. But this does not debar the Sibians to add colour to their lives and enjoy despite the weather odds. The traditional Sibi Mela traces its roots from the 15th century, when this town was the meeting place of all tribal chiefs of the area. The British carried on this tradition in the shape of an annual “Darbar” or meeting, combining it with a ‘Mela” (fair) where thousands of Baluchi tribesmen gathered along with their animals in mid February.

Even people from Sind and Punjab also participate with their animals. Like the Horse and Cattle show in Lahore, horse and cattle and cultural shows, tent pegging, camel races, animal markets and exhibitions of handicrafts, tribal dresses and folk dances are the hallmark of Sibi Mela.

Mela Cheraghan

The Mela Cheraghan (the Festival of Candles) is a unique festival of Lahore. It is celebrated every year on the last Sunday of March near the historic Mughal era Shalamar Gardens. The celebration is in honour of Hazrat Madho La Hussain, a mystic folk poet. The great Mughal emperor Jalaluddin Akbar (1558 1605) was one of his devotees. The saint died in the 17th century; and a mausoleum over hisfabulously illuminated on his death anniversary grave was built by the Mughal emperor Jahangir. Madho Lal Hussain'

Shandur Polo Festival

Shandur Polo Festival, a traditional polo tournament between the teams of Chitral and Gilgit is held every year at the Shandur Pass (Chitral district) - the highest polo ground of the world. Once the festival commences, it has lot many added attractions, like fold music, folk dances and other competitions, for the visitors and tourists who come to this rather difficult area from all over the world. A tent village along Shandur Lake is set up in cooperation with the local administration.

Sports in Pakistan

Along with Champions of Squash and Hockey, Cricket is the by far the most popular sport in Pakistan, and they have been considered the most dominant country in the sport of cricket, with numerous records under. Traditional sports like Kabaddi and other well known games are also played. The Pakistan Sports Board was created in 1962 by the Ministry of Education as a corporate body for the purposes of promoting and developing uniform standards of competition in sports in Pakistan comparable to the standards prevailing internationally, and regulating and controlling sports in Pakistan on a national basis.

 

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, now has control over the Pakistan Sports Board. The PSB controls all 39 Sporting Federations. The Pakistan Sports Board is support by the Pakistan Sports Trust which assists hard up players and associations so they can continue participating in sports. Over recent years there has been an increase in sporting activity in Pakistan, with Pakistani sportsmen and women participating at many national and international events. Also, more international tournaments now take place in Pakistan. The size of the teams Pakistan sends, and the number of events they participate in the Olympic Games, Asian Games, World Games and Commonwealth Games has increased since the turn of the century.

Cricket

The history of Cricket in Pakistan predates the creation of the country in 1947. The first ever international cricket match in what is Pakistan today was held in Karachi on November 22, 1935 between Sindhi and Australian cricket teams. The match was seen by 5000 Karachites.It was introduced by the British during their colonial rule of British India, which covered the area now known as Pakistan. Despite Field hockey being the national sport of Pakistan, cricket is the most popular sport in the country. Pakistan has produced many talented cricketers who have been among the best batsmen and bowlers in international cricket.

Hockey

The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) is the national governing body of field hockey in Pakistan. The Pakistan Hockey Federation Women Wing (PHFWW) is the official organization of Women''s Field Hockey in Pakistan. The Pakistan men''s team has won 3 gold medals at the Olympics and lifted the Hockey World Cup 4 times, a World Record. It has also won the most number of Asian gold medals and is the only Asian team to have won the prestigious Champions Trophy with 3 titles. It has been consistently ranked amongst the top teams in the world. Notable players include: World-Record holder Sohail Abbas, Arshad Khan, Mohammed Saqlain and Waseem Ahmad.

Squash

Squash is another popular Sport that has a large following in Pakistan, with Pakistan dominating the Sport for a period of time. Jahangir Khan and Jansher Khan are considered legends of the Sport and have won several World Squash Championships and other tournaments. Pakistani players have won the Squash World Open 17 times, and British Open 12 times, the highest by any nation. Carla Khan, one of Pakistan''s most successful Sportswomen, is one of a number of men and women who represent Pakistan. The Pakistan Squash Federation is the governing body of the Sport in the country.

The Pakistan Open tournament is one of the premier events of the Sport in the country. Every province of the country holds its own men''s and women''s championships. Some other notable players from Pakistan include: Hashim Khan, Torsam Khan and Qamar Zaman.