The city of Nawabs is hosting Pakistani food festival to give with the Lucknawis a taste of the sumptuous Lahori spread.

Began on Friday, the “Zaika-e-Pakistan” aims at familiarising the people of Lucknow with the delicacies of Pakistan. Pakistani chefs would fly down especially to Lucknow Pakistan to prepare the vegetarian and non-vegetarian delicacies.

Pakistani food festivals have been held in several cities in the country, but it is for the first time that it is being held in Lucknow.

The organisers are planning to hold a similar “Lucknow Food Festival” in Lahore in the month of March 2005 in order to make the people of Lahore taste the delicacies of the cuisine of Lucknow.

The Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan may have met in Delhi for diplomatic talks to improve bilateral relations, but in Lucknow efforts of another kind are on to improve ties between the two countries.

The city is hosting a Pakistani food festival—Zaika-e-Pakistan — and on the platter are Peshawar’s famour Chappali Kebabs.

“We are preparing Chappali Kebab. These are made from mutton and are usually bigger in size. They are very popular and a real favourite with people,” said Mehboob A Khan, executive chef, Hotel Avari, Lahore.

Food delight

Alhamra Cultural Complex looked surreal amidst decorative lights, as performances varying from enthralling Uzbek dances to hilarious slapstick performances by the Wall Street Theatre, Indian theatre and Ajoka’s theatre heightened activity at the Rafi Peer World Performing Arts Festival on Monday night.

The Uzbek camp in particular was jam-packed with spectators who were completely enthralled by the dance performances. The Uzbek dance titled ‘Sonata’ was the most attractive feature of the festival. The performers, clad in stunning vibrant dresses, had the crowds up on their feet as they executed impressive dance sequences. The audience enthusiastically cheered the dance titled ‘Africa’ and was full of praise for the young performers. The other dance themes ‘Youth of Uzbekistan’, ‘Temple of love’, and ‘ Slow Waltz’ were unique in style and received the same praise from the audience as ‘Africa’ had received.

On 3rd December, Pakistan ’s premier design duo Nickie Nina and fashion design heavy weight Kamiar Rokni bring to Lahore their latest ready to wear collections along with select haute couture pieces at a brand new space, The Boulevard , Lahore . This will be Nickie Kamiar Rokni Nina’s third outlet nationwide and Kamiar Rokni’s first outlet venture since going solo.

This Saturday, November 17, Pakistani design heavy weights Nickie Nina and Kamiar Rokni participated in one of Lahore’s premier charity fashion events, ‘9 women’ , held by the Lahore Grammar School Defence Campus in honour of the Depilex Smile Again Foundation .

This was a charity fashion event with a difference. The event concept required active participation from an exclusive panel of Lahore ’s top designers who personally trained students in design, cut, silhouette, colour, manufacture and retail over a period of time. The culmination of this training for Nickie Nina was exemplified at the show in its ‘Motherhood’ segment where Nickie Nina’s student trainees showcased three of their own creations inspired by the glamorous design duo on a ramp modelled by fellow students along with one original Nickie Nina number modelled by Iffat Omar.

One of Lahore ’s premier custom design furniture houses, Rendez-vous d’Interieur , will be showcasing the best of their 2007 collections at an exclusive charity exhibition this November in Lahore at their flagship defence store. All proceeds from the exhibition will be donated towards cancer research and development.

The furniture design label represents quintessential lavish residential and commercial designing for not only the discerning Pakistani but European, American, Canadian, Middle Eastern and Asian design connoisseurs. The young brand has already accumulated a portfolio showcasing a diverse series of residential and commercial projects in Pakistan and abroad, including the interior décor for The Palm Beach Resort in Dubai , luxury private apartments in Toronto , a residential estate in Oman and home décor in London and Philidelphia.

Nickie Nina showcased a preview of their collection for Pakistan Fashion Week at Lakme India Fashion Week in Bombay, to much acclaim. The show was held on the auspicious occasion of the religious festival of Eid on the 14 th of October. Nickie Nina’s designs were presented to a 700 strong audience including the likes of Fern Mallis , VP IMG and an institution at New York Fashion Week . Anil Chopra , VP Lakme Lever leant his support to the Pakistan Fashion Week preview show along with journalists from Vogue India and Elle India .

The Goethe Institute will screen seven feature films on its newly opened premises over a month. The film festival will begin on Thursday. The movies will be screened on Thursdays and Mondays at 7pm.

According to a brochure issued by the German cultural centre, the first film to be screened is titled Halbe Treppe (Grill point). Directed by Andreas Dresen, the movie focuses on estrangement and betrayal between two couples in East Germany.

A large number of people accompanied by their children visited a folk Mela, “Mount Fuji ta Mai Kulachi”, that was inaugurated at The Danishgah, here on Friday evening.

Sindh Finance Minister Syed Sardar Ahmad, who had come on behalf of Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad, inaugurated the festival organized by the Pakistan Japan Cultural Association. On the occasion, a visiting Japanase ceramist, Eiko Oto, gave demonstration on how to make clay decoration pieces etc.

The technique was almost similar to that used by local artisan, the only difference being the fast-moving electric wheel on which Mr Oto moulded the clay giving it different shapes. The local artists used their hand to rotate the wheel.

All the rooms and pavilions of the Mohatta Palace Museum buzzed with activity as a major exhibition showcasing the history of Karachi got under way on Wednesday.

Organized by the Mohatta Palace Museum in collaboration with the Dawn Group of Newspapers, the 90-day exhibition is titled Jewel in the crown: Karachi under the Raj 1843-1947.

The exhibition was first held as part of Dawn’s All about lifestyle show last year. In October 2004, a sneak preview of the exhibition was held which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. The organizers held a private viewing of the exhibition on Nov 24 which was attended by Mir Ali Murad Khan Talpur of Khairpur.