Thatta Kedona dolls at Lok Virsa attract visitors
Monday, April 29, 2013
The unique handmade cultural dolls captured attention of visitors at the ongoing Lok Mela being held at Shakarparian under the aegis of Lok Virsa.
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The mega annual cultural event, organised by the Lok Virsa (National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage), Ministry of National Heritage and Integration, will continue till April 21. A large number of people from different walks of life, including art and craft experts, cultural personalities, diplomats, media persons, students and general public attended the ceremony.
Read more »Labels: LoK Visra, Thatta Kedona
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 8:00 AM,
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Abbreviation Used at Thatta Kedona
Saturday, April 27, 2013
AeFeA (or AFA) - Anjuman-e-Falah-e-Aama
BHU - Basic Health Unit
DOW - Dolls of the World
TTTC - Technical Transfer and Training Center
TGD – Thatta Ghulamka Dheroka
WAC - Women Arts Center
Labels: Thatta Kedona
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:37 AM,
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Cultural Roots of Art and Architecture of the Punjab
Thursday, April 25, 2013
THAAP – Trust for History, Art and Architecture Pakistan organized an Inaugural Talk for the 4th International THAAP Conference on “Cultural Roots of Art and Architecture of the Punjab” on April 13, 2013. THAAP - a forum for multidisciplinary scholars who work collectively for the promotion of research and education in Pakistan, has up till now organized 03 International conferences from 2010 to 2012 on various topics and look forward to organizing the 4th International THAAP conference in November this year. Dr. Gulzar Haider, Dean School of Architecture and Design at Beaconhouse National University, Lahore chaired the session and Mr. Mushtaq Soofi and Prof. Pervaiz Vandal were the speakers for the session.
Prof. Pervaiz Vandal an architect, educationist and THAAP conference convener initiated the talk and gave a presentation on ‘Geography and Culture’. He elucidated how geography affects our culture and said, ‘Culture is essentially the art, custom, ideas and social behavior of a nation, people or group. Culture takes shape with ideas and an idea is born and develops through interaction among the people.'
Read more »Labels: Culture
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 11:19 PM,
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Handicrafts Award
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Handicrafts are still valued by everyone. They are unique, they are creative and they speak of those who made them with hands. During the Handicraft Exhibition, District Industrial Home (sanatzar) of Punjab Social Welfare awarded Anjuman Falah-e-Amma of TGD (Dolls Village). This is an appreciation for those who make dolls and create beautiful toys and other handicrafts
Labels: Award, Handicrafts, Thatta Kedona
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 8:00 AM,
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Taxila
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Read in Urdu here.
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 3:03 PM,
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Rural Culture
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Prof. Dr. Norbert Pintsch
The culture, the traditional rural culture and the industrial city culture, the contents, the characteristics, changes are more or less the topics of discussion in various considerations on the subject. It may not be clear to many where the problem really is, or why the restlessness, why the discussion?
The term Culture is gladly used in these times. To be lacking in culture or be devoid of culture, no please! It does not surprise when one talks of eating, sleeping and drinking cultures. Educated people have the reading culture. Many are members of special cultures like leisure activities. One is sure to maintain high standard in body culture, which is by the way synonymous with the intensive use of perfumes. It underlines the positive image towards outside.
Labels: Dr. Norbert Pintsch, Rural Culture
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 8:00 AM,
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About Thatta Kedona
Friday, April 12, 2013
Labels: About, Posters, Thatta Kedona
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 12:00 AM,
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Volunteers from Switzerland
Thursday, April 11, 2013
As we are having beautiful spring in the Dolls Village, volunteers from around the world are visiting the Village. Last week TGD NGO A-F-A had two guest from Switzerland: Irene from Berne, the veteran volunteer who had been working together with Dr Senta Siller – the founder of the project and Dr. Norbert Pintsch. The other was Madeleine from Geneva. Both volunteers spend happy time in the village, meet local volunteers and members of the village NGO noted the changes that have occurred over time.
Read more »Labels: NGOs, TGD, Volunteers
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 8:39 AM,
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BBC Documentary Thatta Kedona
After Thatta Kedona documentary aired in 2006, BBC is planning to shoot another documentary covering the life in Thatta Ghulamka Dheoka and how it has changed over past years due to income generation activities of the self help project and villagers exposure to outside world.
Amber Shamsi from BBC tells us that a story will be done after the general elections scheduled in Pakistan on May 11, 2013.
Labels: BBC, Documentary, Dr. Norbert Pintsch, Dr. Senta Siller, Thatta Kedona
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 8:27 AM,
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Ramla's Journey of Hope
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
I'm in Punjab. Making micro-documentaries. As part of the Hope Express project... which the team decided to convert into a short films/ mini documentaries project - rather than a train journey project. So I grabbed my brother's Sony Handycam, and decided to film whatever inspires me on an unplanned journey.
I went to PakPattan from Aug 3-6, returned to Lahore and stayed a night at the beautiful and gifted fashion entrepreneur Maria B's. Met S A J Shirazi, a traveler n prolific blogger/ writer.
He pointed me to Thatta Ghulam da Dheroka, where the Thatta Khedona brand hand dolls originate from. I let go of an obsession to 'go up North' and hopped on a car, bus, rickshaw, van and finally a taxi to get here yesterday.
Back to Lahore today and wondering what next? Don't want to stay in one place for too long! Hope to settle in a new place in Lahore or go elsewhere - I have a mental plan to return to Karachi by August 18. Let's see where Allah takes me next between today & then!
My wonderfully caring hosts at PakPattan (Dastgir of Sabri Langar Khana) and Lahore (Afia and family) have made an uncertain journey very comfortable!
Alhamdolillah!
I miss going North, but right now, carrying the message of a benevolent transformation across to people, while watching the Face of God wherever I turn, seem to take precedence as an intent!
Allah does best!
Labels: Thatta Kedona, Visitors
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 10:24 AM,
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Thatta Kedona - Self Help Project
Monday, April 8, 2013
The cluster of mud and brick houses in the plains of Punjab, Thatta Ghulamka Dheroka (TGD) looks like a typical Pakistani village about 80 kilometres away from Lahore and 40 kilometres from Indus civilization ruins in Harappa. There is no gas or telephone in the village. No asphalt roads lead to it. Yet it is different, the beautiful dolls and other handicrafts made by the village folks are collectors' delight all over the world. Influencers from Indus civilization from nearby Harappa and modern techniques brought by the German volunteers can be seen in the village together.
The dolls made in the village are on display in international doll museum in Iceland, prestigious galleries and showrooms in Pakistan and abroad. TGD village doll project was one of the 767 worldwide projects presented in the "Themepark" at expo 2000 in Hannover (Germany) as an example of thinking of twenty first century. Earlier, the dolls from Pakistan participated in international toy fair in Nuremberg. These dolls show how culture goes beyond simple work of art and becomes collaboration among applied and natural sciences as well as other forces that affect our lives.
Read more »
The dolls made in the village are on display in international doll museum in Iceland, prestigious galleries and showrooms in Pakistan and abroad. TGD village doll project was one of the 767 worldwide projects presented in the "Themepark" at expo 2000 in Hannover (Germany) as an example of thinking of twenty first century. Earlier, the dolls from Pakistan participated in international toy fair in Nuremberg. These dolls show how culture goes beyond simple work of art and becomes collaboration among applied and natural sciences as well as other forces that affect our lives.
Labels: Dr. Norbert Pintsch, Dr. Senta Siller, Thatta Kedona
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:00 AM,
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BBC report on Thatta Kedona
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Thatta Kedona has a long association with the print and electronic media. Thanks that all activities in the Dolls Village are covered. Reders hare and friends of Thatta Kedona dolls may remember the BBC report in year 2006.
BBC once again is covering the project and related activities to prepare a report this year. Here Amber Rahim Shamsi from BBC talks with Mr Ilyas from AFA (NGO) in the Showroom of AFA about the planned shooting / report production in village Thatta Ghulamka Dheroka.
Labels: Publications, Thatta Kedona
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 2:09 PM,
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Art of Buildings
Labels: Dr. Norbert Pintsch, Posters
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 1:30 AM,
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Volunteers - Those Who Make it Happen
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Labels: Dr. Norbert Pintsch, Dr. Senta Siller, S A J Shirazi, Volunteers
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 9:28 AM,
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Gogera revisited
Monday, April 1, 2013
People travel for many reasons; to see the things they can not see at home, to get away from the routine of life and work, to meet interesting people, to study different cultures and or to seek spiritual solace. For last decade, village Thatta Ghulamka Dheroka (TGD known as Dolls Village) has become a unique village to attract large number of foreigners. Only in year 2000 travelers (including experts in different fields and social workers) from 40 different countries visited this village. And, most houses in TGD have built guest rooms for visitors who come here and stay as paying guests in homely atmosphere – clean linen, local cuisine and traditional hospitality. From Gogera one can ride a traditional horse drawn Tonga or an auto rickshaws to TGD on Gogera TGD Heritage Trail.
History and archeology make for good tourism that is largely a function of prosperity. The more money people have the more of it they will spend on travel and other intellectual pursuits. Today, worldwide tourism is an unprecedented 4.4 trillions dollars industry expected to be 10 trillions by 2010. Now once every beach, airport and other conventional tourist spots feel crowded like a cinema hall, people are constantly looking for quiet, unique and brand new destinations. Millions of tourists come to Asia every year. But the irony is that out side world does not know about Pakistan or has a distorted image of it; hence tourists cannot plan to visit. After all, Pakistan has much more to offer than many other countries combined together.
Read more »
History and archeology make for good tourism that is largely a function of prosperity. The more money people have the more of it they will spend on travel and other intellectual pursuits. Today, worldwide tourism is an unprecedented 4.4 trillions dollars industry expected to be 10 trillions by 2010. Now once every beach, airport and other conventional tourist spots feel crowded like a cinema hall, people are constantly looking for quiet, unique and brand new destinations. Millions of tourists come to Asia every year. But the irony is that out side world does not know about Pakistan or has a distorted image of it; hence tourists cannot plan to visit. After all, Pakistan has much more to offer than many other countries combined together.
Labels: Gogera, Heritage, Travel
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 8:00 AM,
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