RUNG FESTIVAL AT THE ROM, AGAIN A HIT WITH TORONTONIANS

The Museum visitors took a journey through the diverse and rich traditions of South Asia. They experienced a Hindu wedding ceremony, tying of turbans, wearing saris and henna art on their hands. The Kites on display filled the atmosphere with colour and festivity, as one would experience at the "Basant Festival" on the onset of spring. The aromatic spices from South Asia which were the cause of many invasions in South Asia were displayed showing the Spice Route the traditions. The interactive calligraphy and illumination workshops and block printing stations let people try their hand at traditional techniques used by master artisans.

Morning of Saturday May 31st became that much more colorful with launch of the 2nd Annual South Asian Heritage Festival at the ROM. This event appropriately names as "RUNG" [Festival of Colors] is celebrated in lieu of South Asian Heritage month as well as the 100th anniversary of the Royal Ontario Museum. More than a hundred artists are being featured over the weekend representing various genre of traditional arts, crafts, music and dance from 8 South Asian countries. A large number of people attended the formal opening ceremony including the High Commissioner for Pakistan H. E. Mian Gul Akbar Zeb, Senators Salma Attaullahjan, Senator Asha Seth, Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism M.P. Chungsen Leung,  Consul General of Pakistan in Toronto Mohammad Nafees Zakaria, Consul General of Sri Lanka and Turkey.

ROM's Deputy Director Xerxes Mazda welcomed the guests and thanked the people for their support to such cultural initiatives. Raza Hussain, Vice President of CIBC recognized the relevance of ROM's 100th birthday and appreciated the  excellent work done by the ROM's Official Community Partner and Organizer M/s Ethnic Marketing, a specialised multi cultural Advertising Agency based in Toronto. Several awards presented to the Organisers, Sponsors and Media Partners.

The timeless art of Master painter and Calligrapher Sadequain was displayed followed by a talk given by Dr. Salman Ahmad, the artist's nephew. He shared insights about the artist’s life and his inspiration to paint. A variety of dance forms Including the Kathakali performance, seen for the first time at the ROM narrated a story in song and dance. Classical vocalist Ramneek Singh gave the audience a flavor of the four 'Ragas' of the day, each having a different impact on one's mood.  The handmade Hala tiles from Sindh (Pakistan) representing a 400 year old craft tradition were displayed showing how they were used to create facades of mosques and Sufi shrines.

The RUNG Festival emitted life and colour through its exhibits, enthusiastic volunteers and artists. The beaming pride in celebrating the rich heritage and vibrancy of South Asian traditions was in the air and gave this festival it's unique quality. The excitement of sharing stories, food traditions, festive wedding celebrations transported visitors to bond with their ancestral roots.

Rung Festival was sponsored by Santosh Naan & Rotis, National Foods, Canada Pakistan Business Council and Govt. of Pakistan. Asian Television Network, Rogers TV, Voice Publications Group, CMR Radio FM101.3, MyBindi and Rawal TV are exclusive media partners for RUNG Festival. Second and final day of the event is Sunday June 1st from 10am - 5pm.

About the organiser: Ethnic Marketing is the ROM's Official Community Partner and Organiser of RUNG FESTIVAL 2014. More info on: http://www.ethnicmarketing.ca

About event: www.RungFestival.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/discoversouthasia
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RungatRom

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