LAHORE: Burney Garden adjacent to Alhamra Halls had lately become a garden for holding weddings and public meetings will once again become centre of art and cultural activities for young people mostly students of the art schools run by Lahore Arts Council.  

Chairman, Board of Governors Lahore Arts Council, Kamran Lashari, Tuesday announced that Burney Garden from now on would be used for promotion of art and culture. Lashari stated that previously it was being used as marriage marquee and now it has been decided to start various programmes to promote literature, art and culture.  He was of the view that all necessary steps will be taken in this regard. 

Lahore Arts Council is the only state run institution that provides arts and cultural opportunities for young emerging talent and to polish their skills. Students enrolled in Kathak dancing, drawing, guitar, tabla, flute, vicin, harmonium and sitar classes had a longstanding demand that the lawn of Alhamra was now congested due to large number of students and they should be given ‘space’ in Burney Garden.

“The Burney Garden is an ideal place for students and art lovers who may like to put up their art installations there or engage in artwork that is painting, drawing or making music compositions in the serene environment,” an official of Lahore Arts Council told The Nation.

The connection between paintings and gardens is old and artists have been using the garden’s space for making their paintings. Acclaimed artist Muhmmad Gulzar said that to make paintings he used to go in the suburbs of the city and in the gardens where he could paint the nature. He said in Europe artists go to the country side in summers to paint the nature whereas in our country we simply shut down the art related activities in the summer season.

He was of the view that a ‘space ‘for the artist was very much important where he could express his feelings and ideas. “True art could only be exhibited when artists would be free from all the social responsibilities and from the tension of earning bread and butter. If an artist is provided with such a space where he could paint whatever he thinks or plans, than true purpose of art would be delivered to the society”, Gulzar said.  

Executive Director, Lahore Arts Council (Alhamra) Capt (Retd) Atta Muhammad Khan, said that Burney’s Garden is the face of Alhamra and it cannot be ignored and all efforts will be made for its utilization to enhance cultural activities.