Young Pakistani women dance to the beat of a drum during the colourful spring festival locally known as 'bassant' in Lahore, 17 February 2002. Thousands of kite lovers celebrated the famous and traditional Bassant Festival in Lahore by arranging parties and musical shows.
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Basant is celebrated at a time when the winter months are nearing to an end and spring is just around the corner. There is a famous Punjabi phrase for this event "Basant- pala aurant", which means that with the advent of Basant the cold weather flies away. Coinciding with mating season, symbolically Basant is believed to symbolize heightened emotions sending a message of love to all man and animal alike. An interesting compliment to this theory is the celebration of the famous western occasion Valentines Day celebrated February 14th near the same dates of that of the local Basant. The celebrations kick off with people especially the women wearing bright yellow clothes, while families and friends gather together at rooftop feasts to mark the occasion. The recent patronage offered by the government to the occasion has also added to the festivities as now the event has become a major tourist attraction where local tourists growing in number each year come to the city from different parts of the country to attend the gala event. Basant in Lahore knows no religious, political or sexual boundaries. It knows only one thing and that is the spirit of the city to which it is celebrated as a tribute each year round. Lahore Lahore Ay
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