ISLAMABAD: World Museum Day was observed on Monday at Lok Virsa in which a number of people participated.

Day is observed annually all over the world on May 18 with a view to highlighting the importance, necessity and role of museums for educating and enlightening people, especially younger generation about culture, heritage, history, flora and fauna, progress, etc., of a country.

PakistanNationalMuseumofEthnology, known as Heritage Museum, at Garden Avenue and Pakistan Monument Museumadjacent to National Monument at Shakarparian allowed free entry to the people to give them awareness of the museum.

Because of the day special stalls like artisans at work, traditional puppeteers, drummers and live folk musical performances were arranged.

The most attractive event was the artisans-at-work exhibition. The aim of the stall was to create a link between culture and education and to recognise the hard work of artisans associated with various crafts in order to ensure continuity of the crafts from generation to generation.

Mohammad Bilal, a resident ofIslamabad, told Dawn said he had decided to visit the Lok Virsa to show his children the heritage of Pakistan.

No events in Taxila Internatiolnal Museum Day was observed in Taxila, but archaeological museum, Taxila did not organise any event to mark the day.

Across the globe, museums hold different events, seminars and put on display new discoveries, but Taxila Museum did not avail this opportunity to highlight the Gandhara Civilisation.

According to sources, no such event hasbeen arranged by the museum authorities since 2005.

When contacted curator Taxila Museum Abdul Nisar Khan said they had displayed the banner at the main gate of the museum highlighting the importance of the day, besides allowing free entry to the visitors to see centuries-old treasure trove.

He admitted that no seminar or mega event had been organised on this occasion in Taxila museum on the theme `Museums for a Sustainable Society`, set by international Council of Museum (ICOM) to mark the day.

ICOM has been observing International Museum Day (IMD) since 19997.