As winter loosens its grip and spring edges closer, Lahore is once again vibrating with a familiar, long-missed energy. Rooftops are being cleared, kite strings are quietly resurfacing in markets, and conversations drift inevitably towards Basant. After nearly two decades of absence, the festival’s return has sent the city into a state of collective anticipation, recalling a time when spring was not merely a season but a public celebration.
This excitement builds on a broader cultural revival sweeping across Punjab. Over the past year, the province has witnessed a visible embrace of heritage, diversity, and civic aesthetics, guided in part by the leadership of Maryam Nawaz, who has championed initiatives aimed at restoring Punjab’s cultural identity while making public spaces more inclusive and accessible. From state-supported Christmas festivities to spring fairs and urban restoration projects, Punjab is rethinking how culture is experienced in daily life.
The return of Basant is the most visible expression of this shift. Once synonymous with Lahore’s identity, the festival had long been sidelined, remembered more through nostalgia than practice. Its re-emergence, under a regulated and safety-conscious framework, signals a move away from outright prohibition towards negotiated celebration. Rooftop gatherings, kite markets, and public awareness campaigns underscore the care with which this cultural tradition is being revived. More importantly, it has reopened a conversation about what it means for a city to celebrate collectively — responsibly, visibly, and without fear.
Alongside Basant, the Punjab Horse and Cattle Show has become another emblem of cultural pride. These displays of equestrian skill and livestock heritage are drawing families and enthusiasts from across the province, connecting rural traditions with urban spectatorship, and reminding the city that Punjab’s identity is deeply rooted in both land and craft.
Punjab’s cultural revival is also taking tangible form through the restoration of heritage sites. In Lahore, conservation of the Lahore Fort’s Sikh-era Hammam, Athdara Pavilion, and Loh Temple has reopened these monuments to public appreciation. The Shahdara Heritage Complex, historic bazaars, and colonial-era buildings in the Walled City are being revitalised, while iconic landmarks like the Multan Clock Tower have been restored as civic symbols.
Basant Festival
After nearly two decades, Lahore prepares for rooftops alive with kites, bustling markets, and citywide excitement. This carefully regulated revival emphasises safety while celebrating a cherished spring tradition.
Horse and Cattle Show
A proud display of Punjab’s rural heritage, connecting urban audiences to equestrian skill, livestock culture, and age-old traditions. Families and enthusiasts flock to witness the spectacle.
Christmas Celebrations
December saw state-backed Christmas events promoting interfaith engagement and inclusivity, reflecting Punjab’s commitment to celebrating cultural diversity beyond major festivals.
New museums, including the Multan Museum and the Bhagat Singh Gallery at Poonch House, have been inaugurated, expanding access to Punjab’s history and art. Even historic wells, such as the Bahar Wali Baoli and the Well of Dina Nath in Wazir Khan Chowk, have been carefully conserved, reclaiming these once-forgotten elements of urban heritage.
In Gujranwala, Sikh and Hindu heritage sites, including the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Haveli and Tomri and Jain Mandirs, are undergoing restoration, while the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation site at Harappa is being revitalised with new visitor facilities. These initiatives restore buildings and anchor cultural memory in daily life, celebrate Punjab’s plural heritage, and invite communities to engage with history as a living experience.
At street level, the revival extends far beyond festivals. Heritage and cultural sites across Punjab are being restored, pedestrian-friendly streets are being established, and beautifully designed carts are being distributed to fruit and vegetable vendors, transforming routine commerce into vibrant public theatre. The appearance of Punjabi sayings on Punjab Horticulture Authority signboards further reinforces linguistic identity in daily urban life, while ongoing canal beautification projects — complete with landscaped walkways and improved lighting — are reclaiming neglected spaces as venues for leisure and social interaction.
Youth-oriented initiatives such as cultural selfie points and heritage-themed installations further encourage engagement with history and art. Museums, galleries, and restored historical sites are no longer static reminders of the past but living spaces where people, especially younger generations, can see themselves reflected in Punjab’s story.
Meanwhile, government-backed Christmas and New Year celebrations in December illustrated a similar ethos of inclusivity. By officially supporting events, encouraging interfaith engagement, and opening churches to the wider community, authorities highlighted that cultural and religious diversity is not merely tolerated but actively celebrated. These initiatives, together with Basant and the Horse and Cattle Show, suggest a provincial vision where culture is participatory, visible, and woven into everyday life.
What ties these developments together is intent: a recognition that social cohesion and civic pride are strengthened when people see themselves reflected in the spaces they inhabit, the festivals they celebrate, and the heritage they preserve. Festivals are returning not as rare allowances but as managed traditions. Public spaces are being reclaimed not as monuments alone, but as active, vibrant corridors for daily interaction. Language, history, and craft are being reintroduced not as nostalgia but as living, breathing elements of the city.
As Lahore looks skyward this spring, anticipating the swirl of kites, the parade of livestock, and the restored vibrancy of its streets, it carries more than colour and festivity. It carries the promise that celebration, inclusivity, and heritage can rise together — and that Punjab’s cultural heartbeat is once again being felt, in full, across the province.
The writer is a SUN (Scaling Up Nutrition) UN Global Champion and a dairy value chain professional.
