Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The second day of the Asrlar Sadosi (Echo of Centuries) Festival of Traditional Culture started with a pilaf event organized in commemoration of May 9, Memory and Honour Day in Uzbekistan, and to honour World War II veterans and to extend to them congratulations. The charitable pilaf event fit in perfectly with the Festival Programme confirming its status as a national cultural project which fosters in Uzbek people respect for traditions and history of their country.

A festive procession opened the second festival morning in Ichan-Qala. Each of the 200-odd members of folk music groups that came to the festival brought with them a particle of culture peculiar to their region. Uzbek folk music most fully conveys the traditions of folk culture. Groups from different regions have their own peculiar clothes, music, tradition and dances. Thus, under the azure sky Khiva gathered all the colours of the Uzbek national folklore.

The colourful rows of the Applied Art Fair attracted the attention of many guests that had arrived from different parts of the world to attend Asrlar Sadosi. Khiva is famed for its craftsmen in wood carving and carpet weaving. The Ichan-Qala spectacle also featured works by potters from the Fergana Valley, embroiderers from Bukhara, weavers of Samarkand, miniature from Tashkent, etc. The turquoise glitter of Kalta Minor minaret was reflected in blue ceramic lagans, jewelry, repoussé, lacquered boxes, as well as in the eyes of the Festival participants and guests.

Another highlight, National Cuisine Festival, had the 10 best cooks prepare delicious meals. The area outside Kohna-Ark Palace housed an outdoor restaurant. Uzbek national cuisine is famous for its juicy traditional dishes made of natural products. The king of Uzbek meals is pilaf which is cooked differently in each region of the country. The guests literally went into raptures about Khoresmian pilaf, Namangan golden pilaf, Bukhara saffron pilaf, achichuk (a cucumber and tomato salad), as well as flat Uzbek bread, samsa and gumma.

Later, near Said Alauddin Mausoleum, visitors could witness rooster and ram fights, which became a riveting spectacle, drawing hundreds of people. The origin of these games can be traced back to several centuries, when they represented pagan cults and have become national games. The fights are a demonstration of strength and energy and symbolize prosperity. The combatants are specially bred roosters and rams, conditioned for increased stamina and strength.

Asrlar Sadosi Festival also included a conference titled “Uzbekistan’s Cultural Legacy: the Art of Calligraphy and Architectural Epigraphy”, which brought together roughly 100 eminent scholars of Uzbekistan and foreign countries in Khorezm’s Mamun Academy, one of the oldest spiritual centres of world civilization. Among the participants were Jorge Espinal, UNESCO Representative in Uzbekistan, and Gulnara Karimova, the Chairperson of the Fund Forum’s Board of Trustees.

The conference focused on the presentation of the book “Samples of the Eastern Art of Calligraphy and Miniature”, published by the Fund Forum. Participants also made speeches on the results of research projects to create an “Archeological Map of Uzbekistan” and a “Catalogue of Archeological Monuments in Uzbekistan”. All these are a maiden effort in Uzbekistan to systematize and catalogue the historical legacy in this field and have drawn increasing interest from many specialists. Also, presently groups of scientists in Bukhara, Samarkand, Termez and Karshi have, under a project, joined forces to study and decipher inscriptions on medieval architectural monuments in Uzbekistan. Another project has been launched in Tashkent to study the origins and principles of Khoresmian tambour notation.

Tash-Hovli Complex hosted the National Dress Festival which brought together 15 fashion designers from Tashkent, Khorezm and Bukhara. The fashion show which kicked off with a theatrical improvisation from an eastern fairy-tale, presented 13 collections of ethnographic and stylized models. Each collection illustrated colourful historical traditions of Uzbek costumes and demonstrated the broad range of national fabrics. The charming female models from Khiva sashayed across the catwalk in designer clothes, bright gowns, embroidered boots, paranjas (an enveloping outer garment worn by women), silk scarves, atlas tunics, which glittered against the backdrop of the palace’s austere walls.

Children’s collections became a true decoration of this costume holiday. The podium served as a sort of a playground for kids, who also posed to photographers and cameramen. The National Dress Festival is an art of combining costume traditions that have developed over centuries and modern trends in fashion with its dynamic, practical nature coupled with its tendency toward minimalism.

Asrlar Sadosi Festival culminated in a gala concert at Kohna-Ark Palace. The concert programme consisted of performances by folk music groups, bakshi, dance groups, and famous performers such as Abdukhoshim Ismailov, Samandar, Makhmud Namozov, Zulaykho Baykhanova, Abdulla Shomagrupov, Hosila Rahimova, Sato group as well as laureates of the Fund Forum’s youth and children’s projects. The concert was accompanied by a group of people carrying a torch along the perimeters of the square. Each performance drew uproarious applause. As Kohna-Ark palace did not have enough seating capacity, a monitor was installed on the palace square with live transmission.

As part of the gala concert, the author of the project Gulnara Karimova and UNESCO Representative in Uzbekistan Jorge Espinal awarded diplomas, statuettes and prizes to the Festival winners.

Asrlar Sadosi Festival of Traditional Culture has come to an end. This time instead of picturesque landscapes of Kashkadarya and Tashkent regions, the organizers chose historical Khiva. For several days the city serves as an arena for national Uzbek culture, combining the best, the brightest and the most exciting. Khiva’s Asrlar Sadosi will linger long in the hearts and memories of those who have come close to the original and multifaceted traditions of Uzbekistan.

Winners of Asrlar Sadosi-2010

Best cook: Avazkhon Dekhanov (Namangan Region)

National Dress Festival: Nargiza Atajanova (Tashkent)

Applied art masters:

Wood carving: Shavkat Jumaniyazov (Khorezm Region)

Miniature: Mirhamid Mirsagatov (Tashkent)

Ceramics: Firdavs Berdiyev (Samarkand Region)

For contributions to preservation of traditions in modern art: Khorezm branch of the Republican Association Hunarmand (Craftsman)

Folk and ethnographic groups:

Afshona (Bukhara Region),
Chavki (Samarkand Region),
Kuralai (Surkhandarya Region)
Muhallis (Republic of Karakalpakstan)
Juralar (Khorezm Region)
Khiva (Khorezm Region)
Yor-Yor (Namangan Region)

Bakshi performers:

Janibek Piyozov (Republic of Karakalpakstan)
Ural Rakhimov (Surkhandarya Region)
Karim Otamurodov (Khorezm Region)

Excellence in performance: Minavara Chavlarova (Andijan Region)

Longtime engagement in art: Karim-ota Kuvvalov (Khorezm Region)