Making marvels with pearls:

‘Moti Kari’ Compels Visitors at Lok Mela to Stand and Stare

Sadaf Aziz, 32 is a talented artist at Lok Mela who makes portraits, hand bracelets, pieces of calligraphy, flags, mosques, and pictures of holy places besides writing holy scriptures with the help of small pearls (moti) using a needle. The art is locally named ‘moti kari’. Her father, Malik Nisar Ahmed, mother and daughter are all attched with the same profession.

She has been participating in Lok Mela for the last 25 years with her father at Lok Virsa. Sadaf has won 3 awards and her father has won 2 from Lok Virsa which is a proof of their marvellous work. They make prepare different items on the demand of the customers.

While talking to INFN Sadaf said, “I spent my youth in learning and mastering this art of my ancestors. I opened my eyes to see this art and will die with it.”

“It is the first and last love of my life which I inherited from my father in the form of ‘Motti Kari’,” Sadaf told proudly.

“‘Moti Kari’ is based on slow process and it takes nearly 5 days to finish small items, 10 days to make flags and 20 days to make big portraits. Everyone cannot do this because you need to have a great connection with art,” Sadaf added.

“My father presented the name of Allah to General Zia-ul- Haq made by beads in 1982 and it was a huge honour and achievement for all of us in the field of ‘Moti Kari’. We have used 15 ton pearls till now,” she informed.

Sadaf also makes flags for other countries when they demanded like Middle East countries, her family spent their all day in making items at Lok Mela which attract the people towards this art and compelled the people to gaze her items,

Sadaf Aziz further said, “I am so glad to have adopted this ancestors’ art and I have no regrets in life. I am so passionate about it and cannot live without ‘moti kari’. I think that the young generation should join this art as profession and career not as hobby as I have done.