Bumburet – Re:Discover Pakistan

09.04.2025 update

Chawmos Festival – Pushao Adu: The Kalash Rituals Still Alive to This Day

The period of the Kalash Chawmos Festival known as “Ditch” is considered to be highly sacred. On the day of Pushao Adu, two sacrifices are performed: the first, called “Pushao Marat,” is a sacrifice to the gods done at Sajigor, and the second, “Istongas,” is a purification ritual for men. At the same time, a children’s rite of passage known as Goshnik is also performed.

At the guesthouse, the people were all abuzz with chatter. I heard them proclaiming that Balimain has arrived, and that the earthquake they’d had the previous night was actually the sound of Balimain’s arrival. They say that Balimain will stay to watch the sacrificial ceremony and the large bonfire at night, before moving on to the Bumburet Valley.

In the morning, all men in the valley wash their bodies and put on new clothes and shoes. The women wash all dishes and clean the house. After this, in addition to the existing rules about not touching Muslims, new rules are added until the sacred period is over. These rules state that no cleaning is to take place, that bread made before yesterday must not be eaten, and that bread must be made with new flour. Because of this, new dough was not available in time, so we had to have rice from Ayun for breakfast (which was very tasty).

Villagers singing and dancing from the early morning.

Pushao Marat – Sacrifice to God　

In the morning, the villagers gathered in the square to sing and dance, and at about 10:00 a.m., the large male goats selected from each family were taken to Sajigor. The men began to walk to Sajigor alongside the animals. Since women are not allowed to participate in the sacrificial ritual, this photo was taken by a Kalash man. While the ritual was happening, the women celebrated by singing and dancing.

Male goats for sacrifice go to Sajigor. The most magnificent male goat from each stable is chosen.

Upon arrival at Sadigor, preparations for the ritual begin.

A goat with fine horns like a markhor’s.

More than 30 male goats were sacrificed to the gods that day.

The meat of the sacrificial goats is eaten especially during the sacred period and also used in a stew called Pushao Mos.

Goshnik – Rite of passage for children　

Goshnik is a rite of passage for children, after which the boy or girl becomes a member of Kalash and observes its commandments. The parents of the child who is to receive the rite prepare fruits and gifts for the uncle who performs the rite. The uncle offers a male goat as a present. The relatives gather for the celebration, and the parents serve fruit and wine. I also saw visiting relatives give money to children undergoing this rite.

An uncle performing the ceremony dresses his nephew in ceremonial garb.

Relatives receiving fruit, dried fruit, and wine from parents.

Two brothers who underwent the ceremony. Boys undergo the Goshnik ceremony twice, once between the ages of 3~5, and the second time between the ages of 5~8. Parents save money by having both brothers perform the ceremony at the same time. Incidentally, girls only have to undergo the Goshnik ceremony once.

Villagers travel around the houses singing and dancing, bringing blessings during the Goshnik ritual.

Villagers clap their hands and sing. The children respond by taking part in a ritual dance.

Purush Istongas – Sacrifices for the Purification of Men

Sacrifices are performed on the roof of the goat stable. The blood of the sacrifice is sprinkled on the faces of the lined-up men in a purification ritual. The Istongas ritual is held in the evening. This photo was taken by a Kalash man.

The roof of the goat stable is purified and sacrifices are performed.

The sacrificial goat will be dismembered here and become the meat that is eaten during this sacred period. On this day, I learned a great deal about the beliefs and lifestyle of Kalash, a place where the ritual of sacrifice is still alive.

Text: Mariko SAWADA

Photo: Mariko SAWADA & Jamil

Visit: Dec 2024, Kalash Valley – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

＊The information presented here is based on interviews with people in the area. Please note that the descriptions and explanations of the rituals may differ depending on the source.

＊Chawmos Festival – Kutram: The Kalash Rituals Still Alive to This Day

＊Chawmos Festival – Shishao Adu: The Kalash Rituals Still Alive to This Day

＊The Joshi Spring Festival: A Kalash Ritual

＊Contact us, Indus Caravan for more information or to make arrangements for visiting Kalash valley.

＊Please follow us on Youtube, Instagram & Facebook

14.03.2025 update

Chawmos Festival – Shishao Adu: The Kalash Rituals Still Alive to This Day

The ceremony to welcome the god Balimain of Kalash had finally begun. The following is a report on the women’s purification day known as “Shishao Adu.”

The day before Shishao Adu is a day for preparing the stone slab with which the Shishao, the bread for the women’s purification ceremony, will be made. The men go into the mountains to look for suitable stone slabs and leave them in a safe place, so that the women don’t touch them until they are ready to use. Meanwhile, the women prepare the flour used to make Shishao.

A man carrying the stone slab to be used in the making of Shishao.

On the morning of Shishao Adu, women gather on the riverbank to prepare for the purification. They bathe in the hut and wash their hair. After this, they cannot bathe until the sacred period is over.

Shishao Adu is a day of purification for women. After this day, no newcomers are allowed to enter the Rumbur Valley. No exception is made for foreigners, nor for Muslims living in the valley—they are likewise not allowed to enter the village of Kalash. The female Kalash relatives who come from Bumburet to celebrate the children’s rite of passage known as “Goshnik” must also undergo this purification. We foreigners were also purified. When I walked around the village, people asked me if I had showered, and if I was wearing new clothes. They believe that if anyone who does not follow the regulations of the Kalash religion is in the valley, it will bring them misfortune.

Shishao making begins at the Temple.

A man kneads purified dough to be used for the making of Shishao. The men’s hands are purified, and they are not allowed to touch anything other than the ingredients for Shishao—including themselves.

Using stone slabs and stones from the mountains, the men crush the walnuts which will act as filling for the bread.

Men are required to bake five Shishao for each female member of the family, and in families with many female members, baking Shishao can start even in the early morning.

The women’s purification ritual, Shishao Suchek, had begun. The women prepared new clothes, and some of the girls were dressed up almost as much as they are during the spring Joshi festival.

First, one must purify their hands with water.

Five pieces of “Shishao” (walnut bread) are handed out.

The women are purified with smoke from a flaming juniper branch.

A woman with a very innovative headdress. She said her mother made it for her.

A traditional-style headdress known as a Kupas. Its colors are very modern. The traditional materials and colors that are typically shown in books are nowhere to be seen these days. It seems that Kalash women are always chasing the latest fashions.

The Shishao Suchek ritual at Temple Jestak Han had finally begun. Notably, it can also take place outside, in the open air.

Female members of the family gathering at the temple.

The female purification ritual, Shishao Suchek.

After this purification, the woman must remain pure for seven days. This involves a serious of strict rules, such as not touching Muslims, not eating chicken, eggs, cow’s milk & dairy products, honey, and so on.

Getting the opportunity to see these people live their lives and practice their faith was truly a beautiful sight.

Text & Photo: Mariko SAWADA

Visit: Dec 2024, Kalash Valley – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

＊The information presented here is based on interviews with people in the area. Please note that the descriptions and explanations of the rituals may differ depending on the source.

＊Chawmos Festival – Kutram: The Kalash Rituals Still Alive to This Day

＊The Joshi Spring Festival: A Kalash Ritual

＊Contact us, Indus Caravan for more information or to make arrangements for visiting Kalash valley.

＊Please follow us on Youtube, Instagram & Facebook

Category : - Kalash Valley > ◆Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Tag : Pakistan Blog , Pakistan Travel company , Shishao Suchek , Pakistan Travel Blog , Pakistan tour operator , Rumbur , Pakistan Photography Tour , Bumburet , Ayun , Indus Caravan , Bumburet valley , Chitral , Rumbur valley , Kafiristan , PakistanBlog , Chawmos , Kalash , Kalasha Valleys , Chaumos , Kalash valley , Bomboret village , Chawmos festival , Kalasha , Bumburet Village , Shishao , Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , Pakistan Travels , Shisao Adu

27.02.2025 update

Chawmos Festival – Kutram: The Kalash Rituals Still Alive to This Day

It is early December in the Kalash Valley. The harvests have all been completed and the livestock have come down from the mountains. The ceremony to welcome the God Balimain of Kalash has begun. It includes rites of passage, purification, and sacrifice—all culminating in a farewell to Balimain, complete with torches and a large bonfire. The following is a report on a trip that brought me into contact with the rituals of a deep faith that continues to thrive in the modern age.

During the sacred period of Chawmos, Muslims are not allowed to enter the valley. Since neither staff nor drivers from Islamabad could enter the valley, Kalash staff came to Ayun to pick me up.

In the village of Kalash, a lot of laundry was hung out to dry to ensure people can wear new clothes during the sacred period. Before the purification ritual, one must take a bath and put on new clothes.

I made it just in time to be able to observe the Sharabirayak ritual in the Bumburet Valley. The word “Shara” means markhor and the word “Bira” means male goat. After the women bake walnut bread with cheese to be distributed the next day, the men knead dough, which they shape in the form of either markhor or male goats. These statues are then baked in a fireplace. This ritual is called Kutram.

Sharabira making takes place at night. When I visited, there was no electricity in the valley, and I was able to glimpse the beautiful sight of a woman baking walnut bread by the light of a stove fire.

Afterward, the purified man kneads purified dough and begins to sculpt animal shapes.

He proceeded to bake them on the stove.

The ritual of Kutram is performed in each household as well as in the temple of the goddess Jestak. The wheat collected from each family is used to make a Shara (markhor) at the Jestak Han temple. At night, the men gather to make Sharabira and spend the night painting on the walls and drinking until early in the morning. At around 4:00 a.m., they make a “tchich tchich” sound—intended to resemble the call made when chasing goats—urging the Sharabira to go to a place called “Dezelawat.” The people of Kalash believe that the souls of the Sharabira go to Dezelawat, which is located near the Afghan border.

A drawing of Sharabira on the wall of the Jestak Han temple. Three Shara (markhor) are placed by the altar.

The drawings on the walls of the temple are painted with charcoal made from burning walnut bark prepared by the women.

For those unfamiliar with the markhor, it is the national animal of Pakistan and is known to be extremely valuable for trophy hunting. In the 2024-25 winter hunting season, permission to hunt three Kashmir markhor was given, and each was auctioned off for between $231,000 and $271,000. It is said that 80% of the income from trophy hunting is returned to the local community, and in order to increase the number of trophies, conservation is carried out. Though this initiative has led to the number of markhor increasing, as someone who loves animals, I feel rather conflicted about this.

Kashimir markhor (Toshi Shasha game reserve)

The markhor is a highly sacred animal to the people of Kalash. They can be seen in Chitral Gol National Park and nearby game reserves. Males with large horns are usually found at higher elevations in the mountains, but during the winter breeding season they come down to lower elevations, making it possible to observe them. The variant in this region is a subspecies, and is known as the Kashmir markhor.

Text & Photo: Mariko SAWADA

Visit: Dec 2024, Kalash Valley, Toshi Shasha – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

＊The information presented here is based on interviews with people in the area. Please note that the descriptions and explanations of the rituals may differ depending on the source.

＊The Joshi Spring Festival: A Kalash Ritual

＊Contact us, Indus Caravan for more information or to make arrangements for visiting Kalash valley.

＊Please follow us on Youtube, Instagram & Facebook

Category : - Kalash Valley > ◆Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Tag : Kafiristan , PakistanBlog , Chawmos , Kalash , Kalasha Valleys , Chaumos , Kalash valley , Bomboret village , Chawmos festival , Kalasha , Bumburet Village , Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , Pakistan Travels , Pakistan Blog , Pakistan Travel company , Pakistan Travel Blog , Pakistan tour operator , Rumbur , Pakistan Photography Tour , Bumburet , Ayun , Indus Caravan , Bumburet valley , Chitral , Rumbur valley

11.06.2024 update

The Joshi Spring Festival: A Kalash Ritual

The Joshi Festival is held at the end of the long winter to celebrate the arrival of spring. Locals dress up in new clothes made during the winter and pray for the safety of livestock going out to pasture in the summer after the festival. The festival also serves as a place where young men and women can meet.

It has been a while since I last attended the Joshi festival. In the past few years, Pakistan’s frontier has been experiencing overtourism, with tourists from not only Europe and the United States but also Thailand, Malaysia, and other Southeast Asian countries now flocking to the area. In contrast, the Kalash Valley is dominated by Western tourists.

I was surprised to see the changes in the Chilam Joshi Festival via photos which recent Pakistani tourists upload on social media—for those who knew Kalash in the past, it may be an unfortunate sight to behold. I would like to share with you some of the rituals of the Joshi Festival that I experienced in the spring of 2024. The names, spellings, etc., were provided by the local people who guided me, and may differ from those found in official literature on the matter: I am merely presenting them as I saw and heard them in the field.

To the Kalash Valley

Although the suspension bridge across the Kunar River has been replaced by a concrete bridge, the traditional Ayun “villagescape” remains. Continuing on the road, there is a place where you can see the highest peak of Hindu Kush, Tirich Mir (7,708m), and if you keep going, you will drive along the river off-road with some overhanging cliffs. Then, starting from a suspension bridge, the road leads to the Bumburet valley on the left and the Rumbur valley on the right.

The Joshi festival of Kalash includes several rituals.

Picking Bisha Flowers (Pushen Parik)

Children go into the mountains to pick bisha flowers for temple decorations and, in the case of the Bumburet valley, for the Chirik Pipi ceremony. The bisha is a member of the bean family Piptanthus Nepalensis, and blooms earlier than other flowers. For the Kalash people, it is considered the flower that heralds the arrival of spring.

Girl heading home after picking bisha flowers

Temple Decorations (Pushi Behak)

Decorating a house or temple with bisha flowers is called pushi behak. In the Rumbur Valley, people were gathering flowers until evening, and at around 8:00 p.m., children gathered together until the start of the decorating ceremony. Around 9:00 p.m., someone banged a drum and the children all began to dance. After about 30 minutes of dancing, the children moved to their sleeping places. Early in the morning around 3:00 a.m., children carrying bisha flowers amd walnut branches started walking to the Temple of Jestak Han. At the entrance of the temple, last year’s flowers were removed and everyone decorated the temple with new flowers and walnut branches. After the outside was finished, they went inside to the altars of the four clans of the village, situated in the corner of the temple. One child went up as a representative, took down the old flowers, and decorated the altars with new ones. Then they went out to the square and danced for about half an hour.

Children heading to the Temple with bisha flowers and walnut branches

Women adorn the outer walls of the Temple of Jestak Han. Jestak is the goddess of family life, family, and marriage; the residence in which this goddess lives is called Jestak Han.

Inside the Temple of Jestak Han. When last year’s flowers are taken down, the altars of the village’s four clans are revealed

Altars covered with new bisha flowers and walnut branches

Baby Purification Ceremony (Gul Parik) in the Rumbur Valley

Gul Parik in the Rumbur Valley is performed on babies born during the period between festivals. For the Gul Parik ceremony performed during the Joshi festival, this includes babies born between the Chaumos festival in December and the Joshi festival in May. The mother and baby are considered “impure” before this ceremony, and Gul Parik purifies them both, while also acting as a prayer for the health of the baby.

The man who performs the ceremony purifies himself and the place where he bakes the ceremonial bread. He makes the sacred walnut bread from special flour that has been purified and prepared for this ceremony, using similarly purified tools. At least five pieces of bread are baked for the men and five for the women (each with a different flour), and about twenty pieces are baked, including those to be served.

Purified flour, walnuts and rock salt prepared for baking sacred bread for women and men

After the sacred walnut bread is baked, the mother and baby appear in the temple and the ceremony begins.

It was an amazing experience to be in such a divine space and to witness the unique “world” of Kalash prayer.

Milk Ceremony (Chirik Pipi)

The Chirik Pipi in the Bumburet valley in the morning, girls gather with milk containers and bisha flowers collected the day before. When the ceremony begins, all the children and ladies go to the sacred livestock shed. According to the villagers, this is sacred goat’s milk that has been stored since May 1^st. It is then given out to the women. Normally, the Chirik Pipi song (flower song) is sung here, but I did not get the chance to hear it. There are not one but several livestock sheds, and we visited two of them. Afterwards, we witnessed a beautiful scene of villagers dancing with the mountains in the background.

Kalash people gather to sing and dance before the ceremony

Children gathered with milk containers in hand

Distribution of milk from purified livestock. Chirik Pipi Ceremony

Women coming out of a livestock shed decorated with bisha flowers after receiving milk

Baby Purification Ceremony (Gul Parik) in Bumburet Valley

The Gul Parik in Bumburet is a different style of ceremony from that in Rumbur. All babies and mothers born since last year’s Joshi festival are purified, and prayers are made for the health of the babies. (There are actually several purification ceremonies—this is the final stage of the purification.)

A basket of walnuts and dried mulberries is delivered from the house where the baby is born to the village center. When signaled, the women of the village and the mothers and babies who are to undergo the ritual move to the area near the livestock shed. Then, a man from the village who has been assigned to perform the ritual throws milk at the gathered women and babies to purify them.

After the ceremony, the women gather again in the center of village, where baskets of walnuts and mulberries are distributed to everyone, including the tourists! Then, everyone returns to their homes to prepare for the “small Joshi (festival)” of Bumburet to be held on the same day.

Carry a basket of walnuts and dried mulberries. In some villages, it may be cheese

Mother and baby on their way to the purification ceremony

The man (chir histau) on the roof purifies the women and their babies with milk. This ritual is called Chirhistic

Walnuts and mulberries being distributed. The dog in the photo stayed with them throughout the ceremony. It seems that the people of Kalash and their dogs are very closely connected

Joshi Festival in the Rumbur Valley

After a series of ceremonies, the small Joshi festival (Satak Joshi) and the big Joshi festival (Gonna Joshi) are held. The festival is held in a covered venue and attracts a large number of tourists.

The small Joshi consists of repeated drumming, singing, and dancing, including Cha (a fast tempo song), Dushak (a slow tempo song), and the more complex Dalaija-i-lak, while the big Joshi includes a ceremonial performance at the end.

Kalash songs consist of drumming and singing, with limited melodic repetition. The lyrics are said to vary from ritualistic, to those touching on the mythology and history of Kalash, to those about love, and so on. The basic purpose of this music is to pray for a good harvest of milk and for the Kalash people to reaffirm their common identity.

At the end of the Joshi Festival, the special songs “Gandori” and “Daginai” are performed.

”Gandori” Both women and men hold walnut branches in their hands and wait for the moment to throw them

Daginai is a song that concludes the Joshi. It is a tragic love song, sung in a Cha melody. During the song, people dance in a chain connected by a string or cloth (originally woven from willow branches). It is said that if this chain breaks, it will bring misfortune, so everyone desperately grips the string. At the end, the sound of the drums suddenly stops, and all throw this cloth at once, ending the Joshi.

Lyrics of “Daginai.” (From article of “Kalash Symphony ‘Joshi’,” by Reiko Kojima, published by National Museum of Ethnology Japan in 1991)

Daginai, o’er the great valley
Some moons before the fest of Uchal, to the mountain pasture I took
O Daginai, O Daginai
With white-hilt blade, my bare stomach pierc’d
O Daginai

The background of this song is a tragic love story that is familiar to all Kalash people.

Once upon a time, a man fell in love with his wife’s sister.

Overwhelmed by jealousy, the wife killed her sister using snake poison, all while her husband was out on the pasture.

By the time he returned, the snake’s poison had already turned his lover yellow as a bisha flower; no life remained in her body.

In the throes of his sorrow, he sang the song “Daginai” and threw himself belly-first upon a blade, ending his life.

The man and his love were placed in separate coffins to rest, but when the next morning came, they were found together, sleeping peacefully beside each other.

Stunned by this, the village people separated them, returning them to their proper places. The next day, however, the couple’s bodies were found reunited in the same coffin once again.

So strong was their love, that not even death could part them.

The Joshi Festival is also significant because it acts as a meeting place for men and women. Traditionally, after the Joshi Festival, people go to their summer pastures, meaning the Uchaw Festival in late August (which is held after they return) is where the romance really happens. During the Uchaw Festival, the same stage as the Joshi is used, but this time only young men and women dance at night—in the hopes of finding a partner.

A gentleman who has been attending the Kalash Spring Festival for more than 25 years told me that although the Kalash costumes and the lifestyle of the young people have changed, the rituals are still the same as they were 25 years ago.

Photo & Text: Mariko SAWADA

Reference :”Kalash Symphony ‘Joshi’,” by Reiko Kojima, published by National Museum of Ethnology Japan in 1991)

*Contact us, Indus Caravan for more information or to make arrangements for visiting Kalash valley.

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22.02.2022 update

Visiting the Rumbur Valley, Home of the Kalash

Visiting the Rumbur Valley, where the Kalash live. It has been a long time since my last visit. I was thrilled to meet these beautiful young ladies.

The village scene at dusk. The valley’s steep slopes are used as a base for these lively dwellings.

Here is a Pashtun street merchant who was selling plates on the corner. The young lady is negotiating with the man, but instead of money, she placed some walnuts in the bowl she wanted to buy and handed it to him. They are bartering! The white bag behind him, to the left of the photo, is full of walnuts.

Going further into the village. The ditch full of trash caught my attention.

This lady was sewing on the terrace. She was using a sewing machine powered by her foot pedal. This is one of the beautiful sights of the Kalash Valley.

These young girls were playing a rock-kicking game. It is like an old Japanese children’s game! It really surprised me how similar it is.

The girls didn’t mind at all when the camera was pointed at them, and just continue to play their game. Some of the youngsters said proudly, “Foreigners take photos of us and publish them in books.” I really enjoyed spending time with these fairy-like girls, but the time came, and I needed to leave the valley.

This is the view of Tirich Mir (7,708m/25,288 feet), the highest peak in the Hindu Kush region. The view on the way through Ayun and Kalash Valleys, of this high peak, is one of the bonus scenes of this trip.

Photo & text : Mariko SAWADA

Visit : Nov 2021, Rumbur, Kalash Valley, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa

*Contact us, Indus Caravan for more information or to make arrangements for visiting Kalash valley.

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11.02.2022 update

Kalash Valley: November in the Bumburet Village

In early November, I visited the Bumburet Valley. If I had a chance to go a little earlier, I could have seen the Corn Harvest season, but instead I was there during the time of everyone preparing for the coming of winter.
In this time of the year, there are very few tourists and the village is pretty quiet.

We traveled through the town of Ayun to get to the Kalash Valley. This is the amazing view along the way. The towering Tirich Mir (7,708m/25,288 feet), the highest peak in the Hindu Kush, appears over the hills of Ayun. The massive form shines in the morning sunlight.

After crossing this suspension bridge, we come to the junction of the Bumburet and Rambur Valleys. We head west here and continue on to Bumburet.

The Kalash homes started to come into view. The wooden houses are built into the slopes, making efficient use of the terrace and roofs.

These young girls who were playing with a baby goat caught my attention. She has such a charming, fairy-like beauty.

I went up these stairs, made from a hollowed-out tree, to the shaman lady’s house.

This is the terrace of the shaman’s house. According to her, she has the power to foresee the future and find things people had lost, so the people asked her to become a shaman.

Inside the shaman’s house. With the light only coming in from the doorway, the traditional lifestyle of the Kalash people is simple.

These wooden statues stood in the village funeral parlour.

The handmade wine made by the Kalash people, I found it so good.

This woman is threshing crops on her roof. This is a scene that is unique to the harvest season.

It filled me with so much happiness to revisit a school teacher home in Anish village, I found daughter has now become a mother! I used to visit them often, so this is the best memory.

The last time I could visit Bumburet Village was 2 years ago. The Muslim population is increasing and the number of Kalash girls wearing hijabs was higher than before. The color of the handmade embroidery on the traditional folk clothing was quite popular and flashy.

Over the past 30 years, as a tour guide for Saiyu Travel, I have seen the decline of the traditional ethnic lifestyles and clothing in various parts of the world. For the people, the more things become more modernized, their life also becomes easier, so it means these traditional ways are lost voluntarily. But still, it makes me sad to see the sudden shift away from ancient traditions and beliefs. I send strong prayers that these precious ethnic minorities like the Kalash can hold on their culture and rich traditions as part of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Photos & text: Mariko SAWADA
Visit: Nov 2021, Bumburet, Kalash Valley, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa

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30.12.2021 update

Kalash Valley’s Bumburet and Rumbur

This is a video that highlights the scenery of the Kalash Valley when we visited in October. In the past when we visited Bumburet village, it was during the tourist season and quite crowded with domestic tourists.

However, by the middle of October, there were very few visitors at this time of year and the village was quiet.

KALASH VALLEY Bumburet & Rumbur｜カラーシャの谷（ボンボレット＆ランブール）

Image : Mariko SAWADA

Visit : Oct 2021, Bomboret & Rambur, Kalash valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Category : = Video Clip KPK > ◆ Video Breathtaking Views of Pakistan > - Kalash Valley > ◆Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
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28.08.2019 update

Religion of Kalash Valley

The Kalash’s religion is considered to be closer to Vedic and Pre-Zoroastrian cultures, even though it has a valuable existence that retains the old form of the Indo-Aryan religion. There is a God of Creator “Dezau” and many gods. There are gods closely related to life and nature, such as “Balumain”, “Sajigor” and “Mahan Deva” which appear at the Chaumos Festival and the goddess “Jestak” who protects the house. The place of prayer is called Dewa, and in each village has small altar at temple of Jestak han and the outskirts of the village.

Temple of Jestak han

Jestak is a goddess who controls the family, housework, marriage and each clan has a temple, not every village.There is a sheep motif at the entrance, Laternendeke ceiling which is typical in Pamir architecture decorations. There is a wood carving on the back of the temple that shows “Balumain” and there is mural painting from the Chaumos Festival.

There are two clans living in Karakal village in Bomboret Valley, and Jastak han has two entrances for each clan in one building.
The picture is Jastak han of Anish village. Designs and decorations inspired by goats and sheep. Laternendeke ceilings of typical architectural styles specific to mountains of Pakistan, Tajikistan and the Wakhan Corridor area.

The Gandao – Wooden statue

A wooden image created to admire the memories of dead person, contributions, and achievements. The production and rituals of this Gandao are very expensive and require a lot of goats, cheese and ghee. Thus, it can only be created by the rich men who are influential. In Bomboret Valley, two sons made two Gandao for their father and uncle, who died more than 10 years ago in Brun village in 2008. (It can still be seen in the Brun village cemetery).
The Gandao is at the center of the ceremonial place. People dance around it and after the ritual is completed, the Gandao is transported to the graveyard.

Cemetery Mandawjaw

The original burial of Kalash was to only put body in a wooden coffin and place in a cemetery. But about 50 years ago, they started practicing burial like Muslims. At present, things that seem to be whitening are old things about 50 years ago. In the past, it was said that if not covering the coffin, it was easy for the soul to free and naturally weatherable.

“Pure” and “Impure” concept

The Kalasha has the strong concept for “Pure” and “Impure” in their life. Therefore, there are many rituals to purify the things that they believe are impure.
The representative one is Bashari. It is a hut where women during menstruation gather and live together. Delivery is also carried out here, and after the delivery it is possible to return to the house where the husband is eagerly waiting after the purification ceremony. There is one in each village, and women in Bashari who are under menstruation should not touch others. For example, to pass the things to other person, She can throw it but cannot hand it over.

In short, it’s not easy to understand just by talking. You must visit here and see it for yourself !

Photo & Text : Mariko SAWADA
※ The photo was taken during the visit between 2006 and 2014.

Category : - Kalash Valley > ◆Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Tag : Pakistan Travel Blog , Pakistan Photography Tour , Rumbur , Rambur valley , Travel Pakistan Blog , Bumburet , Traveling Pakistan , Rambur village , Birir , Bomboret , Indus Caravan , Kalash people , Kalash valley , Saiyu Travel Pakistan , Kalasha , Bumburet Village , Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , Pakistan Travel company , Pakistan Blog , Pakistan tour operator

22.08.2019 update

The Unexplored Kalasha Valley “Where did the Kalash people come from?”

Pakistan is a very diverse nation. The Kalasha people are the unique existence among the various ethnic groups in Pakistan. They are part of the Pakistan-Islamic Republic but even though they live in Pakistan, they are not of Muslim faith and worship independent gods in a polytheist faith.

They were encouraged to convert to Islam in the 1970’s but there were many protections put in place by the government to protect the Kalash people so in the past 20 years the number of Kalash have actually increased. The identity of the Kalash people is quite strong now and very few are converting to Islam. There has been an increase in the number of children, as many as 7-8 per family, so despite older guidebooks saying there are only 3,000 Kalasha. It is possible that in recent years, that number has risen to 4,000 within the 3 valleys (Bumburet, Rumbur and Birir) according to the locals I spoke with.

Where did the Kalash people come from?

There are three theories on this. One is that their fair skin and lighter colored eyes come from the descendants of Alexander the Great’s army dating back to the 4th Century BC. There was no real evidence that King Alexander passed thru here. However, there have been many tourists from Greece and NGO’s that operate in the area.

According to the Kalash people’s own legends and folk songs, the ancestors called “Tsiyam” are from the south, perhaps South Asia then moved to Afghanistan. The other myth is that their ancestors emigrated from Afghanistan around 2nd Century BC to a region in central Chitral and by the 10th Century had a very established presence through the region until the 14th Century when the kingdom flourished. Gradually the conversion to Islam progressed all around the area leaving the three remaining pockets in Kalash Valley.

The Kalash people live in three village of Bumburet, Rumbur and Birir located along the border area with Afghanistan, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Based on their language, there are hints of Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Pashto-based Kalasha which can all be found in their language. In the past, on the Afghan side of the boarder, there existed a “Kafiristan” where the same people lived, but in 1896, the conversion to Islam was mandated and it instead became “Nuristan” (the country of light or a country of the light of Islam). Due to this, the Pakistani side of Kalash people remained as a small minority.

The origins of the people remain shrouded in mystery, with their blue eyes and their beautifully decorative tribal clothing.
You are also sure to be captivated.

Photo & Text : Mariko SAWADA

Note: This blog was originally published in Feb 2011 on Saiyu Travel’s Blogsite “Salam Pakistan” but updated for this post. The photos were taken from 2006-2014 travel photos taken during my visits there.