OVER THOUSAND YEARS AGO

Where life stream of people has been cascadingdown through centuries

IN THE LAP OF…

HINDUKASH MOUNTAINS

RIVER FLOWING THROUGH LUSH GREEN PASTURES

WELCOME TO

VALLEY OF KALASH PEOPLE

DISTANT VIEW OF HOUSESIN VALLEY

ONE OF THE MOSTEXOTIC SCENERIES

PRESENTING:

KALASH CIVILIZATION

DEEP EYES

BRIGHT SMILES

EXPRESSIVE LIVES

FOREIGN BEAUTY

North of

KAFIRS OF KALASH

KAFIRS OF KALASH IN THREE VALLEYS ARE DESERVING TO BECONSERVED

RUMBUR VALLEY OF KALASH

THERE ARE ABOUT 3000 INHABITANTSIN KALASH TODAY WITH INCREASINGLYLOW CHILD MORTALITY RATE…

THESE ARE THE HOUSES IN A VILLAGE. THIS ARCHITECTURE SHOWS THEY CAN MAKE WAYS FROM ABOVE THE ROOF FOR

WALKING ACROSS

BRIEF HISTORYDESCENDANTS OF ALEXANDER’S ARMY

AS OLD AS 2000 B.C.

MULTI-ETHNIC AND MULTI-RELIGIOUS

FORCED TO CONVERT TO ISLAM BY AMIR ABDUR REHMAN

THUS ONE OF THE VALLEYS IS MUSLIM

BRIEF HISTORY

- ALEXANDER

• PREHISTORIC TRIBE

• RULED BY MEHTAR OF SINCE 1700

• CORDIAL RELATIONSHIP WITHKHO

•EAST NEIGHBORS INVADED IN1890s

•1970 ZULFIKAR ALI BHUTTOMADE MOVES TO CONSERVE IT

HISTORICAL PICTURE-

BRIR VALLLEY INKAFIRISTAN

(1958)

• Over Past Few Centuries Kafiristan ShrunkInto Two Distinct Zones:

BLACK KAFIRS RED KAFIRS

BLACK KAFIRS:Present day kalash

RED KAFIRS:Nuristani in afghan

CUSTOMS AND CULTURES• LANGUAGE

• MATERNITY HOMES

• TRADITIONS

• FOOD

• FESTIVALS

• RELIGION

• EDUCATION

• TOURISM

LANGUAGE

• THERE ARE ESTIMATED 6000 SPEAKERS OF KALASH.

• THEY SPEAK FUSION OF DARDIAC AND SANSKRIT.

• THEY SPEAK FLUENT INDO-ARYAN

• ENDANGERED BY UNESCO

SIGN BOARD SAYING PARADISE CHITRAL

BESHALENI OR BASHALI:

VILLAGES MENSTURAL BUILDING MENSTURATING GIRLS AND WOMEN ARE SENT TO BASHALI THEY LIVE THERE DURING PERIODS STAY THERE UNTIL REGAIN PURITY WHO TOUCHES A WOMEN OR HER CLOTHES MUST WASH

THEM AFTER SEVEN DAYS OF IMPURITY A PURITY RITUAL IS

PERFORMED

ALSO CALLED A MATERNITY HOME CHILDBIRTHS OCCUR IN BASHALI STAY THERE UNTIL RESTORE PURITY NOT ALLOWED WITH HUSBAND BEFORE THAT

MARRIAGES

There are no restrictions for love or arranged marriages

When bring bride at home man offers sacrifice called “s’is’a istongas.”

Blood of animal is sprinkled on jes’t’ak

If a woman asked for a girl for her son she would put a necklace around the girls neck and the agreement Is made between the women.

WE CAN SAY THAT EVEN AT PRESENTTIMES IN A

Country LIKEPAKISTAN KALASHA ARE THE

HAPPIESTPEOPLE

WAY OF GREETING

DEATH RITUALS

• These are one of the interesting traditions.

• All of the relatives and non-relatives are invited on the funeral.

• Dead body is not buried and funeral is set on for 3 days or so.

• Till than all the feeding expense is taken by dead’s family.

• All the things in use of dead are buried with dead.

A song called is sung that tells how deadfirst came and all the great things done by them

Originally dead were placed in open wooden boxes were often animals ate the dead bodies and things with dead

were stolen. This is years old abandoned boxes in graveyard.Later on they started putting dead in coffins and bury them.

DRESSES

• Kalash women usually wear long black robes, often embroidered with cowries’ shells.

• Heavily dressed with jewellery made out of stones, beads, feathers and shells is common.

• Men have adopted the Pakistani shalwarkameez.

• Children wear small versions of adult clothing after the age of four.

FESTIVALS

UTCHAL:

– Utchal happens to be a two day celebrations that marks the harvest season of the wheat and barley. On this event, a lot of dancing and singing is witnessed. This feast is called “kil’a’a saras.”

JOSHI FESTIVAL•Joshi gets celebrated on the 14th and 15th May and it marks the beginning of spring. •During this festival flowers are plucked •dance sessions are held and exchange of dairy products takes place. •First flower of the year plucked is a yellow species widely popular asbechu

MARACHIWAKI JOSHI:25 May Held ten days after the Joshi.After dividing and eating newly made cheese.

RAT NAT:It is celebrated in July - August. Dancing and singing at night continue for one month.

UCHAO:It is celebrated in mid of August.Newly made cheese is brought from the pastures. Ceremony is held at the altar of Mahandeo. Dancing and singing take place until dawn.

PHOOL:Phool comes up in September or October andMarks the reaping season of the grapes and walnut. Wedding in this valley too are celebrated with dancing and songs.

PRECHEIESHI:It is celebrated in November. Goats are sacrificed to Mahandeo by each clan in thanks forthe harvest and health.

BIRAMOR:It is celebrated in November.Very rare festival held only in November in which a manwishing to gain honours in the society slaughters many of hisown goats and entertains a large majority of the Kalasha.It takes place once in several years.

CHOWMAS

• Chowmas is the festival that is celebrated between 18th to 21st December

• It marks the New Year happiness and the first season of snow fall.

• This festival lasts for a week.

• Sacrifices, feasts and celebration takes place with light torches and dance performances.

RELIGION:

• They believe in dieties such as mahadeo, khodai, jeshtak (represents family, pregnant mothers, marriages)

• Based on proto-indo-european relegion.

• Nature plays significant role.

• Closer to indo-iranian(vedic and zoroastian) traditions.

TOURISM:

• Tourism now makes up a large portion of the economic activities of the Kalash.

• Before departing to the valleys, one must first register one's name at the town of Chitral.

• People attempting to enter the valleys have to pay a toll to the Pakistani government, which they claim will be used to preserve and care for the Kalash people and their culture.

EDUCATION:

• Education is very important part of kalash culture.

• most of people especially children are educated here.

• Many foreigners and local NGOs go to the valley for education camps also.

• Young girls greet outsiders in English.

• 8th in rumbur & brir

• 9th &10th in bumburet

LAKSHAN BIBI IS THE FIRST WOMEN KALASH PILOT AND IS NOW LIVING IN RAMBUR.IN HER INTERVIEW SHE SAID:"I chose to be here to remain close to my people and try to be of help

to them. I am here to prove that education provides strength and should not be confused with something that causes change of identity

and entails discarding and disowning tradition and culture.“

KALASHA WOMEN PERFORMS AT FUNCTION OF PAKISTAN FOREIGN OFFICE WOMEN ASSOCIATION

CONCLUSION:

• Kafirs of kalash are said to be descendents of Alexandar’s army.

• We can see colours of nature fallen on earth in kalash valley.

• With their unique language and customs it has its own significance and deserves to be conserved before it gets extinct.