May 2024 | Kalash Festival Chilim-Joshi
Last year, my friend and I visited Chilimjusht in Kalash. The trip was fun-filled and informative at the same time. Since this was a last-minute plan, we faced a few difficulties. Not being able to find flights to Chitral was one of them. We searched through various websites but nothing worked. When we almost lost all our hope we came across tripplannepk.com. Thanks to their expertise we found a flight within a few hours. I strongly recommend that any of you who are planning a trip to this specific event or any other event held in your country or overseas visit this website. Now let me tell you about my experience at the spring festival of Kalash.
History:
Chilam Joshi Festival is a festival celebrated by the Kalash people living in the Chitral District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It marks the commencement of spring within the Kalasha community and is celebrated from the 13th to the 16th of May each year.
Kalash, or the Kalasha, is the lone pagan minority dwelling in the Chitral district in the province of Khyber. The Kalashas live in three valleys of Chitral, known as Rumbur, Brumbret, and Birir. The majority of Rumbur and Brumbret form the same culture as they share almost the same cultural practices although birir is the most traditional one, he forms a separate culture. The number of kalash has reduced and only 4000 people are living in these valleys. Polytheistic are the Kalashas.
Kalash people are practicing an old form of hindusium. A well-known linguist, Richard Strand, is of the opinion that the people of Kalash practice an ancient form of Hinduism developed locally and substantially influenced by the neighboring areas of pre-Islamic Nuristan.
Joshi Festival Activities:
We don’t have much knowledge about the event before traveling, but after the event, we have enough knowledge to guide anyone about it. Actually, the Joshi festival marks the arrival of spring. The event is a four-day celebration in the middle of May; it is of spiritual and social value. The world is prayed at Goshidai’s altar for their livestock’s health; people are asked at the same altar to find a husband. When it is concluded, successful partners announce their acquaintance. Critical elements of the event include singing and dancing; women put on new dresses. The end consists of performing a dance that people from all three Kalasha Valleys can see.
Nevertheless, in the end, the Bumburet Valley is the most visited. As it was mentioned earlier, the festival changes as it integrates into the life of the community and modernity. According to anthropological data, changes continue to the present, which is confirmed by everyday life.
Experience :
Honestly, the trip to Kalash was very educational and cultural. The place, the view, and the people; everything looked very beautiful. Most of the people there speak Khowar, which is their national language. We tried to learn more about the people, we were able to learn. More about how the traditional dress shone at night. The best thing about them is that they are so welcoming to guests that I want to go back there. I strongly recommend that you use tripplannerpk.com for all your trip planning, whether it’s booking a hotel or a domestic or international flight. They ensure a safe and best vacation.
