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Khowar calendar – some suggestions

All reservations, reflections and suggestions aside, let us salute the organization – MIER (Mother-tongue Institute for Education and Research) – and its members for undertaking and fulfilling a much needed task of publishing the first Khowar calendar. Thumbs up! We all Chitralis owe you many thanks. Since the publication of the calendar many reservations and reflections have been raised from various quarters. Some people object that a few typical Khowar names of months have been neglected and unfamiliar names included instead. Even my friend Jalal uddin Shamil, in his observations on this very page, pointed out certain shortcomings of the calendar followed by worthy suggestions. I agree with most of whatever he has said. But as for the reservation about neglecting certain familiar names, especially those which either reflect natural phenomena occurring in those months or reaction to natural phenomena, it needs a bit of reasonable thinking and discussion. I believe we should have no two opinions regarding the fact that Chitral is an area of heterogeneous climatic conditions with more than 1200 scattered villages in an area of as large as 14,850 sq km. If it is spring at the southern belt, it is still snowy winter in the northern parts at the same time. And not unusually both the regions may have different names for the same month. If we standardize a name for a month keeping in view the natural phenomenon occurring at one region only and exclude the names used in other regions for the same month, it would be a great injustice. For example the equivalent of April is ‘Zhoorh Ispru’ in some upper villages of Chitral. If we think more reasonably April is too late to be called Zhoorh Ispru in Drosh or such other villages of comparatively lower elevation, because tree blooming is almost over in these areas by this month. Let us take another. June is called ‘Siri Leti’ in most of the villages of upper Chitral. But in lower Chitral it is not siri leti in this month. Even threshing is almost over; needless to say it is peak harvest time of wheat crop. Same is the case with other months like Cha’n Chori and Khol Kremi. We don’t have to unwisely standardize a name used in one village at the cost of another. We should reach a consensus through seminars or conventions involving all the stakeholders, and determine (agree upon or coin) names which reflect unanimity and uniformity.]]>

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2 Comments
  1. Munir Hussyn Hamza says

    Phating, Gorghor, Shadagh (March), Ronzuk, Muzh Mas, Yorwan, Khisman Mas, Chanchori,…I know these but am doubtful whether everyone knows them. However, it is very important to conserve these olden names.

  2. Zahoor ul Haq Danish says

    Your worthy suggestions needed before the final draft of the calendar!!

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