Kalash spring festival ends amid rush of tourists

CHITRAL, May 17: The spring festival Chilim Jusht in the valleys of Bumburate, Rumbur and Birir valleys concluded on Friday.  The major events of the final day of the week-long festival were a procession taken to the central dancing place and the grand music show in which young boys and girls sang and danced in congregation which lasted for hours. The participation of the Kalash in the procession and group dance is obligatory according to the religious dogmas of Kalash, said a Kalash bitan (religious leader) Mushti Khan, adding it formed part of the Kalash dogma. The Kalash men, women and children carry fresh twigs of walnut in their hands while going to the central jastakhan (dancing place) to celebrate the festival. This time thousands of tourists thronged the valleys on the occasion of the festival unlike the past a few years adding colors to the festival. Mohammad Amir, a tourism officer of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC), said hotels in the valleys were packed to their capacities. He said that all the rooms of the PTDC motel in Bumburate valley were booked by tourists which used to remain almost empty while most of them were foreigner Another important feature of this festival is the formal announcement of the boys and girls who will enter the matrimonial relations during the year and five such engagements were known to be made in Bumburate valley this year who will formally knot the tie on the occasion of winter festival, chitramas, in the month of December. Special arrangements of security had been made by the law enforcement agencies to avert any act of terrorism as all the valleys are bordered by the Nooristan area of Afghanistan which is known to be stronghold of Taliban.–Zahiruddin (photos by Jahan Zeb Khan)]]>