The ‘king’ of Kalash community!

BUMBURATE: There are numerous festivals and traditions which the tiny Kalash community of Chitral continues to celebrate round the year.

The ‘king’ and his minister

Many of the festivities running into days and sometimes weeks are related to the changing weathers and keep the members of the community not only engaged to their environment but also bring them the much-needed entertainment.

Picking a king

One of the most interesting traditions in the Kalash valleys is naming a king or Mehtar by the locals for a day or a week. This tradition has been kept alive by the vibrant community for ages.
Recently, a traditional annual snow hockey match was played between two teams of married and unmarried young men in a village of Bumburate.

The team of unmarried young people, both male and female, outclassed the married couples by three to one goals and received accolades from the spectators, including a large number of tourists.

The festivities gained further impetus when the area people selected Khosh Wali as their king. They raised the king on their shoulders and danced on the tunes of drumbeats.

Men presented new traditional dress to the kind while women showered dry fruits, especially walnuts, on him.

The new king then arranged special dinner for his ‘subjects’ and guests and a special dish made of homemade ghee was arranged by him which the locals said cost over Rs200,000.
The festival ended with a musical night at the house of the king where people danced and enjoyed the traditional music the whole night.

Before the end of the programme, the king also announced to make a youth of the area as his minister.–Muhkam Uddin Ayuni