CHITRAL: Tour operators, tour guides and hoteliers have urged the government to facilitate tourists coming for the religious festival of Uchal in Kalash Valley instead of harassing them at the checkpoints in Chitral.
The Uchal festival of Kalash tribes concluded in Bumburate with the participants indulging in merry-making by dancing and singing.
Talking to the media, they said several incidents of harassing foreign and domestic tourists had happened, which had sent a negative message to the world about the country and damaging tourism in the region.
An official with an international organization had confirmed that he along with foreign tourists were stopped at a checkpoint for hours and not allowed to visit Chitral. He said that he reached late to attend a meeting due to unnecessary security checking at various checkposts.
The tour operators, tour guides and hoteliers said that many tourists had legal documents and visas but they returned due to hurdles being created in the way of visitors on the name of security check, which was damaging to Pakistan’s image.
The tourism stakeholders appealed to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Authority to take up the issue with the security establishment to facilitate tourists visiting Chitral and elsewhere in the province.
Meanwhile, the festival is in full-swing in Bumburet where milk products and fruits are distributed.
This festival of the Kalash community is observed to mark the return of shepherds from the high altitude pastures to their villages.
Special thanksgiving rituals are also arranged and people assemble at a dancing place called Natikayen, where boys and girls sing and dance together.
The Uchaw is a religious festival celebrated in all three valleys of the Kalash tribe.
The festival is essentially a thanksgiving ceremony in which people express gratitude to Nature for providing fruits, milk and grains.
The festival is one of the religious and cultural festivals celebrated by Kalash community like many other festivals around the year. Unesco listed Kalash culture as “Intangible Cultural Heritage” in November 2018.
The Kalash people celebrate Uchal also called Uchaw festival as harvesting and bringing the cheese down from the higher pastures by the shepherds.
The cheese, which is brought down from the pastures, will be taken to the altars and offered as thanksgiving for good livestock and harvest of crops and fruits. It takes place at day time in Rambur valley and night time at Bamburet valley, which lasts until morning.