Chilam Josh Festival: A Voyage Of Centuries Old Tradition Attracts Tourists In Droves

The Kalash valley’s Chilam Josh festival-a voyage of centuries-old tradition to welcome the arrival of spring season amid blossom of flowers and melting of snow, has started attracted tourists in droves enjoying its cultural programs and musical shows on beats drums warmly applauded

CHITRAL, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th May, 2024) The Kalash valley’s Chilam Josh festival-a voyage of centuries-old tradition to welcome the arrival of spring season amid blossom of flowers and melting of snow, has started attracted tourists in droves enjoying its cultural programs and musical shows on beats drums warmly applauded.

Kalash valley, which is known for annual Chilam josh festival being celebrated from May 13-16 every year, is more than just a tourists’ destination but a voyage of ancient tradition believed to be started during an era of Alexander the Great and continued till date in Chitral.

Besides its ancient cultural rituals and customs, Kalash’s vibrant live festivals, musical programs and colorful traditions strengthen bonds of warmth and friendship besides allowing tourists to explore its nearby snow-clad mountain peaks, especially of Trich Mir and Rakaposhi where they spend some hours amid complete clam and serenity.

Began at Rumbur valley surrounded by lush green mountains of Bumbret, Kalash and Birir valley, the Chilam Josh leave an inerasable imprint on minds of thousands of visitors besides compel many to come again.

The unique dresses, cultural dances, ancient rituals and colorful traditions in Kalasha festival are one of the major attractions for tourists to see Kalasha girls and boys dances on tune of traditional drum beats. The girls dressed in traditional clothes of vibrant colours, adorned with gold and silver jewelry and elaborate headgear, while men in traditional Shalwar Kameez with a woolen waistcoat impressed tourists. Kalash women and men cultural dance and sing in a circle to the rhythmical chant of drum beats. The Kalashi people also pray for the safety of loved ones, fields and animals besides distributes milk during the festival.

“Along with my family, I came from Nowshera to see the historic festival at my favorite Kalash valley in Chitral,’ said architect Imran Ali while talking to APP.

He said Kalash culture and Chitralis hospitality impressed me the most during my stay here. “My visit to Chitral remained incomplete without seeing the live Chilam Josh cultural festival in Kalash valley amid traditional dances and cultural programs,” said Engr Imran Ali.

He said Kalash culture was the identity of Chitral and KP Govt patronage for development of its road infrastructure and establishment of camping pods would help bolster culture tourism here besides bolstering rural economy.

He underscored the need for highlighting Kalasha culture through digital and social media so that more tourists especially from foreign countries could come here that would greatly benefit people of Chitral economically.

By promoting infrastructure at Kalash valley and Kalasha museum, he said tourists' load on Kalam, Kumrat, Malam Jabba, Galayat and Murree would be reduced and people of Chitral especially of Kalash and Bumbrarat would be largely benefited.

Bakhtzada Khan, senior research officer, Museums and Archeology Department KP told APP that history of Kalasha tribe was very primitive and carried significance in Asian history. “The people of Wadi e Kalash had been considered an ancient people of Asia whose elders migrated to Chitral and settled here at Hindu Kush mountains range believed during the era of Alexander the Great,” he said.

He said there are many myths about the origin of Kalash people and mostly it was believed that they are the descendants of Alexander the Great’s army.

“Another tale is about their ancestors migrating to Chitral from the land of Tsiyam – the original home place of the Kalash people, which they keep referring to in their folk songs.”

To preserve the ancient art and culture of Kalasha tribe, he said work on Kalasha Dur Museum in Chitral was started in 2001 and completed in 2005. “There are about 1300 to 1500 objects exhibited in the museum which are of Ethnological interest from the Kalasha tradition and from the traditions of the wider Hindu Kush.”

In ground floor of the museum, he said ethnological collection of Kalasha culture besides primitive dresses, weapons and agriculture tools of Kalash women and men were kept preserved while a school of Kalasha culture with a library of books written on the valley’s significance and local artist work housed in second floor.

In addition to traditional weapons made of stones, metals and woods, the Museum has a great collection of other artifacts used by the Kalasha people for hunting and self-defense purposes.

Kalasha museum also houses a vast collection of agricultural tools, which reminds the visitors about its glorious culture, history, and innovation changes in tool-making techniques.

A tourist could not remain unimpressed after seeing the indigenous dresses of Kalasha tribe at the museum. Various musical instruments used over centuries are also put on display in the Museum besides tabla, sarangi, sahnai, tambura etc. Besides the rare photographs, he said the museum has film rolls, journals, books, sculptures, maps, documents, and materials related to Kalasha Dur Chitral.

He said the Kalasha tribe’s primitive dresses of both men and women are very special because it is not just traditional dresses but also an expression of cultural identity of the Kalasha tribe.

Besides other small events, he said three major festivals were organized by people of Kalash every year who enjoy dancing on traditional musical beats in these yearly events that were attracting tourists from across the country.