Three-day Kumrat Festival From June 22

A three-day Kumrat Summer Sports and Cultural festival with a colourful ceremony and spectacular fireworks would be held from June 22-24.

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Jun, 2018 ) :A three-day Kumrat Summer sports and Cultural festival with a colourful ceremony and spectacular fireworks would be held from June 22-24.

This was stated by District Sports and Youth Affairs Sahidzada Mukhtiar Hussain while talking to APP here on Sunday.

He said as desired by Deputy Commissioner Irfan Ullah Mehsud, District nazim Sahibzada Faseehullah, Kalkot Tehsil Nazim Malak Tajbar Khan it was decided to hold the event in befitting manners.

Matches of various games, including cricket, volleyball, tag-of-war, kabaddi, horse race and a popular traditional game 'Sakhay' will be organized alongside different cultural events. He said last year the event attracted good number of local and foreign tourists with more took interest in local game "Sakhay", which will played with one foot as the other is tied with a hand in the air. Only strong people can play it.

"The game of Sakhay is really good to watch as other games are common all over Pakistan," Sahibzada Mukhtiar Hussain added.

He said it was a good initiative of the district government to organize such an event, adding tourists would enjoy the festival and the beauty, serene encirons of the Kumrat valley, having natural forests crisscrossed by a river and green meadows.

He said, Kumrat valley was the most beautiful place to visit. He said that people could visit the tourist attraction without any fear.

District Nazim Faseehullah also extended full support so to attract the tourists besides involve the youth in healthy activities.

When contacted Deputy Commissioner Dir Upper Irfan Ullah Mehsud and Nasim Sahibzada Faseehullah said the aim of the event was to promote Kumrat valley as a tourist spot. They said the festival offering variety entertainment events by the district government and district administration at the picturesque Kumrat Valley to promote tourism.

They said all appropriate measures have been taken to facilitate the visiting players, local and foreign tourists.

The event consisted of cricket, volleyball, kabaddi, tug of war, karate and Sakhey, gaming events for children, including Chindro, a traditional game of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and played by small girls. A music and stand-up comedy show will be part of the festival, however, horse race will attract most crowd tha it had last year.

About the accommodations, he said, at Kumrat Valley, a tent village will also be set up by the TCKP. He said although Kumrat can arguably be termed as one of the most scenic valleys of KP and will undoubtedly ranked among the top tourist spots of the country, it has yet more work to be done as far as construction of basic infrastructure.

The valley is accessible vie under construction road and it will take 3 hours to reach as earlier there was a six hours because of the lack of roads. The more or less 80 kilometer road from Upper Dir to Kumrat is in drive able conditions. Though there are countless tourist spots in the valley, Jahaz Banda and Kundal Lake are a must see places. Both locations can be reached on foot or horseback and are at about the same distance in different direction from Kumrat village, he added.

He said the under construction road will have made some progress as it is finally getting attention of the government. "Now the place took attention of the govt and tourism department, we hope to make Kumrat the most visited tourist attraction in Pakistan in the next few years," he said.

Dubbed as "Kumrat Festival", the low budget gala will be at lush green plains and thick forest of tall Deodar (pine) trees beside themelodious Thal Stream lured only to attract people to the heavenly KumratValley.