The Kalash (Nuristani: Kasivo) or Kalasha, are indigenous people of the Hindu Kush mountain range, residing in the Chitral district of the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. They speak the Kalash language, from the Dardic family of the Indo-Iranian languages, and are considered a unique tribe among the Indo-Aryan stock. They are primitive Pagan tribe whose origin is uncertain, it is said that when Alexander the Great passed through this region in 327 B.C. some of the soldiers from his army settled here and are the progenitors of the Kalash.
Culture
The culture of Kalash people is unique and differs drastically from the various ethnic groups surrounding them. They are polytheists and nature
plays a highly significant and spiritual role in their daily life. As part of their religious tradition, sacrifices are offered and festivals held to give thanks for the abundant resources of their three valleys. Kalash mythology and folklore has been compared to that of ancient Greece,but they are much closer to Indo-Iranian (Vedic and pre-Zoroastrian) traditions
Origins/Language:
Kalash people proclaim with pride that they are the direct descendants of Greek settlers, Alexander the Great's army, or even Alexander himself, who passed through here in 327 B.C. Scholars have found many similarities in culture, religion and appearance between Kalash people and the ancient Greeks. Unlike most of the population of Pakistan, the people here have blonde hair and blue eyes. They are probably the only people who worship the 12 gods of the ancient Greeks. Furthermore, Kalasha, or Khowar, is the language spoken in the tribe classified as the Indo-European Dardic group similar to the language of ancient Greeks.
Religion:
Kalash tradition, architecture, festivals, literature and wooden images represent an ample amount of information about their religion and the convention of their social life. They follow their old unique ancestral belief system extremely in contrast with most of the ethnic groups bordering them. The Kalash people use the word Khowar for gods in the local language. They worship their religious gods to ask for the blessings and protection for their family, marriages, foods and rains. It can thus be inferred that they are similar to the kind of the Proto-Indo-European religion of Ancient Greece believing in twelve Olympian gods. Because of this many religious festivals are celebrated during the year by these people to thank these gods for providing them such an abundance of natural resources in the three valleys.
Joshi /Chilimjusht The spring festival is celebrated in the mid- May and lasts for four days. It begins at Rumbur and then proceeds to the other two valleys of Bumboret and Birir. The people of Kalash pray for the safeguards of their domestic animals and shepherds before they go to the fields. For this purpose, they spray milk on their gods, considering it as a good omen for their families. Uchal The Uchal festival is celebrated in between mid-July and August in order to mark and safeguard the Harvest of wheat and barley. This festival starts from both Bumburet and Rambur, as these two valleys are the main source of providing these crops. Phoo This festival is held at the end of September to celebrate the blessings of gods by offering walnuts and grapes that are particularly found in Birrir. Wine is the most popular drink among the locals. People usually collect the grapes throughout the valley. Also, during this season, the shepherd returns from the high pastures making it a joyful occasion for the families.
Chomos festival This is held around mid-December in winter to celebrate the upcoming New Year. The older members of the valleys sit on the top of the hills to witness the dawn and the initial lights of sun striking their valleys. Until they declare the advent of New Year, all the peoples remain in their homes. The New Year celebration starts with the sacrificing of the goats and other animals for goddess Jastak. They then sprinkle the blood of animals to the goddess Jastak in order to ask for the mercy of their sins and for the purity of hearts in the coming year.
Each Festival has its own significance among the Kalash people. Before the festival, young women prepare special dresses. The worth of nature and the boons which they get through out the years from their gods make every festival a colorful ceremony. The Kalash valleys have extensive forests of Holly-oak, Himalayan cedar, walnut, apricot, pear and mulberry trees, which abound near the villages.
Daily Life:
The Kalash people are usually friendly, generous and witty. They love music and dance on the beats of drums, particularly in their own cultural style during the festivals, which remind them of the historical background they possess. The women dance in a circle while singing different kinds of songs, praising the nature and gods, while the men either join them in dance or play drums.
The major difference with the Kalash people is that the women are not in hiding. Their faces are uncovered and they wear bright clothing. The Kalash women wear five large braids, the cheo, a black woolen homespun dress, dozens of red-beaded necklaces, and an exceptional head piece (shaped differently for certain valleys) covered in ornate cowrie shells, beads and trinkets that flow down their back. For their traditional black robes,the Kalash are sometimes referred to as the “Wearers of the Black Robes.” Kalashi means black in their native language. The men usually wear a typical Pakistani dress called shalwar kameez.
The Kalash women are known for their hard work and formidability as they are the ones who do all the household work like cooking, weaving, and collecting seasonal crops. Males, on the otherhand, are usually found talking with others, taking care of the children in the homes or with cattle in the upper hills. They breed cattle, sheep, and agricultural products, which are of extremely fine quality.
The houses of Kalash people also represent the old cultural values they followed for thousands of years. They do almost all their work by hand without any machinery. The houses are built from timber, and the cracks are then filled with mud and stones. Every house has some holes in the roofs to let smoke out through ceiling. They are very well built and kept clean inside with unusual structure.
Another interesting thing about the Kalash people is that they do not mourn the death of any of their members. It is written in the history books that when Alexander the great visited the area he came across strange wooden boxes, which his army used as fuel. These were actually the coffins of the Kalash people. The people did not bury their dead. Instead, they leave all of the belongings of that person next to their coffins in a wooden box. At nightfall, animals come down from the mountains and eat up what remains of the dead, while their belongings are then carried away by the inhabitants in the area. The graveyards are thus very smelly because corpses are not buried inside but are outside the graves.
Modern Society:
Although most Kalash people are sequestered to three small valleys with their own language, identity and traditions, some are reaching out to the outer world to prove their abilities and to project their ancient civilization around the globe. Many are working with NGOs, different education centers, and health institutions. And some are writing poetry, which help interpret the thoughts of Kalash peoples by expressing their love to people, nature and loyalty to their gods, whose temples and ruins are still preserved and can be found in different parts of the valleys. One such poem was written by a Kalash woman describing the Kalash culture.
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