Chawmos Festival in Kalash valley concludes

CHITRAL: The annual historic Chawmos Festival concluded with much splendor and festivities in the picturesque Kalash valley in Lower Chitral district on Monday.

During Chawmos festival, which began on December 7, the Kalash people celebrated a number of events including bonfire competitions, Mandahek, Sharaberayak, Savilakehari, Sheshao, Gonsik, Jastak and Ghonachanjarat to enjoy the festival with religious zeal and zest. On the final day, Kalash men and women from Rambur and Birir gathered in the Bamburet valley to celebrate the event.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority (KPCTA) Director General Tashfeen Haider had issued special instructions for making proper arrangements for the festival to celebrate the event in a befitting manner.

As per the directives, tourism facilitation centres in Chitral City and Upper Dir remained operational throughout the event to ensure provision of all kinds of information and facilities to the tourists. The Tourism Police personnel were also deployed in the valley for the convenience of visitors, while enforcement inspectors of the Tourist Services Wing inspected various hotels and guesthouses so that tourists could not face any difficulties during the festival.

The 15-day long festival held in the Kalash valley featured a festive atmosphere across the three valleys. Celebrations included welcoming the New Year, chasing fox for predictions about the coming year and the traditional ritual of Chuinari.

In the Chuinari ritual, boys and girls ascend a sacred high slope, where they light fires. The boys and girls then separately create smoke spirals from the fire and compete against one another. Other rituals celebrated during the festival included Mandahek and Sharaberayak.

In the Sharaberayak ritual, the Kalash people prepare various items from dough, including representations of markhor, grazers, cows, ancestral symbols, and other objects. The items are then baked and later distributed as gifts among relatives and neighbours, heralding prosperity and observing anniversaries and the significance of the Chawmos Festival. Participants sing traditional songs and melodies to express joy during this time.