Three-day Chilimjusht festival concludes with much funfair

CHITRAL: The Chilimjusht concluded in three Kalash valleys with much funfair and hustle and bustle on Wednesday.

The festival, which heralds the arrival of spring season, is celebrated in the three Kalash valleys including Bamburet, Birir and Rambur every year. The organisers said that this year the participation of local and foreign tourists was unprecedented.

Almost all hotels in Bamburet valley had been booked well before the start of the festival, said a hotel owner, adding, that the hotels received more tourists than the capacity they had. The French, Italian and Australian tourist families stayed in Chitral for several days and enjoyed the local culture, traditions, tourist attractions and festival in the scenic valleys. As part of the religious and cultural traditions, the locals distributed dry fruits and other gifts among the visitors and guests. A group of motorcyclists also participated in adventure tourism activities at the festival.

The Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP) had established a tent village for the tourists. The arrangements were made to facilitate the tourists. Of the three Kalash festivals, Chilimjusht, which normally lasts for three to four days, is considered to be the most important. Young girls and boys sing and dance in groups in community halls; houses are decorated, and the Kalash people wear new clothes specifically made for the event.

The main feature of the festival is the selection of life partners for unmarried boys and girls. The Kalash girls spend lavishly on the purchase of clothes and ornaments for the event and the occasion is being used to show off their financial wealth.

Such festivals are being highlighted to introduce the serene valleys, ensure the access of local and foreign tourists to the beautiful sites of the province, and provide them with better facilities during stay there, the release said.