Broghil festival kicks off with colourful note

CHITRAL: The Broghil Festival kicked off at the Broghil National Park in Upper Chitral district on a colourful note on Thursday.

Organised by the Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP) and the Upper Chitral district administration, the festival is featuring various activities, including horse, yak and donkey polo, cricket, football, buzkashi, marathon race, tug-of-war, wrestling, music and other traditional games.

The three-day Broghil festival, which was to be started from September 6 and concluded on September 8, was rescheduled due to Muharram.

Provincial Senior Minister for Sports and Tourism Atif Khan had directed the relevant department to join hands with the Upper Chitral district administration to make proper arrangements for highlighting different aspects of the ancient and unique Wakhi culture.

The organisers said the yak race, yak polo, fireworks, traditional music and food shows were the main features of the festival.

The TCKP Managing Director, Junaid Khan, said that they had made proper arrangements for the event. He said a large number of tourists had come to the far-off area of Chitral to enjoy the festival. “A tent village has already been established in Broghil to facilitate the tourists,” the official said, adding that there were opportunities for tourists to participate in the thrilling adventure tourism activities in the remote scenic spot. The yak polo is played at an altitude of 13,600 feet above the sea level in Broghil valley. Broghil is the home of Chiantar glacier surrounded by many other glaciers, which feed the Chitral River while the Kurambar Lake is said to be biologically active lake supporting a wide range of diversity.

The Broghil valley, bordering the Wakhan corridor of Afghanistan, is situated about 250km from Chitral city. Its extended glaciers, incredible wildlife, scattered wetlands, rich wilderness, green meadows and mighty mountains are the main tourism potential of the area. Established in 2010, the Broghil National Park is a treasure of wild indigenous and migratory fauna especially of Pamirian and Siberian bird species. The valley has about 30 freshwater lakes of various sizes, which present breathtaking sights.