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Peshawar (Manend News) Zahid Chanzeb, Advisor to Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tourism and Culture, has directed the Tourism and Culture department and Chitral district administration to ensure brisk arrangements to celebrate the upcoming 5-day Chilam Josh Festival in a befitting manner in the serene Kalash Valley in Lower Chitral.
“The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority (KPCTA), Kalash Valleys Development Authority (KVDA), Tourism Police, district administration and other concerned quarters have to make coordinated efforts to facilitate the domestic and foreign tourists during this extravaganza” said Zahid Chanzeb while chairing a meeting in this regard at Peshawar. The KPCTA Director General Barkatullah Marwat, KVDA DG Minhasuddin and other officials attended the meeting.
The CMs’ Aide asked his department to reopen camping pods in Bumburet and depute the personnel of Tourism Police to facilitate foreign and domestic tourists and local residents in the gleeful gala. He added that local culture and traditions must be respected and maximum facilities should be provided to the Kalash people to celebrate the annual festival with all pomp and show.
Zahid Chanzeb said that camping pods and hotels with extra potable water and washrooms provisions should be installed and revitalised for the attraction and facilitation of tourists, while ensuring security measures for the festival, including the deployment of Tourism Police for assistance, guidanceand the safety of visitors. He said he along with the other provincial ministers would also participate in the festival to personally review the arrangements there.
Briefing the Advisor Tourism about the arrangements, Kalakh Valley Development Authority Director General Minhasuddin said that the authority has taken all out steps for the facilitation of tourists, including arranging free parking lots, plan for smooth flow of traffic with the help of local Traffic Police, launching cleanliness drive in three main valleys of Kalash, installing posters and banners regarding tourists guiding principles and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the local culture and traditions and promotion of tourism, cultural stalls, arranging home stay for the paying guest tourists to strengthen Kalash community and inviting prominent social media bloggers and V-loggers to publicise the event worldwide.
He said the KPCTA tourist facilitation centres in Upper Dir and Lower Chitral have also been streamluned that would remain open for guidance of tourists and visitors during the event.
He said that foreign and domestic tourists can also contact Sayyah Tourism Helpline by calling at 1422 to obtain requisite information and assistance before their departure for the thrilling gala.
The five-day Chilam Josh Festival will be held in the three Kalash valleys Bumburet, Birir and Rumbur from May 13 to 17, he told the meeting.
The annual festival comprises traditional events including dances of Kalash girls and boys to the beat of traditional drums and will be attended by a large number of tourists, including foreigners from all over the world.
The Chilam Josh Festival will start with ‘Milkday,’ in which Kalash people offer libations of milk that had been saved for 10 days prior to the occasion. The celebrations will highlight their cultural richness, plethora of colours and the underlying message of happiness.
During the festival, the Kalash people will seek the blessings of God and pray for the safety of herds and crops of their community. Women usually dress up in traditional clothes of vibrant colours of gold and silver jewellery, and elaborate headgears, while men wear traditional shalwar kameez with a woollen waistcoat. Kalash women and men dance and sing in a circle to the rhythmical chant of drum beat.
Kalashi festivals are famous throughout the world and celebrated in different months of the year. The Chilam Josh or Chilam Joshi festival starts at Rumbur valley and then festivities extend to other valleys of Kalash. People pray for the protection of their crops fields and animals before going to their fields and for this purpose, they usually spread milk on their gods.
On the first day, the Z’oshi/Zosh ceremony takes place, where boys and girls go to the higher pastures to pluck wildflowers and walnut leaves and dance to the drum beats.
On second day, C’irik pi pi (Milk drinking and distribution day) is held, in which goat stables are decorated with wildflowers and walnut leaves, singing rituals, and ceremonies take place in every village.
On third day, wherein villages get together at the top of the village, distribute dried mulberries and walnuts for the ceremony of newly-born babies.
On the fourth day, during the Ghona ceremony, all the villagers of the Kalash community gather at the main venue, and similar rituals and ceremonies are followed.