Chelam Josh Festival Ends, Leaving Locals & Visitors With Fond Memories

News Desk

Chitral: Chelam Josh, also known as Joshi in the local language and the yearly religious festival of the Kalasha tribe, came to a conclusion in the Bomburit Valley with all its hues, merrymaking, and foreign visitors in considerable numbers.

Kalash Valley, Brier, continues to host the festival. While Kalash ladies dance shoulder to shoulder in a circle while chanting religious hymns, Kalash men play drums during this celebration.Their families decorate their hats with notes of one hundred, five hundred, and a thousand rupees. It is considered a sign of respect and dignity for them.

By noon, Kalash women and children from different villages gathered in groups to dance to the beat of the dholak (drums), singing songs and dancing. After noon, Kalash people hold walnut branches and leaves in their hands and wave them. They move slowly towards the main dance hall, i.e., Chirsu, during which Muslims or people of other religions are not allowed to join this procession. When these people reach Charsu, they dance there with great enthusiasm to make their god happy.After Asr, the religious leaders of Kalash, i.e., Qazis, pour milk into the wheat crop, which is done for blessing, while the men go away from the Chasso and hold walnut twigs, leaves, or flowers in their hands and pray loudly in their own language. They slowly come towards the dance floor while singing religious songs. But a person belonging to any other religion is not allowed to come in front of them.In Khirsu, women also hold twigs and leaves in their hands and wave them, sing songs, and wait for men. When the men, led by their Qazis, reached the dance hall, i.e., Chirsu, they all gathered together and performed a dance while throwing leaves and twigs in their hands at the women.

Many residents and visitors from other countries came to see this festival. However, they encountered some challenges because of the poor roads and a lack of amenities for guests, like sitting. On the invitation of the Chitral Travel Bureau, 12 visitors from Finland made their maiden trip to the Kalash Valley.When asked about the festival, visitors suggested that the government and non-governmental organisations focus more on improving the region’s road infrastructure to encourage tourism.

In particular with regard to nature-based tourism, Chitral Travel Bureau is dedicated to promoting a vision for the promotion of responsible, sustainable, regenerative, and transformative tourism. To lessen the detrimental effects of tourism and maximise its positive aspects, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Syed Harir Shah emphasised the value of incorporating locals in the management of tourist locations, operations, and events.