Indigenous culture: Chawmoss grand splendour

Foreign, local tourists trek to Kailash Valley to experience the centuries-old festivities

PESHAWAR: The final ceremony of Chitirmas, or Chawmoss festival will be held on Friday (today) with great ostentatious display with number of foreign tourists have already arrived in the Kailash Valley to celebrate the winter solstice event with indigenous tribe.

Kailash people are said to be descendants of Greek people accompanying Alexander the Great during his campaign in this region. For centuries, the Kailash people had lived secluded lives in remote valleys of Chitral, however, with better transport facilities, more and more people come to experience the lives of this minuscule ethnic group of 4,500 people which United Nations has declared World Intangible Heritage.

The community has already celebrated various events including Savilakehari, Mandahek, Sharaberayak and other festivals in the on-going Chawmoss festival with enthusiasm.



The Shishaw ritual has been performed after which the Kailash people do not touch outsiders. Gosnik was another ritual in which boys and girls aged three to five years wear new dresses with lots of walnut breads, fruits, gifts and locally made embroidered clothes.

On this day, uncles bring goats and sheep as gits for their nieces and nephews.

During Savilakehari festival, men, women and children wearing new and colourful clothes gather at a place and sing love songs for each other. They dance together and praise each other.

In this fun-filled festival, young Kailash girls wear boys’ dresses and boys clad themselves in girls’ clothes and dance in chorus. They express their feelings for each other and announce their marriage.

Earlier, the children gathered at their sacred place, collected twigs and branches of pine trees and made bonfire to show skills in making high flames and smoke.

Making high flames and smoke is meant to welcome peace, prosperity, minerals, green grass and love among the people of the indigenous tribe in the ensuing winter and spring seasons.



The children while holding green leaves and branches of trees also sang songs and performed chorus to enjoy the festival.

Meanwhile, Kailash community’s Member Provincial Assembly Wazir Zada on Thursday visited Kailash valley and reviewed arrangements for the grand gala. The K-P Tourism Department has also installed lights and made arrangements for transport and other facilities so that local community and tourists could celebrate the festival in a befitting manner.

K-P Senior Minister for Sports, Tourism, Archaeology, Museums, Culture and Youth Affairs Atif Khan has issued directives to the quarters concerned to provide every facility to the local and foreign tourists coming to enjoy the pagan festivities.

The senior minister has assured that provincial government would provide fool proof security, lighting and transportation to the tourists and local residents to celebrate the event in a peaceful atmosphere.

He has also announced Rs560 million for highlighting the Kailash culture to the world.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 21^st, 2018.