Kailash tribes celebrate Ghonachanjarat as Chawmoss concludes

Mark their new year at sunrise on Sunday morning

PESHAWAR: The ancient tribes of the remote Kailash valley celebrated the Ghonachanjarat as the annual winter Chawmoss festival drew to a close.

During the event, Kailashi women and young girls collected branches of cedar trees in the three valleys of Rambur, Bamburet and Birrir valleys and made baskets from them. The women and girls from three valleys later gathered and danced together while singing in chorus to celebrate the Ghonachanjarat festival.

In Kailash calendar, December 21 is the shortest and last day of the year and they mark December 22 as the first day of the New Year.

All the Kailash tribespeople gathered in the Batreek village of Bamburet valley to perform religious and cultural rituals during the night. They performed their religious rituals throughout the night until sunrise on Sunday morning to mark the New Year.

Some foreign tourists have flocked to the valley to enjoy the festivities with the indigenous people. Officials of the tourism police have also been providing security to the people of Kailash and the visiting foreign tourists.

The tourists’ were keen to learn about the religious, cultural, tourism and historical perspective of the Kailash valley and its inhabitants. The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) tourism department had also arranged for lighting, transport and other facilities so that the local community and tourists could celebrate the festival.

Began on December 7, various events including bonfire competitions, Mandahek, Sharaberayak, Savilakehari and Sheshao festivals have been held during the two-week-longg festival.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2019.