Bringing Kalash back home

[ghazi52]

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Bringing Kalash back home..

An article that was published in the New York Times last year sparked my interest in travelling to the picturesque and historical valley of Chitral, inhabited by a minority tribe known as the Kalash.

According to the NY Times’ piece, the Kalash of Chitral - district of the Khyber‐Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan - were found to share DNA fragments with an ancient European population.

Statistical analysis suggests that this has resulted from interracial mixing between the local populace and Alexander the Great’s army well before 210 BC.

The Kalash live in three valleys of Chitral namely, Rumbur, Brumbret and Birir, and speak the Kalasha language, derived from the Dardic family of the Indo‐Iranian branch.

Street view — Brumbret Valley.


We started our journey to Chitral in the winter of last year. It was December and thus an off-season for tourists. I was very interested in exploring the valleys and capturing their breathtaking beauty with my lens.

We started from Lahore and were later joined by a group of young, enthusiastic explorers from Sialkot. After roughly 24 hours of travel, we entered the city of Ayuon from where we rented jeeps for the bumpy ride ahead. Soon, we were on our way to the mountainous areas of the magnificent Chitral.

Hiking through Brumbret.

A jeep passes through a narrow street.

The scenery, which welcomed us at the break of dawn as we reached the valley, was a sight to behold! Everything was covered with a thick blanket of pure white snow.

I loved the idea of bringing Kalash back home with me, and so I captured everything I found interesting. The people of the valley, in contrast to its weather were warm and welcoming.

Despite being very close to the Afghan border, at no point did we feel unsafe. In fact, we could even see the neighbouring country’s snow-covered peaks from where we stood.

We stayed at the Foreigner Tourism Inn Hotel and Resort. After leaving our baggage at the rest house, we immediately started on our journey.

Chitral berries.

Mountains from across the border – Afghanistan.

The rest house where we stayed had a very cooperative staff. They saw to it that our breakfast and dinner came to our tables piping hot and scrumptious.
..

 

[ghazi52]

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As we went on, we were heartily greeted by the locals of the village; all of them so happy to see us, and eager to engage us in conversation.

Here, it seemed as if every tree too, had a story to tell. The morning sunlight gloriously bathed the valley in gold.

At the crack of dawn — children hurrying to school.

A barren tree.

The local girls catching some morning sun.

An old house made up entirely of large rocks.

The people of the neighbouring Nuristan, a province of Afghanistan, once practised the same religion as the Kalash minority. But by the late 19th century, much of Nuristan had converted to Islam, although evidence shows that some people continue to practice their customs.

The next day, we were thrilled to hear local women singing a song closeby. Their pleasing notes broke the silence of the valley.

Dressed in pink and green, resting on the roadside.

Kalash women dressed in colourful dresses.
Kalasha women usually wear long, black dresses, often embroidered with cowries. This creates a vivid and unique pattern that serves as the most obvious symbol of identity for the Kalash community.

Children of Kalash — unafraid and beautiful.

Managed to find water that was wasn't frozen.
...

 

[ghazi52]

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We trekked into a valley from where we could see the Afghan Mountains covered with thick sheets of snow. The view was magical. We could not imagine how much more beautiful the valley would look in summer or spring, when everything turned lush green.

Temperatures were as low as minus five and the waters were frozen.

Views of the valley — large rocks and frozen rivers.

A narrow wooden bridge in Brumbret.

On our way back to Chitral, we passed through a village known as Ayuon. The small local market was teeming with life.

Fruit and vegetable stand in Chitral.

On our way back to Ayuon.

Goodbye wave — captured while passing through the street in a car.

This was a memorable trip for all of us. I would highly recommend this destination to those who want to experience the true beauty of Pakistan’s landscape.

A view of the valley from Ayuon.

A view of the mountains of Chitral.
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[ghazi52]

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Mountains of Afghanistan stand majestically in the background.

A wooden house bathed in gold taken just before sunset.


—All photos by author.

Umair Siddiqui is a Lahore based digital designer with a passion for travel and photography.
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[indianBong]

truly mesmerizing....

 

[ArsalanKhan21]

These Kalash could be descendents of Aryans that invaded and settled in South Asia. Some idiots think they are descendents of Alexander's soldiers. Some Greeks came to teach them Greek language and turn them into Orthodox Christians. So much ignorance of history and opening doors to foriegn influence by the idiot bureaucrats.

 

[Bossman]

These Kalash could be descendents of Aryans that invaded and settled in South Asia. Some idiots think they are descendents of Alexander's soldiers. Some Greeks came to teach them Greek language and turn them into Orthodox Christians. So much ignorance of history and opening doors to foriegn influence by the idiot bureaucrats.

and you are an expert? They are not Christians.

 

[krash]

These Kalash could be descendents of Aryans that invaded and settled in South Asia. Some idiots think they are descendents of Alexander's soldiers. Some Greeks came to teach them Greek language and turn them into Orthodox Christians. So much ignorance of history and opening doors to foriegn influence by the idiot bureaucrats.

Kindly first educate yourself on matters before commenting. There's tons of work out there on this.

 

[ghazi52]

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Joshi: A Vibrant Mythological Cultural Event of Kalash Valley

Kalash Valley is one of the most beautiful sites found in Pakistan. The region has a history that stretches over centuries. Undoubtedly, Kalash Valley is one of the most ancient living valleys in Pakistan today. Its inhabitants are believed to speak primevalGreek language. However, with the passage of time words from other languages have also become a part of it.









Kalash valley is famous globally for its cheerful people, lively customs, merry making and mythology. The beautiful inhabitants of the valley enjoy every day of their life; however, four festivals are an integral part of their culture; Joshi /Chilimjusht, Uchal festival, Phoo festival and Chomos festival.









Kalashi celebrate Joshi in the middle of May for four days to welcome spring, express gratitude to their Gods for blessings, honor the fairies they believe in and to pray for the safeguard of their livestock. The four day festival is comprises of prayers, dances, music, cooking and exchanging region’s favorite food dishes and sacrificing goat for Goddess Jestak that is believed to be protector of children and home. The festival is started by the plucking of preliminary flowering by Kalash girls and decorating of home and valley. Then comes the next phase where Kalashi travel and celebrate the festival according to the religious guidelines. With the journey starting from Rumbur and ending at Birir the festival is covered by travelling four distant places (Rumbur, Malosh altar, Bumboret and Birir). Different religious ceremonies are held at every place that is accompanied with folk music and dance performances.















People residing in valley of Kalash arebelieved to be the descendants of Alexander’s army who came into this region around 327 B.C. Ever since, these people have never stepped out of these valleys and are living their lives according to the customs of matriarchal society. Their rituals, habits and queer customs bewitch tourists from all parts of Pakistan and all over the world.
...

 

[django]

............................................................................................................
Bringing Kalash back home..

An article that was published in the New York Times last year sparked my interest in travelling to the picturesque and historical valley of Chitral, inhabited by a minority tribe known as the Kalash.

According to the NY Times’ piece, the Kalash of Chitral - district of the Khyber‐Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan - were found to share DNA fragments with an ancient European population.

Statistical analysis suggests that this has resulted from interracial mixing between the local populace and Alexander the Great’s army well before 210 BC.

The Kalash live in three valleys of Chitral namely, Rumbur, Brumbret and Birir, and speak the Kalasha language, derived from the Dardic family of the Indo‐Iranian branch.

Street view — Brumbret Valley.


We started our journey to Chitral in the winter of last year. It was December and thus an off-season for tourists. I was very interested in exploring the valleys and capturing their breathtaking beauty with my lens.

We started from Lahore and were later joined by a group of young, enthusiastic explorers from Sialkot. After roughly 24 hours of travel, we entered the city of Ayuon from where we rented jeeps for the bumpy ride ahead. Soon, we were on our way to the mountainous areas of the magnificent Chitral.

Hiking through Brumbret.

A jeep passes through a narrow street.

The scenery, which welcomed us at the break of dawn as we reached the valley, was a sight to behold! Everything was covered with a thick blanket of pure white snow.

I loved the idea of bringing Kalash back home with me, and so I captured everything I found interesting. The people of the valley, in contrast to its weather were warm and welcoming.

Despite being very close to the Afghan border, at no point did we feel unsafe. In fact, we could even see the neighbouring country’s snow-covered peaks from where we stood.

We stayed at the Foreigner Tourism Inn Hotel and Resort. After leaving our baggage at the rest house, we immediately started on our journey.

Chitral berries.

Mountains from across the border – Afghanistan.

The rest house where we stayed had a very cooperative staff. They saw to it that our breakfast and dinner came to our tables piping hot and scrumptious.
..

I was their in 99, very beautiful and scenic area as you can see, in regards to the Greek heritage claims, most scholars dismiss it, the truth is most of the tribes in these areas are very fair skinned, whether they be Chitrali, Kohistanis, Afghan Panjsheris.

Kindly first educate yourself on matters before commenting. There's tons of work out there on this.

They are related to their dardic cousins ,the chitralis and afghan nuristanis, the greek link is a mere fantasy.

 

[ArsalanKhan21]

and you are an expert? They are not Christians.

I said that some Greeks came in 1980s from Greece to teach Kalash people Greek language and also introduce the Greek Orthodox religion. When did I say the Kalash are Christians ?

 

[krash]

They are related to their dardic cousins ,the chitralis and afghan nuristanis, the greek link is a mere fantasy.

When did I say that they were? Did you read his ludicrous post? Let's begin then,

Alexander's historians have recorded meeting Greek tribes in Samarkand. Upon further investigation by Alexander it was found that these were the Greeks who had betrayed Greece for the Persians a 100 years ago when the Persians sacked Athens. The Persians as a reward moved them to Samarkand to keep them safe from any Greek retaliation. And so, as Alexander enjoyed their leader's hospitality in his house upon his invitation, Alexander's forces surrounded the city and then proceeded to massacre the entire population. His forces then turned south and crossed over the Khyber Pass. His detachments which had then proceeded north-wards again reported people of distinct greek characteristics; features, language, religion, customs, etc. Believing these people to also be the betrayers from a 100 years ago he ordered the towns and villages to be annihilated. When faced by their imminent destruction these people sent their envoys to Alexander. Their emissaries denied having any part in the before said treachery, instead they claimed to be the children of the Greek god Apollo. The Greeks at that time believed that the eastern end of the world was the area west of the Indus, beyond which there was nothing. Thus the claim sat well with the Greek religion/mythology as it also stated that Apollo lived at the eastern end of the world and from there he road his burning chariot across the sky to the western end everyday. Alexander believed them and let them go. Modern historians believe this place to be the Chitral valley, however no third-party records have ever been found to corroborate Alexander's historians' accounts.

The Kalasha tribes have claimed for a very long time to be Greek descendants, specifically from Alexander's armies. Their pronounced european physical features and some similarities in their religion, customs and symbols with those of ancient Greece gave some weight to their claims. The differences in their general appearance from those of the surrounding Chitrali and Afghani people (and these are quite pronounced) also helped their case. However, some modern DNA studies have claimed them not be Greek at all while others have shown them to be aboriginal people of the valleys that they inhabit. Then there have also been objections to these studies and then some counter DNA studies claiming the possibility of Greek mix in them from the time of Alexander. The question still remains although less in favour of the Greek story. The Kalash though keep strong in their claim, at least enough for their chiefs to be invited to Greece on a state visit.

I said that some Greeks came in 1980s from Greece to teach Kalash people Greek language and also introduce the Greek Orthodox religion. When did I say the Kalash are Christians ?

You are posting out of thin air. The Kalasha's claim of being Greek is far older than the 1980s. Their folk lore that claims this is hundreds of years old. Furthermore the similarities found in their language are with the ancient Greek language not the modern Greek language (and it is the same with their rituals, customs, religion, etc). Like I said, kindly keep your utterly ludicrous conspiracy theories to yourself and educate yourself on the matter before posting about it.

 

[django]

When did I say that they were? Did you read his ludicrous post? Let's begin then,

Alexander's historians have recorded meeting Greek tribes in Samarkand. Upon further investigation by Alexander it was found that these were the Greeks who had betrayed Greece for the Persians a 100 years ago when the Persians sacked Athens. The Persians as a reward moved them to Samarkand to keep them safe from any Greek retaliation. And so, as Alexander enjoyed their leader's hospitality in his house upon his invitation, Alexander's forces surrounded the city and then proceeded to massacre the entire population. His forces then turned south and crossed over the Khyber Pass. His detachments which had then proceeded north-wards again reported people of distinct greek characteristics; features, language, religion, customs, etc. Believing these people to also be the betrayers from a 100 years ago he ordered the towns and villages to be annihilated. When faced by their imminent destruction these people sent their envoys to Alexander. Their emissaries denied having any part in the before said treachery, instead they claimed to be the children of the Greek god Apollo. The Greeks at that time believed that the eastern end of the world was the area west of the Indus, beyond which there was nothing. Thus the claim sat well with the Greek religion/mythology as it also stated that Apollo lived at the eastern end of the world and from there he road his burning chariot across the sky to the western end everyday. Alexander believed them and let them go. Modern historians believe this place to be the Chitral valley, however no third-party records have ever been found to corroborate Alexander's historians' accounts.

The Kalasha tribes have claimed for a very long time to be Greek descendants, specifically from Alexander's armies. Their pronounced european physical features and some similarities in their religion, customs and symbols with those of ancient Greece gave some weight to their claims. The differences in their general appearance from those of the surrounding Chitrali and Afghani people (and these are quite pronounced) also helped their case. However, modern DNA studies have shown them to be aboriginal people of the valleys that they inhabit. Yet still, they remain strong in their claim, at least enough for their chiefs to be invited to Greece on a state visit.




You are posting out of thin air. The Kalasha's claim of being Greek is far older than the 1980s. Their folk lore that claims this is hundreds of years old. Furthermore the similarities found in their language are with the ancient Greek language not the modern Greek language (and it is the same with their rituals, customs, religion, etc). Like I said, kindly keep your utterly ludicrous conspiracy theories to yourself and educate yourself on the matter before posting about it.

They are not different from their chitrali cousins, they look the bloody same, just different dress sense for women, I have been their, it's all myth that they are Greek, I have been to Athens ,kalash look different than those folks and their language is a dardic language ,not a hellenic language. As for DNA evidence , I am not qualified to comment on that either way.

 

[ArsalanKhan21]

being Greek is far older than the 1980s. Their folk lore that claims this is hundreds of years old. Furthermore the similarities found in their language are with the ancient Greek language not the modern Greek language (and it is the same with their rituals, customs, religion, etc)

They speak Indo-European language and so they related to all Indo European speakers. I said few Greeks came over in 1980s to teach them Greek and influence with modern Greek culture. You are just another idiot ! These are Dardic speakers not descendents of Alexanders soldiers.

 

[New Resolve]

They are pagans and any attempts to convert them into christians or muslims should be prevented. Thats the only way to preserve this ancient culture.