Kalash winter festival attracts tourists

CHITRAL: The Kalash winter festival - Chawmoss - is being celebrated with religious zeal and zest as the children collected twigs and branches of pine trees and made a bonfire to participate in the high flame and smoke competitions on Monday.

Beginning on December 7 and to be continued till the 22nd of the current month, the phase of bonfire competitions in the Chawmoss festival was completed which was attended by a number of children.

The children gathered at their sacred place, collected twigs and branches of pine trees and made a 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. Local and foreign tourists have also come to the valley to see and enjoy the unique cultur

The Kalash winter festival "Chawmoss" is the biggest festival of the year. As winter starts around mid-December, the Chawmoss festival begins. At dusk, torch-lit processions are taken out from all the nearby villages. The processions then culminate at the "Charsue", which is the main customary dancing place.

Most of the festivities are indoors where the local wine is handed around as the dance gathers momentum. It is carried out late at night around the bonfire. On the other hand, the tribal elders sit on hilltops at dawn to watch the rising sun and declare the New Year.

Goat sacrificed are then made to the Godess "Jastak", while blood from the animal is sprinkled at the temple Jastime. When "Balimine", another great god visits the Kalash valley once a year, sacrifices are made at his "Malosh Altar" too.