The fascination of the times before us is not something uncommon. Most of us are often captivated by the earlier centuries and wish if we could time travel back to experience the charms of the days when the people would live like a family in a tribe or city states. The times when human race was not mingled with the technology so much that human-to-human interaction would require an effort.
However, there are still few places across the world which seems to be stuck in time, untouched by the onslaught of modern technology, organic in nature and feels mythological in perspective. Kalasha Valleys – the hidden jewel of Pakistan, is one of those unique places.
The Kalash or the Kalasha are the only pagan minority residing in the Chitral district of the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They form the smallest minority community in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Though the people of Kalash were once in a large number, around 200,000, the number has dwindled so much so that only a handful of Kalashas remain.
The Kalashas live in three valleys of Chitral namely, Rumbur, Bumburet and Birir. The Rumbur and Bumburet form a single culture due to their very similar cultural practices, while Birir being the most traditional one forms a separate culture.
The origins of Kalashas still remain unresolved as their history is shrouded behind a number of theories, mysteries and controversies. Of these many theories, three carry with them great significance and are considered closest to reality.
The grandest of all is that the Kalashas carry a romantic view of being the descendants of Alexander the Great. On the other hand, many historians believe that they are indigenous tribe of the neighboring area of Nuristan also called Kafiristan (the land of Kafirs). It is believed that in 1895 Amir Abdul Rahman, the king of Afghanistan, conquered the area of Nursitan and forced the inhabitants of the area to convert to Islam. It was during that time that many people fled to Chitral to avoid conversion. The third theory claims that the ancestors of Kalashas migrated from a distant place in South Asia called Tsiam. The Tsiam is considered to be the traditional home of these people. The Kalasha folk songs and fables hint the existence of Tsiam and that their roots belong in that region. The language of the Kalash is the Kalasha and is a Dardic language.
Last month, I had a chance to travel to Chitral to conduct a training session at University of Chitral. The first thought I had, even before leaving for the valley up north, was to include a trip to Kalasha Valleys. How can one miss that, right? It is a must if you are in Chitral.
I had seen many documentaries and also read a lot about the enchanted valleys, inhabited with people still living their lives following and ancient code of conduct. One thing I am very good at is my power of imagination. I have always imagined living there; in wooden dwellings, constructed in such a manner that scores of abodes appears to be one big house, integrated with the interconnecting staircases vertically and tiny bridges horizontally. I imagined the dark nights with starry skies, smokey cauldrons, wolves howling, shamanic music, ancient rituals and alien language.
Now, a chance to experience all this excited me. Finally, the day came and I with my office team were all set to visit the famed valleys. The jeep was waiting for us vrooming. The journey began. It was more than two hours journey for just around 40 kilometers of the distance. The road was in bad condition and there was no road at all post Bumburet Valley – one of the three Kalasha valleys – bridge. From that point on, it was rocky dirt trail; so narrow that only one vehicle could pass through. On the other side, a sharp edge along the river was all you would have. So, there was no to very limited option of adjustment at few points, if you are unfortunate to meet another vehicle coming towards you. You can imagine the situation by me telling you that our jeep’s side mirror was hit thrice by jeeps passing by. The drivers would smile at each other, as it was none of their fault.
Whatsoever, my excitement for a socially and technologically secluded valley let me bear the uncomfortable shaky journey; not to mentioned the amount of dust going through our nostrils. Though, to my surprises, the valley started with a long long que of concrete-built shops, non-existent few years ago – at both sides of the road. Here in the valley only wood was used for all sorts construction, some of my colleagues shared with me, who visited before as well.
Next thing that I saw, took me by surprise. The tourists here seem to have disturbed the social fabric of the valley and often intruded the personal space of many Kalasha. As our jeep passed by some girls, they hid their faces with a scarf or turned their backs on us. On asking one of the girls politely, why they were acting so? She told me that people take pictures of them and then later put it on social media, without their consent. Some men from the outside, seeing pretty faces of the Kalasha girls, often want to take a picture of/with them, not even considering asking their permission. The visitors need to understand that these girls have a life of their own in their cultural setting; seeing them as just a tourist attraction is extremely wrong.
In contrast, the unregulated tourism impacted children’s behavior negatively. If you click a picture of a small boy or a girl, it is very likely that he/she will ask for money in return. The influx of tourists without prior planning by the government has commercialized almost every aspect of the valley. The children have been ripped off their innocence.
Going further deep into the valley, we saw modern technology, including bikes, cars, LCD TVs, mobiles, laptops etc. Not that I am against technology, though it was not what I had imagined. Technology could have been incorporated more subtly, as not to alter the distinct ecosystem of the valley. Cherry on the top was witnessing wall-chalked advertisements of famous cellular brands and some were on huge banners as well. This certainly did ruin the outlook of the valley.
I experienced totally the opposite of what I imagined about this place. I felt sad. Imagine the pain of the indigenous people, who are witnessing their culture, their values, their way of living on the brink of extinction. Soon they will become part of history.
I don’t want this jewel of Pakistan to vanish. I want my children to witness the charms of this place. With that, I sensed how strong Kalasha people would want to hold on to their roots, how hard they would want their children to follow in their footsteps.
What is the way out? How could we keep they the valley’s originality intact in parallel with the provision of economic opportunities for the locals to earn their livelihoods in respectable manner.
It is pertinent to note that, the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has approved the establishment of the Kalash Valleys Development Authority (KVDA) to preserve the ancient culture of Kalash in Chitral. With a population of just 4000, the Kalash tribe are fast disappearing with their culture has been recognized by the United Nations as an ‘intangible’ culture.
Documents of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government show that the proposed authority will not allow the construction of new buildings in residential areas of the valley without approval while all development schemes for the ancient tribe will be monitored to ensure they do not damage their culture. Though, buildings which have already been constructed by the members of the Kalash tribe living in the area will not be demolished.
Earlier, the provincial government had announced to introduce the Kalash Marriage Act keeping in view of rituals and traditions of the ancient community in Chitral valley apart from resolving issues of marriages, divorce and inheritance per religious beliefs and customs.
However, without an alternate system, nothing can be done much. We can learn a lot from Skansen where Sweden’s good old days have been painstakingly re-created in a model village.
It is the first open-air museum and zoo in Sweden and is located on the island Djurgården in Stockholm, Sweden. It was opened on October 11, 1891 by Artur Hazelius – teacher, scholar, folklorist – to show the way of life in the different parts of Sweden before the industrial era.
Skansen attracts more than 1.3 million visitors each year. The many exhibits over the 75 acres site include a full replica of an average 19th-century town, in which craftsmen in traditional dress such as tanners, shoemakers, silversmiths, bakers and glass-blowers demonstrate their skills in period surroundings.
Pakistan can also establish a replica of Kalasha valleys on the pattern of Skansen. This would also help in generating job opportunities for the local people and taxes for the government.
Lastly, I would never forget the warmth and sheer hospitality of the Kalasha people, in particular the tiny village of Batrik, where an uncle gifted us a whole basket of freshly plucked red juicy apples and also took us inside his home and let us how an ordinary Kalasha spends his life.
Let’s make the Kalasha Valleys the face of Pakistan’s Tourism for the year 2021.
