Kalasha Peoples Call for Cultural Survival

Influential and Famous Kalasha Curator Passes Away

Influential Kalasha tradition leader, cultural mediator and ancestral effigy artisan  Shah Juan of Rumboor also dearly known as Sabika mimbar in Chitral region passed away on  August 2, 2011.

Sabika is believed to be in his late 80’s and is one of the distinguished Kalasha elders who left his mark as prolific tradition guardian and curator.

Young Sabika is known to have mobilized and taken the Kalasha community in confidence of the prospects of their protection in Pakistan as a non-Muslim  ethnic minority group after annexation of Chitral into Pakistan in 1969. He was a great admirer of Pakistan’s founder and named his own son ‘Quide-e-Azam’ after him.

In his lifetime, Sabika worked as a guardian curator for the survival of the Kalasha heritage and tradition particularly through his creations of ancestral wooden statues to keep the historical memory of his people alive. This indigenous way of archiving historical memory in shape of wooden statues in conjunction with ancestral knowledge intrigued several historians, anthropologists and linguists from abroad and aided them in research on the ancient culture of Chitral. His creations of wooden effigies are show-cased in Lok Versa Islamabad and in several ethnic art galleries abroad.

Some of the high profile dignitaries he had met to promote Kalasha heritage include Prime Minster Bhutto, General Zia, Benezir Bhutoo, Lady Diana and President Musharaf . Sabika, had a convincing authority on historical and cultural knowledge of the region.He was able to peacefully negotiate and settle countless inter-clan  and community disputes. He also represented Kalasha in district council and in law suits which dealt with communal pastures with outsiders.

Shah Juan was famous for his hospitality, wit and folktales which routinely  attracted visitors from all over Chitral to his riverside lodge in Rumboor.

Sabika leaves behind a legacy of tradition and its continuity, ingenuity and artisan-ship, friendship and hospitality. He was a true cultural ambassador of the Kalasha people and a great son of Chitral.

The Kalasha of Rumboor are holding a three day “rites of passage” in honor of this prestigious Kalasha man in the recent history of Kalasha.

Chowmos Schedule

Alarming Increase in Female Conversions to Islam among the Indigenous Kalasha Community

Shonja ek ganta shumber Dula baya telephone una ek shum khabar praw, se amau ki Kra’ka’ grom ani Mer Khana chul’as  Kiren ek patu’a suda’s som dosh tro’mish Musulman hul’a.

A Kalasha girl named Kiren  from Kraka village in Mumuret (Bumborate Valley) converted to Islam. The rate of conversion among Kalasha females to Islam is subsequently increasing.This is mounting the despair among the small population of 4000 Kalasha people who are struggling to maintain a unique cultural existence.In past three months three Kalasha girls have departed from the ancient culture to marry individuals outside of Kalasha culture and religion.Kalasha Women folks are the main players in the orchestra of ancient indigenous culture maintainability as they wear the colorful Kalasha dress code,actively partake in transitional cultural activities,ceremonies, and transcend the indigenous stories in kalashamodr language to the their children.

Gona Chawmos -Kalasha Winter Solstice Begins

Gona Chawmos Yat Shuruk hawaw. Saw Mocbhian Kay Kalashon Ghenaw Tazaghi Aman zhe Afiat…
Kalasha Winter solstice begins from 8th with Zarazari (bon fire) till 21st Dec.
To  Kalasha chawmos is regarded as big historical memory of them as People and Society.

Chawmos is coming together and celebration of all the elements of Nature, Community, Mountain Spirits, Deities, Ancestors, Thanksgiving, Initiation rites, Chanting ancient myths, and end with carnival for the start of New Year.
Kalasha gather at mountain altars, Clan temples to give offerings and share feasts, to pray, meditate and for Peace, Health and Social Well being.

Rehabilitation and Reconstruction in Kalasha Valleys

After disastrous floods in the past several weeks in Kalasha valleys reconstruction and rebuilding of major infrastructure and drinking water supply scheme in under way. A local support organization with name of ayon and valleys development programme has initiated the broken pipelines due to the floods bringing clean water to the households.

Breaking News:Climatic Catastrophe- Kalash Valley destroyed by Glacial Flooding

A massive glacier in the pastures of Kalash Valleys at the elevation of 5000m has been erupted due to the recent rains and has flooded the Kalash valley of mumuret.The shape  of scenic mumuret valley has changed due to this enormous and powerful flood that uprooted most of the timber forests on its way to the valley.The rain water further caused its own streams from the mountains which added to the vilocity of the flood. It is reported as of now that most the land  for cultivation and houses in the main land have been swept away. There are no human casualities reported but the livelihood of the indigenous kalasha people has been severly damaged.The ready crops of wheat- barely and fruit trees mainly walnuts along with precious livestolk and domestic animals have got destroyed. 

(Individuals and Organizations intersted to send releif and humanitarian assistance can directly write to us)

Free Online Kalasha-English Dictionary

We have the pleasure to bring  your attention towards the first & free Kalasha-English Online Dictionary. We hope that  online Kalasha dictionary will be of greater help in a bid to strengthen the Kalasha language’s vitality in years to come . The endangered language dictionary is one of its kind which provides a chance to Kalasha and Non-Kalasha speakers/readers to familiarize themselves with the orthography of Kalasha language and to cross language barriers  aiming at greater understanding of Kalasha language and ancient Kalasha Culture itself . Online Kalasha dictionary comes as an handful tool to engage Kalasha language readers and linguists to maintain the use of Kalasha language in technological era. The Language of Kalasha People known as Kalasha or Kalashamondr is one of the severely endangered language in UNESCO ATALS of endangered Languages.

We are greatly thankful to the compilers of Kalasha Dictionary Ron Trail and Gregory Cooper for their life long work on documentation of Kalasha Language and making it available in print and digital format in collaboration with Quidz-e-Azam University Islamabad Pakistan.

Kalasha Rites of Spring – Zhoshi Begins

To all the readers and memebers of Kalasha community, A very happy Kalasha Zhoshi-Spring Equinox !
More on the Spring rites and events and photos yet to come…

Athanassios Lerounis Freed

The unharmed release of Athanassios by Taliban after 8 months of captivity comes as a great relief for Greek and Kalasha People who have been waiting with fear and hopethanasios Lerounis ran a welfare centre and school in Chitral district, and has lived in northern Pakistan since the mid-1990s. He was kidnapped by some 30 gunmen believed to be from neighbouring Afghanistan in a September encounter that killed a security guard.
Greece’s ambassador in Islamabad, Petros Mavroidis, said Mr. Lerounis was freed on Wednesday but was still with Pakistani authorities in Chitral. He was expected to reach the Pakistan capital later Thursday, Mr. Mavroidis said, adding that he had no other details.
Exactly how or where Mr. Lerounis, who police said is in his 50s, was freed was unclear.
A Pakistan government official, Rehmatallah Wazir, said months of negotiations among tribal elders, security agencies and Afghan Taliban were involved. He also said security forces “rescued” Mr. Lerounis, but wouldn’t describe what he meant by that.
The Greek had been held at one point in Afghanistan’s Nooristan province, but now “he is with us. He is safe and in good health,” Mr. Wazir told The Associated Press via phone.

biriu ek moc nashi asaw,,,

biriu bis’la nomen ek gromuna ek moch nashi asaw,tasa nom c’irgoli khan,,aj aduaw taza khabar,,,,dihaw zahir sarakat from kalash valley bumborate,grom maas nom krakra,,,