The Kalaash, are a Dardic indigenous people residing in the Chitraal District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. They speak the Kalaasha language, from the Dardic family of the Indo-Aryan branch. They are considered unique among the peoples of Pakistan. They are also considered to be Pakistan's smallest ethnoreligious community,Some of Narrative traditions are famous that ,when Elexender the Greate attacked in 330 BC on india and faught with Raja Porus.When he was passing through this area and one tribe stayed here. That were people of Kelash.
The neighbouring Nuristani people of the adjacent Nuristan (historically known as Kafiristan) province of Afghanistan once practised the faith adhered to by the Kalaash. By the late 19th century, much of Nuristan had been converted to Islam, although some evidence has shown the people continued to practice their customs. Over the years, the Nuristan region has also been the site of much war activity that has led to the death of many endemic Nuristanis and has seen an inflow of surrounding Afghans to claim the vacant region, who have since admixed with the remaining natives. The Kalaash of Chitraal maintained their own separate cultural traditions. But Some of Kelashies convert to Islam but still living with their family. As we see 16 year old girl Sania. She Married to a Muslim boy but sitting with her mother.
The language of the Kalaash is a sub-branch of the Indo-Aryan group, itself part of the larger Indo-European family also known as the Dardic group. It is classified as a member of the Chitraal sub-group, the only other member of that group being Khowar. Norwegian Linguist Georg Morgenstierne believes that in spite of similarities, Kalasha is an independent language in its own right
The Kalaash are considered to be indigenous people, with their ancestors migrating to Chitraal from Central Asia in the 2nd century BC. The Kalaash were ruled by the Mehtar of Chitraal from the 18th century onward. They have enjoyed a cordial relationship with the major ethnic group of Chitraal, the Kho who are Sunni and Ismaili Muslims. The multi-ethnic and multi-religious State of Chitraal ensured that the Kalaash were able to live in peace and harmony and practice their culture and religion. The Nuristani, their neighbours in the region of former Kafiristan west of the border, were converted, to Islam by Amir Abdur-Rahman of Afghanistan in the 1890s and their land was renamed Nuristan.
Prior to that event, the people of Kafiristan had paid tribute to the Mehtar of Chitraal and accepted his suzerainty. This came to an end with the Durand Agreement when Kafiristan fell under the Afghan sphere of Influence. Recently, the Kalaash have been able to stop their demographic and cultural spiral towards extinction and have, for the past 30 years, been on the rebound. Increased international awareness, a more tolerant government, and monetary assistance has allowed them to continue their way of life. Their numbers remain stable at around 3,000. Although many convert to Islam, the high birth rate replaces them, and with medical facilities (previously there were none) they live longer.
Being a very small minority in a Muslim region, the Kalaash have increasingly been targeted by some proselytising Muslims. Some Muslims have encouraged the Kalaash people to read the Koran so that they would convert to Islam. The challenges of modernity and the role of outsiders and NGOs in changing the environment of the Kalaash valleys have also been mentioned as real threats for the Kalaash.
There is some controversy over what defines the ethnic characteristics of the Kalaash. Although quite numerous before the 20th century, the non-Muslim minority has seen its numbers dwindle over the past century. A leader of the Kalaash, Saifulla Jan, has stated, "If any Kalaash converts to Islam, they cannot live among us anymore. We keep our identity strong." About three thousand have converted to Islam or are descendants of converts, yet still live nearby in the Kalaash villages and maintain their language and many aspects of their ancient culture. By now, sheikhs, or converts to Islam, make up more than half of the total Kalasha-speaking population.
Kalasha women usually wear long black robes, often embroidered with cowrie shells. For this reason, they are known in Chitraal as "The Black Kafirs". Men have adopted the Pakistani shalwar kameez, while children wear small versions of adult clothing after the age of four.
In contrast to the surrounding Pakistani culture, the Kalasha do not in general separate males and females or frown on contact between the sexes. However, menstruating girls and women are sent to live in the "bashaleni", the village menstrual building, during their periods, until they regain their "purity". They are also required to give birth in the bashaleni. There is also a ritual restoring "purity" to a woman after childbirth which must be performed before a woman can return to her husband. The husband is an active participant in this ritual.
Marriage by elopement is rather frequent, also involving women who are already married to another man. Indeed, wife-elopement is counted as one of the "great customs" (ghōna dastūr) together with the main festivals. Wife-elopement may lead in some rare cases to a quasi-feud between clans until peace is negotiated by mediators, in the form of the double bride-price paid by the new husband to the ex-husband.
Kalash lineages (kam) separate as marriageable descendants have separated by over seven generations. A rite of "breaking agnation" (tatbře čhin) marks that previous agnates (tatbře) are now permissible affines (därak "clan partners"). Each kam has a separate shrine in the clan's Jēṣṭak-hān, the temple to lineal or familial goddess Jēṣṭak
The people of kelash still sacrify for gods and Goddess. every month a man sacrrify to a black goat. They keep a specific corner in house for gods or Goddess. And they sprinkle blood of that sacrified goat on that corner . kelashis belive that when they sprinkle that blood on gods , the gods will Pleases to them, and protect their houses ,wealth, health and animals. Gods will give mercy on them and they will be saved by natural disasters. Only men can eat that holy meat. If a women would do this even mistakenly, she will be considered spirtually unclean and sinfull. To come out from that wickness she would have to Slaughter a same male goat and distribute that meat in men. This is Atonement for this sin.
Festivels
Most of festivels of Kelashis depends upon the Ups and Downs of Seasons. Like summer ,winter ,Automn and Spring. Most of Festivels of Kelashies are guided by "Nighat Tehar". Thousands of years ago "Nighat Nehar Was a spirtual leader of Kelashies .His Following is still considered as a virtue. There are amaizing Traditional proverb about the "Nighat Tehar".
Nigat said : I am giving you the proof, you have to Beat the drums. i will be disappear.When people beated the drum. He disappeared. and the land swallowed him. Then appeared on the mountain and jumped into the river.When he came back from river , he was astonishingly dry. That's why we beat drums on every festival
(song translation)
" The season of autum is going...
"Ohh dim moonlight of winter, welcome us"
Death
The People of Kelash have astonishing traditions about the Death and buring. Generally this saying is common here that someone died in specific family then that was reined. The people of Kelash spend all thier wealth on death. The more expenditure on death in opposes to wedding. The family belong to corpse expend all thier wealth ,animals and houses. The died person favorite things were buried with it. When the death occur the Kelashis don't buried the corpse and keep it for three days putting the favorite things of died person beside them. Even the wind and strome are happening the body does not burry
Today is the sad day in three vallies of Kelash. Young girl "Shi Moi" has been died here. All the celebrations were cancelled. People are weeping in strange way around the dead body.
And they mention the goodness of died person and they weeping loud. Someone says, you were so good, how you loved with your family. There is a special place.
On the first day of death ,corpse has shifted to the specific place ,where ketch of Markhor is pasted on the wall. There is a uphole in the roof. The people came this event in the obseverd by hommade bread and butter. The floor sent to the all houses in three vallies. And that family members send thousands of breads to the house belong to the corpse. The guys passing through diffcult hilly routs to the mortuary, holding huge baskets of breads and food. The food distributed till the night.
Finally the night bird is spreading its wings, and take down whole valley. Sun has comes to dawn for next day. Even the Dead body is going to swell and giving smell but the crowd of people who love " She Moe" is not reducing.
In these mourners, an old man "Dorsha Bhaa" is weeping. Dorsha Bhaa is uncle of She moe. He could not bear the grief of the death of his niece.
He say,
"Ohh Shee Moee !! Please come back, how you leave us. What would i say to your Husband,,
Please speak... why u r not replying....
After this all, finally third day has came. The day when Last rituals will be conducted for her dead body.
The coffin maker never charge a money even the cost of wood.
There is always a old man appointed as a in charge of whole process of the event. The Old man " Daryon Baba " is head of shee moe's all process.
Cooking process for the mourners , is too amaizing here,, about hundrads of cows sheeps are Slaughtered. In the meat Hardship for putting spices is not considered as a mandatory work.
After that all the very Last rituals are going on. The dead body is being moved to the specific place after that it will be brought to the graveyard.
some sayings are famous ,that Kelashis are not burying the daed body. But here Shee moee has been buried as usual.
Yes that true, in previus few year even some Kelashies till now are not bury the corpse but they put in the open sky. They Bilieved that the person who dead, will be Confront to gods. But some Social enemies stole the Precious items with the corpse. And now mostly Kelashies bury instead of open sky grave yard.
This is their grave yard
Many things are very unique and astonishing things belong to Kelashas. One of them is to dancing and celebrating on someone's death.
PTP
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