Kalash religion

The Kalash or Kalasha, are an ethnic group found in the Hindu Kush mountain range in the Chitral district of the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan.[1] The total population of Kalash religious people ranges from 40,000 to 50,000. The culture of Kalash people is unique and differs drastically from the various ethnic groups surrounding them. They are polytheists and nature plays a highly significant and spiritual role in their daily life. As part of their religious tradition, sacrifices are offered and festivals held to give thanks for the abundant resources of their three valleys. Kalash mythology and folklore has been compared to that of ancient Greece, but they are much closer to Indo-Iranian (Vedic and pre-Zoroastrian) traditions.[2]

The Kalasha observe many festivals in a year, their major festivals are:

  • Joshi, celebrated in May to welcome the spring
  • Uchaw, observed in late August to ensure good crops of wheat
  • Pul/Poh, observed September, only in the Birir Valley
  • Chaumos, observed in December for more than two weeks, it is the grand festival of the Kalasha tribe and it is celebrated to welcome New Year

References
  1. "Kalash - New World Encyclopedia". www.newworldencyclopedia.org. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  2. "Kalash Culture". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
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