Kalash Festivals
Kalasha people celebrate their festival with reunions, feast, ceremonies singing and dancing. Kalash Festivals are very famous in Pakistan and cross country. Kalasha tribe celebrates many festivals around the year. The four main Kalash Festivals are ChilimJust or Joshi (spring festival), Utchal (summer festival) Phool late September (walnut and grape harvest) Chaumos (winter festival)
Chillim Jusht (Joshi) Festival Mid May
Chillimjusht /Joshi Festival: is one of the most famous kalash festival which is known as Kalash spring festival. The Kalash people celebrate this for four days across all three Kalash valleys of Rumbur, Bumburet and Birir. A large number of domestic and foreign tourists attend the Chillimjusht /Joshi festival every year.
This festival begins with “Milk day”. Ten days prior to the festival, The Kalasha people store milk from their households. On festival day Kalash people offer their libation. The festival reflects their unique cultural richness, the harmony in their society and message of peace to the world. They ask for blessing from the God and pray for a prosperous year of agriculture, health and safety of their herds.
The main objective behind the Kalash festival of Chilam Jusht is that Kalasha men and women can find themselves a spouse to get married. The women wearing their traditional black robes, ornate cowries shelled headed dress with coloured necklaces.Men wear traditional Shalwar Kameez with woolen waistcoat. They dance together and sing in a circle on drum beats. Every year this festival brings smile to the bachelors as it gives them an opportunity to choose their life partners and announce their names on the last day of the festival.
Uchal Festival
Kalasha tribe celebrates this festival in August marking the harvest of wheat and barley. This festival celebrated in Bumburet and Rumbur valley. During this festival Kalasha people pay homage to God by celebrating the harvest and thanking their God for blessing them with good food and crops. Corn, buttermilk and cheese are prepared to celebrate the festival. People of Kalash take a procession to a high plateau which is located outside to the village in Balangkuru and they pray to the God and this is where the long night of dancing begins. This Kalash festival is moved to different locations of the of Bumburet and Rumbur and it continues for several days.
ITINERARY
Day 01 – Arrival to Islamabad. Hotel
Day 02 – fly or drive to Chitral. Hotel
Day 03. Drive to Rumbur/Bumburate/Birir. Hotel
Day 04. At festival. Hotel
Day 05. At festival. Hotel
Day 06 .Last day of festival. Hotel
Day 07. Drive to Mastuj. Hotel
Day 08 . Driver over Shandur Pass 3734m to Phander. Hotel
Day 09 . Drive to Ishkomen valley. Guesthouse
Day 10 . Drive to Hunza. Hotel
Day 11 .Day visit to Khunjerab Pass 4675m. Hotel
Day 12 – Drive to Chilas. Hotel
Day 13- Drive to Islamabad. Hotel
Day 14 – explore around Islamabad. Hotel
Day 15 – Transfer to the airport
Phool Festival 20 – 25th September
PHOOL FESTIVAL
Phool Festival is only held in Birir valley by the end of September.Kalasha tribes celebrate this festival for grape and walnut harvest. Grape being a staple requirement in the Kalash society for making wine are grown on trees in protected sites. Kalash people picked the grapes throughout the valley on this particular day and it also a occasions for joy and merry making. This is also the time of the shepherds returning from the high pastures.
ITINERARY
Day 01 – Arrival to Islamabad. Hotel
Day 02 – fly or drive to Chitral. Hotel
Day 03. Drive to Rumbur/ Bumburate/Birir. Hotel
Day 04. At festival. Hotel
Day 05. At festival. Hotel
Day 06 .Last day of festival. Hotel
Day 07. Drive to Mastuj. Hotel
Day 08 . Driver over Shandur Pass 3734m to Phander. Hotel
Day 09 . Drive to Ishkomen valley. Guesthouse
Day 10 . Drive to Hunza. Hotel
Day 11 .Day visit to Khunjerab Pass 4675m. Hotel
Day 12 – Drive to Chilas. Hotel
Day 13- Drive to Islamabad. Hotel
Day 14 – explore around Islamabad. Hotel
Day 15 – Transfer to the airport
Chaumas Festival Mid December
Chaumas Festival
This Kalash festival begins by the mid of December. Chaumas, also known as Chitirmas, Chaumas is a winter Kalash festival. The annually observed event symbolizes and forecasts prosperity of the village and its people in the coming year. The locals perform rituals for purification during the festival at the dawn of the new year.
People go out in numbers to seek foxes which are a good omen to sight this time. Torch lit processions arrive from nearby villages at the main traditional dancing place called a “Charsue”. The dancing and festivities are held indoor that go late into the night as the local wine is handed around the bonfire.
The tribal elders gather at hilltops to watch the rising sun of the new year that is followed by goat sacrifices made to the Goddess, “Jastak”, and the blood is sprinkled at the temple Jasta Khan.
ITINERARY
Day 01 – Arrival to Islamabad. Hotel
Day 02 – fly or drive to Chitral. Hotel
Day 03. Drive to Rumbur or Bumburate. Hotel
Day 04. At festival. Hotel
Day 05. At festival. Hotel
Day 06 .Last day of festival. Hotel
Day 07. Drive to Mastuj. Hotel
Day 08 . Driver over Shandur Pass 3734m to Phander. Hotel
Day 09 . Drive to Ishkomen valley. Guesthouse
Day 10 . Drive to Hunza. Hotel
Day 11 .Day visit to Khunjerab Pass 4675m. Hotel
Day 12 – Drive to Chilas. Hotel
Day 13- Drive to Islamabad. Hotel
Day 14 – explore around Islamabad. Hotel
Day 15 – Transfer to the airport
Itinerary
Day 01 – Arrival to Islamabad. Hotel
Day 02 – fly or drive to Chitral. Hotel
Day 03- Drive to Birir. Hotel
Day 04.- At festival. Hotel
Day 05 – At festival. Hotel
Day 06 – visit to Bumburate and Rumbur. Hotel
Day 07 – Drive to Gharum Chashma valley (hot spring valley). Hotel
Day 08 – Drive to swat valley. Hotel
Day 09 – Drive to Peshawar. Hotel
Day 19 – Drive to Lahore. Hotel
Day 11 – Visit Lahore fort and surrounding. Hotel
Day 12 – Lahore Museums, Shalimar garden etc
Day 13 – Transfer to the airport.
Shandur Polo Tournament 7-9 July
Shandur Polo Festival is a very popular free style polo festival in Pakistan especially in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral. Shandur invites visitors to experience a traditional free style polo tournament between teams of Gilgit and Chitral on the highest polo ground in the world (3734m) also known as POLO ON THE ROOF OF THE WORLD. It is a three days festival when thousands of spectators not only from Gilgit and Chitral but from all four corners of Pakistan and beyond come to enjoy the polo and camp at Shandur Pass. This festival is held every year on July 7th 8th and 9th.
Chumarkhan Pass (4330m) is a two days’ gentle and pleasant trek distance of 29 km from Barsat Ghizer to Chapali Yarkhun Valley of Chitral. This beautiful easy trek goes amid meadows and streams and ideal to ride over the pass.
This trip is combined with cultural exploration of the Kalash tribe in Chitral. Kalasha people are Dardic indigenous people living in three different remote valleys of Chitral: Rumbur, Bumburet and Birir.
Festival dates July 7-9 every year
Max altitude 3734m /4330m
Trip duration 11 nights /12 days (5 camping & 6 hotel nights)
Trek standard Easy
Mountain range Karakuram, Hindukush and Hinduraj
ITINERARY
Day 01 – Arrival to Islamabad. Hotel
Day 02 – Drive over Babusar Pass 4100m to Chilas. Hotel
Day 03 – Drive to Ishkomen. Hotel
Day 04 – Drive to Shandur Pass 3734m. Camping
Day 05 -Polo match. Camping
Day 06 – Polo finial match between Chitral A team and Gilgit A team. After drive to Barsat. Camping
Day 07 – Trek to below Chumarkhan Pass . Camping
Day 08 -Trek over the pass 4330m to Chapali village. Camping
Day 09 – Drive to Chitral. Hotel
Day 10 – Visit to Kelash valley. Hotel
Day 11 – Drive to Islamabad. Hotel
Day 12 -Transfer to airport
Horse And Cattle Show Lahore
Horse and Cattle Show
Held at Fortress Stadium, Lahore towards the end of October, this festival showcases the cattle races, cattle dances, tent-pegging, tattoo show, folk music, dances, bands, cultural floats and folk games. The show has been described as an eloquent expression of Pakistan’s heritage and an authentic account of its agricultural and industrial achievement’s. It is held in Lahore Fortress stadium at the end of February or at First week of March. The fortress stadium, the venue of the show is thronged by active participants, foreign visitors and peoples who watch the festival with great enthusiasm, verve and aplomb.
A large number of them are interested in watching and appreciating the best breeds of livestock. Many derive pleasure by watching other activities such as display parade of animals, dances by horses and camels, polo matches, tent pegging, dog shows and their races, vaudeville acts of stuntmen, mass display of military band, rhythmically physical exercise by the children.
Tastefully decorated industrial floats and torch light tattoo shows. Additional attractions include a subtle interplay of lights to weave enticing patterns at night and breath taking acts by foreign groups. The show began as a modest exhibition organized by the army to project the cattle wealth of the country in the early fifties.
ITINERARY
Day 01 – Arrival to the Lahore airport.Hotel
Day 02 – At cattle show programme, Hotel
Day 03 – At cattle show and Visit of Lahore Fort.Hotel
Day 04 – At Show and visit of Shalimar Garden and Jahangit Tomb.Hotel
Day 05 – Lahore museum,Anar Kali and Alhamra Art council. Hotel
Day 06 – Drive to Islamabad on the way visit Rohtas Fort. Hotel
Day 07 – Explore around Islamabad. Hotel
Day 08 – day visit to Peshawar. Hotel
Day 09 – Transfer to the airport
Yasin Spring Festival Between 7-14 March
This Magnificent tour will start from Lahore or Islamabad visit Mughal city attractions in Lahore then Rohtas Fort, Taxila, and by flight or via KKH to Gilgit Hunza to see spring blossom and enjoy the unique ancient spring festival of Yasin which is called locally as BEE GHANIK.It can be flexible either we can visit North first and then Lahore.The purpose of this spring festival is to celebrate the arrival of spring and the bounties it comes with. The people of Yasin still celebrate this traditionally ancient one thousand years old festival. It is a two days’ festival which starts with homes decorated with flour and special dishes prepared. Local people gather at village Raja’s house and then set off with him towards the one thousand years old traditional house called Takto Khatan where their ancestors used to celebrate this festival, here music and dancing is enjoyed following AJARO and ploughing. This festival ends following the first polo match of the season at Yasin polo ground where the village chief on horseback gallops from one end to the other end waving the CHABUK. According to their belief he eradicates the evil spirit from the valley and the harvesting commences.
Best time to visit 1st. March to 15th March Yasin festival date Varies between first and second week of March
Max altitude 2900m
Trip duration 14 nights / 15 days
Transport Car, Jeep or Land Cruiser
ITINERARY
Day 01 – Arrival to Islamabad. Hotel
Day 02 – Drive to Chilas. Hotel
Day 03 – Drive to Chatorkhand Ishkomen. Guesthouse
Day 04 – Drive to Yasin. First day of Festival. Homestay or hotel
Day 05- In Yasin. 2nd last day of festival. Homestay or Hotel
Day 06- Visit Phander and by evening return to Gahkuch .Hotel
Day 07 – Drive to Karimabad Hunza. Visit Altit and Baltit Forts. Hotel
Day 08 -Drive to Chilas or Besham. Hotel
Day 09 – Drive to Islamabad On the way visit texla. Hotel
Day 10 – Drive to Lahore. Hotel
Day 11 – Visit of Lahore fort and old city. Hotel
Day 12 – Visit of Shalimar Garden and Jahangir Tomb. Hotel
Day 13 – Visit of Lahore Museum, Old Anar kali and Al Hamra art council. Hotel
Day 14 – Drive back to Islamaabd on the way visit to Rohtas Fort. Hotel
Day 15 – Transfer to the airport