GILGIT BALTISTAN - RICH CULTURE

PEOPLE CAN BE KNOWN BY THEIR CULTURE

 

Gilgit – Baltistan is a land where  people are living, with diverse culture, ethnic groups and languages for centuries.  Strategically the area is located in a very important place bordering India (Srinagar, Kargil, Ladakh), China (Kashgar etc), Afghanistan  and ever Russia.  Five languages;  Shina, Balti, Brushaski, Wakhi and Khowar are spoken in Gilgit-Baltistan but two main languages are dominant i.e. Shina and Balti which are widely spoken in Gilgit and Baltistan.
Besides these local languages, urdu, English, Pushto are also spoken here as large number of  people are settled here for their business. This unique multi lingual combination and varied culture and life style has become absolutely a different flavor and making the life colourful here.   
Religion wise people are very tolerant, Masjid, Imam Bara and Jamat Khana are equally respected.  Main sects are  Shia, Sunni, Ismailies, Noorbukhshia . Some people are also belong to Christian communities  and live in Gilgit.

Festivals are very popular and celebrated with enthusiasm. Besdies  religious festivals  like Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Azha, Eid Ghadir and Eid Milad-un-Nabi, there are some events for  the different communities and widely celebrated with peace and brotherhood. These cultural events  provide  an opportunity to further  strengthen their  relations as brotherhood.   

• Jashn-e-Baharan
• Cultural festival
• Nouroz,
• Annual Shandur Polo Festival
• Harvest time festival
• Due to the above festivals,  people of Gilgit-Baltistan  are very  also involved in organizing different  cultural events in other parts of country, especially  boys dancing  local music  with Drum, flute and duff.

 

MARZAN: This is a local dish which is prepared from flour (balti dialic Bowlo) with deshi butter from famour animal Yak. It is very famous and can be found at every day. (more details follow)....................More to come........with pictures.

CHITRAL-KALASH TRIBES

KALASH PEOPLE AND THEIR FESTIVALS )

Though Chitral is in KPK and not in Gilgit-Baltistan but somehow or the other is closely, culturally or custumes with the people of Gilgit-Baltistan. Most of the people don't know and even it seems thatChitral is in Gilgit-Baltistan and people asked why it is in KPK? it should have been in Gilgit-Baltistan being all this. Every year Shandur Polo Tournament held here in Chitral which is reasonably gathered. For Polo Gilgit-Chitral inevitable Giving space the Chitral here is the reason.

KalashValley:  The most beautiful place in the Chilas is Kalash tribes where some three thousand (3000) Kalashi live in the valleys of Rambur 32 kilometers from Chitral, Birir only accessible by jeepable road, Bumbure south of Chitral. Their have  major attraction for the tourists  all over the world due to unique cultural diversity  as their women wear black gown of coarse cloth made of woolem black material with shells, button and also crowned with a large colored feather,  in summer  which differentiate  them from others tribes.
People of Kalash love music & dance. This can be seen on their religious festivals held there every year with huge attendance by local and foreign tourists. The following are their festivals.
 Chilimjust or Joshi (14 - 15 May): Every year in  spring, the days start with dancing, and the people visit each other and exchange milk, cheese, yogurt and flowers.
Utchal (mid July):  Two days of celebration mark the harvest of wheat and barley. This is followed by singing, dancing and feasting and are very interesting.
Phool (20 – 25 September): The festival celebrates the reaping of the grape and walnut harvests.
Chowas (18-21 December): This is very intresting winter festival and celebrated to welcome the new year. Keeping people indoors, feasting and drinking until the elders, who sit on hill-tops to watch the sun reach its orbit, declare the arrival of the new year. They come out and  then lights the torches and performs the commemorative dance, and goat sacrifice is carried out.

 

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