The Kalash are a small pagan minority group living in the Chitral district of Pakistan. Originally there were around 200,000 Kalash people, but due to forced conversions to Islam, their numbers have dramatically declined to only 3,000-4,000 remaining today. The Kalash live in three valleys in Chitral and have distinct cultural practices from the surrounding Muslim populations, including less restrictions between males and females. Kalash women wear long black robes with colorful embroidery and accessories that distinguish them from other women in the region. The Kalash celebrate several festivals throughout the year.
The Kalash are a small pagan minority group living in the Chitral district of Pakistan. Originally there were around 200,000 Kalash people, but due to forced conversions to Islam, their numbers have dramatically declined to only 3,000-4,000 remaining today. The Kalash live in three valleys in Chitral and have distinct cultural practices from the surrounding Muslim populations, including less restrictions between males and females. Kalash women wear long black robes with colorful embroidery and accessories that distinguish them from other women in the region. The Kalash celebrate several festivals throughout the year.
The Kalash are a small pagan minority group living in the Chitral district of Pakistan. Originally there were around 200,000 Kalash people, but due to forced conversions to Islam, their numbers have dramatically declined to only 3,000-4,000 remaining today. The Kalash live in three valleys in Chitral and have distinct cultural practices from the surrounding Muslim populations, including less restrictions between males and females. Kalash women wear long black robes with colorful embroidery and accessories that distinguish them from other women in the region. The Kalash celebrate several festivals throughout the year.
The Kalash are a small pagan minority group living in the Chitral district of Pakistan. Originally there were around 200,000 Kalash people, but due to forced conversions to Islam, their numbers have dramatically declined to only 3,000-4,000 remaining today. The Kalash live in three valleys in Chitral and have distinct cultural practices from the surrounding Muslim populations, including less restrictions between males and females. Kalash women wear long black robes with colorful embroidery and accessories that distinguish them from other women in the region. The Kalash celebrate several festivals throughout the year.
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KALASH: SAY ISHPATA TO A COLORFUL
LAND The Kalash or the Kalasha are the only pagan minority residing in the Chitral district of the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhua. They form the smallest minority community in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Though the people of Kalash were once in a large number, around 200,000, the number has dwindled so much so that only a handful of Kalashas remain— about 3000 to 4000. The striking decrease in the population of Kalashas pertains to the forceful conversion of these pagans to Islam. Even in the current day scenario, smallest pagan minority is hardly given any rights and is not recognized as a separate entity. Only a handful of foreign NGOs are working towards the development and progress of this area and tribe. The Kalashas live in three valleys of Chitral namely, Rumbur, Brumbret and Birir. The Rumbur and Brumbret form a single culture due to their very similar cultural practices, while Birir being the most traditional one forms a separate culture. The people of Kalash differ from the people of the surrounding areas in a number of ways. There is no separation between males and females in Kalash and are allowed to keep contact and communicate without any fingers being raised at them. Moreover, the females of Kalash are sent to live in a bashaleni when they are considered to be impure for e.g. during the child birth period and other occasions. These women are only able to live this place after they regain their purity and have undergone the ritual of restoring purity.
The women of Kalash wear long black loose robes with colorful embroideries and cowries shells. These women are also found wearing colorful beads and necklaces that further distinguish them from the other women of the Chitral region. They accessorize their black robes by making use of colorful long braided head wears. The males of the Kalash on the contrary have adopted the Pakistani national dress i.e. the shalwar kameez and are often found wearing waistcoats over them. They also wear hats common to the northern area of Pakistan. FESTIVALS: The inhabitants of the Kalash valley celebrate a number of festivals all year round. The three predominant festivals are as follows: Joshi Uchau Caumus KALASH WOMEN HEAD DRESS: The headdress, known as a shushut, is a band of hand-woven woolen cloth that fits over the head with a wide decorative streamer hanging down the back. The shushut is normal, everyday wear for all Kalash women and girls. A more elaborate ceremonial headdress called a kupas is worn, when occasion demands, over the shushut.
This Kalash woman's headdress or
shushut has been donated to the collection by a long-serving Powerhouse Museum volunteer. The donor acquired the shushut on a visit to the Bumburet Valley in Northwest Pakistan in 1995. WHAT INSPIRED ME? While browsing on internet for my final thesis project I came across with KALASH culture. Now if you ask what part of Kalash culture possess interest in me, it would be the colors they wore on daily basis. The most eye catching and divine sight of this entire culture for me was the detailing of women clothes. The beautiful black garment and the colorful ornamentation was the thing which provokes me to go deep in this particular topic and the more I get to know about this culture, more I felt respected and fell in love with this culture. The most highlighted part was when I got to know that the women in Kalash have the right to choose their groom and even they have a right to divorce. In the era where we women struggle to have our own rights, where we have to ask for permission for literally everything, it was pleasant to know about this. The idea from their garments gave me the inspiration for my final project, it just clicks in my mind that how I can play and manipulate with detailing.
