Chitramas festival concludes in Kalash valleys.

CHITRAL -- The winter Chitramas festival of Kalash people concluded in the Bumburate valley on Sunday, coinciding with the New Year of the Kalash calendar. The festival began on Dec 7.

Kalash elders from the other two valleys of Rumbur and Birir also participated in the concluding ceremony.

The concluding day started with a ceremony in which a captive fox was set free by bitans (Kalash religious leaders) drawn from all the three Kalash valleys, who made prediction for the coming year on the basis of which direction the fox went.

Imran Kabir Kalash, a former member of district council, told Dawn that the fox leaped towards the stream after its release in the nearby forest which meant that the valleys would see extended winter and more rainfall, but pleasant summer with no sign of natural disasters.

He said the bitans also predicted high production of milk and honey in the valley during the summer, on which depended the sustenance of the Kalash people.

The groups of men and women, who had gone to seclusion five days before the end of the festival as one of the religious rituals of the festival, also came out on the occasion.

They had volunteered to remain in seclusion in the cattle pens to please their gods and goddesses.

The Kalash women and children attired in traditional dresses arrived at the central dancing place (jastakhan) situated at Broon village in the centre of the...

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