PESHAWAR: A traditional yearly festival of the Kailash community, “Chilam Joshi,” kicked off with vibrant celebrations in the Kailash Valley of Chitral on Thursday.
According to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority, the annual festival Chilam Joshi began with colourful events and celebrations in the Kailash Valley.
The KP Tourism Authority’s Assistant Director, Muhammad Saad, said the festival commenced today and would continue till 17th May in the Kailash Valley, Lower Chitral.
“On the first day of the festival, the ritual of Cherik Pepi (the day of drinking and distributing milk) is celebrated in the Rambur Valley,” the Authority director said and added that the Tourism Police of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority have been deployed at various places from the Lowari Tunnel to the Kailash Valley to maintain security.
KP Tourism Authority, on the instructions of Director General Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Authority Shahid Khan, has cancelled the holidays of the Tourism Police.
In the cultural festival, all the girls and boys go to the goat stables, and the stables are decorated with wild flowers and walnut leaves, and they share love. Milk, cheese, and curd are also distributed during the festival.
The festival features the tradition of making and distributing walnut bread. Dances are performed to the rhythm of traditional drums throughout the event. This cultural celebration, held in the three valleys of Kailash, attracts both domestic and international tourists. On the final day of the festival, a special celebration takes place in the Bamburit Valley.
