Chitral: After the recently concluded Chilm Joshi spring festival of the Kalash tribe of Chitral district, a young girl expressed her disgust over the overwhelming onslaught of tourists at their festivals. Gul Bahar Kalash said it amounted to degrading the sanctity and sanguinity of the religiously celebrated occasions.
Gul Bahar said she was happy to see that this year not many tourists turned up for their Chilim Joshi festival and they could celebrate it with ease. Answering a question she said not all tourists are bad but many are rude and intrusive and come with the pre-conceived idea that the Kalash are a commodity instead of human beings with self respect. This is abhorring and the concept needs to change she said. She reiterated that personally she was very happy to see that very few tourists came to watch the festival this year. .. CN report, 30 May 209
https://www.facebook.com/FatahTravels/videos/2339451623047203/
2 thoughts on “Kalash girl laments tourists invading their religious festivals”
Apprehension of the young girl is correct. Most Pakistani tourists visit the Kalash valleys with the intention of having fun and frolic, often disrespecting the privacy and reclusiveness of the Kalash, just as a person visits the zoo for the sake of some entertainment. Kalash are a precious asset of not only Chitral but of Pakistan. No tourism presentation on Pakistan is complete without the picture of a Kalash girl in her unique attire. 95 percent tourist visiting Chitral do so because of the Kalash. If Kalash factor is taken out Chitral would not yield much attraction for visitors. The Govt must seriously think of preserving the Kalash culture, their dignity and self respect from the onslaught of uncouth tourists as much from other threats. Unbridled, unregulated and unplanned tourism into the Kalash valleys may seriously harm their culture as feared by the young girl in the video.
Very well said,”unbridled, unregulated and unplanned” tourism surely destroys. For further information please refer to my article published by Chitralnews.com.