Kalashi festivals are famous throughout the world. Three festivals are more importantly celebrated in different months of year. Chilam Joshi (spring festival) is the most important festival celebrated in late May, Uchal in summer season and Chomos festival during midwinters.
Chilam Joshi festival of Kalash valley is of four days. It starts at Rumbur valley and then move on to the other valleys. In this festival Kalashi people pray for the safeguard of their fields and animals before going to their fields and for this purpose they used to spread milk on their gods.
Uchal festival is celebrated at the time of harvest of wheat and barley. The celebrations highlights the richness of their tradition and the message of peace. For this festival Bamboret and Rumbur valleys of vale of Kalash are important because these are main areas for the cultivation of these crops.
Chomos festival is to celebrate upcoming New Year. In this festival all the older members of Kalash valleys they sit on the top of the hills and observe the initial light of the sunlight spreading over the valley and then they announce the arrival of New Year.
Until this announcement all the Kalshi people remained in their homes. It is the tradition in Kalash to welcome the New Year with the sacrifice of goats and other animals in order to make their goddess Jastak happy. These festivals are a very important part of their life. They used to wear special dresses.
People of Kalash valley love music and dance on the beat of drums. Women dance in circle on different songs. An interesting fact about Kalashi people is that they do not mourn on the deaths. Their corpses are buried above the ground in wooden boxes instead of being buried in the ground.
