06 Days

Kalash Festival Uchal | 20th - 22nd August Do experience the world unique culture of Kalash with Chitral Travel Bureau. It is better to see the culture once than hear about it a thousand times

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“Thanksgiving movement”- UCHAL is one of the famous religious festivals of the Kalash community celebrated by the Kalasha people every year on 20-22 August for the harvest and threshing of wheat crop in the three valleys of Bumburate, Birir and Rumbur.

The most remote and highly vulnerable community of Kalasha having unique traditions, values, customs is the most happiest people of the world. Non of the six key factors of happiness criteria applied in determining the international standard, but the Kalasha are known to be content and cheerful, as well as peaceful, showing gratitude and enjoying their simple pastoralist lives.

They have unique spiritual beliefs which taught them tolerance for others and which helped in maintaining a balance within their community. They have unique spiritual beliefs which taught them tolerance for others and which helped in maintaining a balance within their community and factors contributing to the wellbeing, happiness and resilience enhancement beliefs of Kalasha included five main themes, all influenced by their unique spirituality: contentment, pride in social identity, tolerance, gender collaboration and gratitude.

Kalash person's belief that “we have to live here in the heaven of Kalash and not in any other part of the world, so we are satisfied, we have enough resources to feed ourselves and our children. The Kalasha are never money oriented, we prefer peace and love that is everything to us. (Badsha Kalash)… we [the tribe] are famous for our faith in purity, we are pure souls like we don’t do negative things, we are satisfied with our lives, in our traditions and give no harm to others, we believe that all living peacefully are pure souls”. (Jia Kalasha).

Kalash celebrates every single event of life individually and collectively. Their social structured is established in a way which promote happiness, love, tolerance and respect to all living and non living creature of God. The four landmark festivals are celebrated in May, August, September and December every year, providing space sand opportunities for other people to join them in these feasts.

Uchal festival provides an opportunity to the community to pay homage to nature by celebrating the harvest and also thanking their Creator for blessing them with good food and crops. They take a procession to a high plateau which is located outside of the village in Balangkuru and they pray to the Creator and this is where the long night of dancing begins.
The Kalashi people celebrate the pre-harvest with cheese, corn, and wine. The people of the  Kalash valley love music and dance to the beat of drums. Women dance in a circle on different songs. An interesting fact about Kalashi people is that they do not mourn the deaths, rather they celebrate it as a movement of happy return of their soul to God. The best gift the Kalasha people expect from the friend is a big dance for the departed soul.

On this occasion they celebrate harvesting with singing, dancing and paying homage to the nature for blessing them with barley and wheat harvest season prepare special foods, cheese, buttermilk and cornbread for the event. Women in traditional dresses perform dances. During the festival prayers, a procession is made to a high plateau outside the village in Balangkuru where the long night of dancing begins.

Itinerary:

Day	Itinerary
Day 1	(18 Aug) Islamabad – Chitral: Departure for Chitral by Luxury public transport or Private Car/coaster  via Motorway passing through  Lawari -tunnel (3118m). The journey will be 10 hours’ drive,  arrive in Chitral and transfer to the hotel
Day 2	(19 Aug) Chitral – Bumburat (Kalash) Departure for Kalash valley, the 2-3 hours’ drive to Kalash village will be through the most interesting narrow jeep track, arrive and transfer to the hotel or camping site.
Day 3-5	(20-22 Aug) Bumburat/Rumbor (Kalash) Enjoy the Uchal festival in Bumburat and Rumbor village in Kalash valley
Day 6	(23 Aug) Kalash – Chitral: Drive back to Chitral, arrive and  evening transfer to  bus or special Car to Islamabad.

Cost of the Itinerary:

1- ECONOMIC PACKAGE FOR 6 DAYS KALASH UCHAL FESTIVAL-2019
1 person	2 persons	3 persons	4 persons	5 persons	6 persons
48,405	30,000	23,900	21,630	20,265	19,355
2- EXECUTIVE PACKAGE FOR 6 DAYS KALASH UCHAL FESTIVAL-2019
108,990	70,035	56,363	52,290	0	0

Included

• Transportation (Luxury Bus, Car and Coaster) and return air ticket Islamabad to Islamabad for Executive package.
• Standard Accommodation (Hoteling& camping)
• Standard Meals (Breakfast + Lunch+ Dinner)
• Local Jeep/Car and Land Cruisor services for Executive package per itinerary
• Fuel  and driver Expense
• Services of guide throughout the tour

Not Included

• Medication, evacuation and rescue, etc
• Extra expenses due to road blocks or other reason
• Other expenditure of personal nature
• Tea, Mineral water and Cold drinks expense
• Personal insurances of clients
• Anything not mentioned in the itinerary

Payment Policy:
• 50% advance payment for booking confirmation.
• Transfer payment to our online Bank Account:
• Account Title: Chitral Travel Bureau
• Account #:PK32 KHYB  0011  0000 0222 60060169007000003592
• Bank: The Bank of Khyber Attaliq Bazar Branch Chitral

Refund Policy:
• 24 HRS or less, 100% cancellation charges do apply.
• 3 days or more – 50% cancellation charge does apply.
• 5 days or more – 30% cancellation charge does apply.
• 7 days or more – 15% cancellation charge does apply.

Festival & Event Name	Date / Month	CTB Itineraries
Pathik	2 February
Nauroz	21 March
Qaqlasht	April
Chilumjusht	13-16 May	Click Here
Shandur Festival	7-9 July	Click Here
Uchau	August-September
Jashan e Chitral	October
Broghil	October
Chaumus	December

Jashn-e-Nauroz literally means a new day, and it brings hope and joy at the onset of the new year. Among ancient festivals, Nauroz is one which has been celebrated in the Persian world and beyond with immense excitement and festivities in the course of a very long history and continues to be a culturally bonding force. Although the Nauruz tradition goes back to ancient Persia, the largest volume of literature that is inspired by it belongs to the Muslim era. Nauruz is a celebration of the unfolding of beauty in the natural world, expression of gratitude for its many gifts, and also for the blessings of freedom and human dignity.

Different games are played by the youth-folk while the elders pay visits to their relatives and friends. The first day of the year in the local calendar is also reckoned from this day and the elders make special prayers for happiness throughout the year. Most of the engagements for new couples are made on this day.

In Chitral, Nouroz marks the arrival of the New Year and spring season. The festival is celebrated in Mastuj, Laspur, Yarkhoon, Khot, Rech, Karimabad and Lotkoh valleys on 21st March. The main feature of the festival is general cleanliness of the houses, exchange of gifts and merry-making of different natures including musical concerts.