Shandur Top, the roof of the world  is one of the entrance to the splendid valley of Chitral in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Shandur Top is world renowned pass which is located about 3740 meters above sea level exactly in the midway between Chitral and Gilgit and commonly known as “ The Roof of the World”. Covered with high snowy mountains in winter and lush green meadows in summer Shandur Top  is particularly known for its traditional Shandur Polo Festival which is held annually in the month of July.

Shandur-top-fields-view. Photo by Imtanan Ali

Shandur Top is the meeting point of Hindukash , Pamir and Karakoram ranges. It can be reached via air or by transport. Subject to good weather conditions daily flights are available from Peshawar and Islamabad to go to Chitral and then this fantastic spot can be reached by jeeps. From Chitral and Gilgit the land route is adoptable by 4×4 jeeps but both the ways are full of marvelous sceneries of nature. The famous Shandur Lake is a big lake and is the habitat for waterfowl species. This lake and other beautiful streams situated in this piece of heaven are also the home of the delightful Trout fish. The native language of Shandur Top is Khowar.

Shandur-Lake-view Photo : Imtanan Ali

In 1936, a traditional polo tournament was initiated in Shandur Top. Polo “ The royal sport” which is also considered as the king of all sports and remained as the favorite game of the royal elites. Since then every year in July, Polo is played in its original form on Shandur Top and a grand polo tournament takes place yearly which is world famous as Shandur Polo Festival. This colorful event full of regional folk music and dances , camping and other entertainments makes the chilled environment of Shandur lifetime memorable. The top teams of Gilgit and Chitral participate in this polo contest. Every team consists of six players with three or four reserve players and it seems a warlike encounter between the sides. All contestants play without helmets and also demonstrate their tartar blood. The players also roar at each other and it is important to mention that this freestyle polo is played without specific rules. The polo stick also works as a dagger, which can be used to whip or hook the opponent horse. The team which scores nine goals, wins the game. The tournament lasts for three days and the final is played on 9th of July.

Shandur-top-polo-festival

This fabulous festival is organized by the Gilgit-BaltistanTourism Department at Shandur Top , the roof of the world and thousands of local and foreign visitors attend this tournament. After the ending of festival the tourists start other activities like visiting the beautiful valleys of Chitral Mastuj, Boni,  Kalash and on Gilgit-Baltistan side Phunder, Gupis, Yasin & Ishkoman valleys and similarly Gakuch Gilgit, Hunza and Skardu which are the centers of centuries old cultures and customs.

The Kalash tribe in Pakistan is perhaps the smallest but one of the most magnificent ethnic group of Pakistan in terms of their rich and distinguished cultural background.Kalash tribe is well known for their unique customs and traditions. Geographically their area is known as Kafiristan which is actually a splendid valley zone in the district of Chitral in Khyber Pakhtun Khuwah province.  The people of Kalash commonly known as Kalasha are so unique who belong to Indo Aryan community.  They speak Kalash language and are scattered in the three valleys namely Birir, Bumburet and Rumbur in Kafirastan.

Kalash Kids, Photo by Jodi Hilton

The historians remain confused about determination of the true ancestry of Kalash people as some of them declare them to be the descendants of the soldiers of Alexander the Great. While the other opinion is that the ancestors of Kalash people actually migrated to Afghanistan from a far place in South Asia and they dwelled in the Nuristan area, a province in Afghanistan. However the consensus is about the period of their migration from Afghanistan to current region in the 2nd century B.C. by the 10th century A.D.

Apart from their mystic emanation the Kalash people possess loving, cordial and responsive character and they are famous for their dancing, music, and their religious traditions. In fact they have everything exclusive like their costumes, beliefs, traditions and festivals.  The Kalash people are polytheists and their religion has mythical feature having a strong connection of thriving the spirituality in their soils from the universe. There is eminent importance of the music and dance in their religious obligations. Many of the people from Kalash community have accepted Islam as, Islam being the dominant religion in this area yet the remaining Kalash community believes to maintain their strong identity. Even the people who have converted themselves as Muslims are also still living nearby in the Kalash villages and carry on their language and culture.

The Kalash women ( Image: Iqbal Khatri )

The Kalash people celebrate three main festivals: Joshi, Uchau and Chawmos. Joshi is a festival held in the month of May in which the gratitude is expressed to the spring season. Uchau is conducted in autumn. The most important festival is the Chawmos which is celebrated for two weeks when winter is at its peak in the month of December. Having much of music and dancing this festival marks the end of the year’s fieldwork and harvest. Sheep and goats are sacrificed on this occasion.

A teenage group of the Kalash girls ( Image : GULSHAN AZEEZ AZEEZ )

The traditional dressing of Kalash people also have a major attraction for the tourists coming to this area. The Kalash women wear a dress containing a black robe and an embellished cap with decorations of cowrie shells, ornaments and beads. Men usually use the Pakistani shalwar kameez, while Kalash children wear small versions of adult clothing after the age of four.

The government of Pakistan has always put efforts to preserve the Kalash tribe with their genuine customs, clothes, religion and beliefs. However their populations is continuously decreasing due to the most of them are embracing Islam and presently the Kalash people are deemed as one of the world’s endangered minority communities.