Kalasha caste

This redirect is about the specific "Kalasha caste". For the wider group of Chitrali speakers, see Kalash people.

Kalasha
Religions
Languages	Kalasha language
Populated states	Major Chitral Minor:Gilgit India

The Kalasha , archaically transliterated as kalasha or kailash) are found predominantly in the state of Chitral. The term Kalash has two related usages: within the Kalash-speaking region it describes the dominant Kalash caste; historically, the term describes the Kalash Kingdom.

Etymology

File:Chitral District.gif

Chitral District in (Dark Green) is the homeland of the Kalash peoples

History

The Kalash people, also called Hindu (Non-believer), live in the three sub-valleys of Kalash; Bumboret, Rumbor and Birir, in the modern-day District Chitral, Pakistan. The Kalasha are ancient tribe of Pakistan. They have their own way of life, language, rituals and their own identity. This part of Pakistan is considered to be a well preserved ethnic and cultural museum.Owing to this value, Kalasha culture has been listed by UNESCO for consideration as World Heritage Site.

The Kalasha culture is unique and tourist come from all over the world here to see the beauty of this unique culture. Each year many historians, anthropologists, sociologists and photographers from all over the world focus the Kalasha society. The numerical strength of the Kalasha people is about only 4,000 (as estimated in 2008).

The history of Kalasha is disputed. Today many hypothesises appear about the origin of the Kalasha tribe of Chitral. Until now two major hypothesises have been strongly developed about the origin of the Kalasha: Indo- Aryan origin and Greek origin .

The hypothesis of Indo-Aryan origin is supported by George Morgenstierne, R.C.F. Schomberg Karl Jettmar and Peter Parkes. While other hypothesis give the impression that the Kalasha are relatively recent newcomers or Greeks in origin. This hypothesis was formulated by H. Siiger and is supported by two French anthropologists, Jeans Yves Loude and Viviane Lievre. Captain John Wood wrote a book A Personal Narrative of a Journey to the Source of the River Oxus by the Route of the Indus published in 1841. . Captain Wood, although, did not visit the (land of Hindus) but he collected valuable information of the region; ethnicity and society.

Chitral Temple Top

Religion

The Kalashas are Hindus and polytheistic believing in 12 Gods and Goddesses. A renowned linguist Richard strand, is of the view that the people of Kalash practice an ancient form of Hinduism which gradually developed locally and got influenced by the neighboring They believe in a number of Gods e.g. Yama Raja also called Dezau and Khodai who is the creator deity. Another god is the Balumain who is the cultural hero and taught the people of Kalash how to celebrate the winter festival. Other gods include Destak, Munjem, Dezalik.