Promoting Chitral’s culture – through flowers

AYUN, May 26: The formal launching of Chitral Horticultural Society – Gulistan – will be held at the PTDC Chitral at 10am on Tuesday (May 27).

Gulistan is the brainchild of Shahzada Maqsoodul Mulk of Ayun who has for long been working on the idea of laying the foundation of Chitral Horticultural Society. “I feel Chitral’s culture is reflected in many ways, one of them is our keenness for flowers and gardening. Being remote and lacking resources has not hampered Chitralis from developing a way of life that is special in many ways.

It sets an aesthetic standard of living superior to what surrounding races have pursued in spite of having better access and links,” said Shahzada Maqsood. Wherever you go in Chitral you see a passion for flowers amongst simple village folks. No home in Chitral is without flowers and many a Chitrali will have one tucked in his Pakhol. Like any other Pakistani the struggle for education, health and a better life pushes us into economic pursuits, in the process we interact with officials working in the district or visitors passing through.

Such brief interaction does not provide the visitors an opportunity to observe different aspects of our cultural and way of life, thus they miss out in truly understanding the qualities in a Chitrali. The Chitral Horticultural Society – Gulistan – will be one additional window reflecting  Chitral culture and beauty. He said there was no donor or NGO funding the project. “We will form an elected body for future guideline but initially I will put in my bit as a contribution to get the society going.”