Celebration of Kalash elder’s death underway in Rumbur
Chitral: A Kalash elder passed away in Rumbur aged 75 and celebration of his death has started in the area.
According to Kalash traditions, his body has been kept at Jastkakhan, the worship place of Kalash community, and the death celebrated for three days.
Folk dance after death of a Kalash elder in 2018. Dawn file photoThe Kalash do not mourn the death of their dead, instead celebrate the occasion saying the person is transcending to a better afterlife.
Goats are slaughtered depending on the status of the dead person sometimes amounting to 100 goats.
Songs and eulogies in praise of the death are chanted throughout the mourning period.
The cap of the deceased is kept beside his coffin were money and articles of daily use are placed, sometimes even cigarette and naswar are placed alongside the body of dead person at Jastkan along with fresh and dry fruit, just in case the person needed them in the afterlife.
The three-day funeral celebration is for male whereas female have a one-day celebration.
Reporting: GH Farooqui
They do mourn for your information, the relatives dont mourn for a few ours like rest of us, they keep mourning for almost 3 days .. please participate in any death occasion .. the women open their ponytails and sit beside the body day night for almost 3 days and keep crying, relatives neither dance nor participate in rest of activities and try to help the family with donating goats, cheese and desi ghee honey ..