Kalash People

Kalash People are a small community living in three valleys of Bumburet, Rumbur, and Birir in the Hindukush of Northern Pakistan. The Kalash is a small population consisting around 4000 individuals. They follow a religion aligned with animism.

The most famous story connected with them is that they are the descendants of Alexander the Great. The story has been in circulation for centuries.  A recent study published in Nature states that they share similar Indo European origin that predates Alexander's conquest.  The Kalash have preserved an ancient polytheistic religion with strong links to early Indo-iranian traditions. They worship supreme deity along with other gods and spirits.  They celebrate seasonal festivals, offer sacrifices, revere mountain, rivers, and ancestors. 

Modern genetic historical research indicates that they possess South and Central Asian and ancient Indo-Aryan gene pool rather than direct Greek lineage.  They marry within their tribe and thus prevent cross-breeding.

Kalash language is an endangered Indo-Aryan language spoken by only a few thousand people. It is closely related to Khowar. 

They are related to Nuristanis, a larger ethnic group located in Afghanistan, but follow Islam. Kalash were often persecuted by the majority population, and were being victims of robberies, murder, rapes and the consecration of their graves.

The Kalash people live in three isolated mountain valleys located in Chitral, Pakistan: Bumburet, Rumbur, and Birir. In the past they lived in other valleys including Jinjeret Kuh, Urtsun, Suwir, Kalkatak, and Damel.

The valleys they inhabit today open to the River Chitral 20 kilometres south of Chitral town.  Villages in these valleys are located at a height of around 2000 metres.  The valleys are fertile with Oak forests on the mountain slopes.  Wheat, maize,

grapes, apples, apricots and walnuts are other crops.  According to Kalash tradition, some centuries ago their ancestors came here from Waigal valley of Nuristan. 

Kalash in general do not separate males and females or frown on contact between the sexes. However, in menstrual periods women are sent to live in isolation in bashaleni. 

Women are free to change their husband, provided the prospective husband pay double of what the existing husband paid. 

Their religion is ancient, based on animism and ancestor worship.  Crows represent the ancestors and are frequently fed with left hand and also at burial rites.  Festivals are reminiscent of pastoral and farming community life. 

Based on goat-herding and subsistence farming, wealth is measured in live-stock and crop. It is  gradually moving towards a cash based economy, where tourism emerges as a viable option.