CHITRAL: A food festival was organised in upper Chitral on Saturday, marking the return of livestock to the villages from the pastures after four months of grazing.

The daylong Ghari Khomik festival was held in Khuzh and other villages, where traditional food was served to people, with participants, especially youth taking part in competitions of local sports and music.

Social workers and cultural activists addressed the opening and closing ceremonies of the event and gave away prizes to the participants.

The festival had long ago been abandoned as the people switched to other professions after renouncing the livestock keeping and started sending their children to school.

However, the Chitral Association for Mountain Areas Tourism with the financial assistance of Small Grant Ambassador’s Fund run by the USAID revived the traditional festival to promote tourism in the area. The residents of the valley expressed pleasure over the revival of the festival which used to be a great occasion, providing them with opportunity of merry-making.

Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2014