CHITRAL: The government announced the establishment of the Kalash Development Authority as the three-day Uchal festival concluded in Birir valley here on Monday.

The festival, which is a thanksgiving occasion for the harvesting and threshing of wheat crop, ended in the other Kalash valleys of Bubmruate and Rumbur on Sunday.

Cheese and other dairy products were distributed to participants, who sang local songs and danced.

Luke Rahmat Kalash said as a ritual, cheese of the finest quality and a few grains of wheat were put at the altar of the deity in every valley and special songs were sung to eulogise deities to seek their blessings.

He said at the advent of the summer season, the Kalash people went to high-altitude pastures to graze goats and stayed there for three months during which they prepared cheese and ghee from goat milk.

“When the summer season begins to end, the Kalash people descend to the low-altitude pastures and spend around one and a half month there before returning to own homes in their respective valleys by the end of September,” he said.

Luke Rahmat said milk was lavishly used in Kalash festivals along with wine as milk was considered to be a sacred drink in line with Kalash dogma and the Kalash people raised goats to meet demand.

Culture minister Shaukat Yousufzai and three aides of the chief minister Taj Mohammad Khan Tarand, Arif Ahmedzai and Wazirzada attended the festival concluding ceremony in Bumburate valley.

Mr Yousufzai announced the establishment of the Kalash Development Authority for the protection local unique culture, poverty alleviation and provision of health and educational facilities.

He also announced Rs0.5 million for future festivals in every Kalash valley and said Rs40,000 would be disbursed to every family in valleys in light of rising food inflation.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2020