CHITRAL: A festival of Kalash community living in the adjacent valleys of Bumburate, Rumbur and Birir will commence from Sunday with traditional fanfare of merry-making to herald the advent of spring season.

A large number of Kalash people, mostly women folk, can be seen in the city markets shopping different items for thefestival, which is mostly related to the dresses for women folk and children during thefestival scheduled to start on May 12.

The preparations for thefestivalstarted a month before its commencement in the form of renovation of houses, repair and replacement of different items of houses pertaining to beds, furniture, crockery and decoration.

The Kalash people said that a large quantity of milk has been reserved in each home for the inaugural ceremony called Chhirpeyek(offering of milk).

Meanwhile, the rooms in different hotels of the valleys have already been booked in advance by the tourists, who have started reaching here.

Lower Chitral DC Mohammad Imran Khan told Dawn that all necessary arrangements have been made including the maintenance of roads leading to all the three valleys to facilitate the tourists.

He said a large number of tourists were likely to visit the valley on the occasion, A fool-proof security plan was put in place so that the festival could be held peacefully, he added.

Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2024