CHITRAL: Residents of the Chitral Valley have voiced a collective nostalgia and genuine concern over the steady disappearance of cherished autumn traditions that once defined the rhythm of their community life.

Speaking at a seminar on ‘the waning traditions and customs of Chitral’ held at the press club on Sunday, local intellectuals and writers of folk heritage said that with the passage of time the ‘encroachments’ of modernity were dissolving cultural practices that served as the social glue binding villagers together for generations.

They pointed out that the departure of social cohesion and weakening of social bonds among the people and the social upheaval and unrest in the society was the corollary of the loss of socio-cultural events, most of which related to the autumn season.

They said that autumn in Chitral was more than a season; it was a vibrant tapestry of community festivals and essential ceremonies, a period of shared labour and exuberant merrymaking.

Call for reviving these vital customs that once defined community life

The seasonal calendar was marked by significant events that fostered unity and celebrated the cycle of life and agriculture and the flurry of activities brought the community members closer to each other, they said.

Historically, the season kicked off with the symbolic bringing down of cattle from the high-altitude pastures, known as Ghari Khomik in mid-October, and it was thanksgiving event for the galore of milk and milk products.

This was closely followed by ceremonies surrounding the crucial cultivation of wheat, vital for the valley’s sustenance, locally called bi-nisik, when the eldest man of a small village formally threw a handful of wheat grains into the field before starting ploughing, the speakers said.

They said that the locally prepared sweet dish based on milk was distributed among the villagers and it was here the villagers fully cooperated with each other in the farming activities collectively.

The speakers further explained that one of the most significant social events was the mass circumcision of baby boys, an occasion of immense communal pride and festivity, where families shared joy and support when festivities were held simultaneously in many families in a home.

The annual visit of the metal smith to the villages for sharpening household tools and agricultural gadgets, for which a makeshift forge (workshop) was established by the community, became the centre of the villagers for a week.

The speakers said most of the marriages were also scheduled for this specific period, which added colours to the autumn season and the villagers used to be free from farming activities, which they did manually when tractors and other farming machinery had not been introduced.

The intellectuals and writers said that such occasions provided essential opportunities for interaction, reinforcing social bonds through shared work, traditional music, dance, and communal feasts.

Today, the sentiment among the elders is one of profound loss as modern times have streamlined processes and altered lifestyles, leading to the abandonment of these time-honored rituals, they said.

“We have lost a part of our soul,” lamented an elderly resident of a remote village, reflecting on the silence that now fills the autumn air where laughter and music once echoed.

“The festivals are no more. The youth today are busy elsewhere, and the old ways are forgotten.”

Through a resolution, the speakers called for action, urging local authorities and cultural organisations to document and potentially revive these vital traditions before they are lost forever, preserving the unique social heritage of Chitral for future generations.

Those who spoke on the occasion included among others Dr Inayatullah Faizi, Zafarullah Parwaz, Shahzada Tanveerul Mulk, Mohammad Irfan and Muhkamuddin.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2025