CHITRAL, May 30 The cultural mapping of Kalash would be completed soon, locals said here on Saturday.

With the financial assistance and technical help of the Unesco and Aga Khan Cultural Service, the project is aimed at preserving the dying culture of Kalash people.

Talking to Dawn, Vice-Chairman Ayun and Kalash Valleys Development Project Mohkamuddin Ayuni stressed the need to highlight and preserve the cultural traits of Kalash people which faced extinction with the passage of time. He said that their organisation was working in Bumburate, Birir and Rumbur valleys of Kalash.

Mr Ayuni said that experts of the two organisations imparted extensive training to selected fieldworkers well conversant with the local culture. After data collection and sampling, videography and photography was used while plaques connoting historical sites were also prepared and would be installed on the sites.

The chief characteristic of the mapping, he said, was that it encompassed the whole of the primitive culture not a minute detail of any of its aspects had evaded attention of cultural experts.

He said that details were subjected to scrutiny and verification by the Kalash elders before they were given a final shape and for this purpose, a meeting of the Kalash leaders was convened that went through details of the data.

Some of the information was expunged, corrected and more details were added before the document was approved. He said that Kalash dogma and culture was a complex whole and one would be in a better position to differentiate between the two.

He said that the originations had agreed in principle to help in the mapping of cultures of other people in the district as well included the Khow, Bashgali, Wakhi and Gujar population.

However, renowned scholar Dr Inayatullah Faizi said that the whole process of cultural mapping was carried out in isolation without taking on board all stakeholders.