Chilim Jusht festival from next week

By Our Correspondent

CHITRAL: Chilim Jusht, the spring festival of Kalash people living in the three valleys of Bumburate, Rumbur and Birir, will commence in the second week of May and continue for five days, activists of Kalash development said.

Preparations for the festival have been started and the Kalash people, both male and female, are seen in city markets busy in shopping for the occasion. They have gotten many suits of traditional clothes stitched, renovated their houses and replaced the old utensils.

The festival usually attracts a large number of tourists to the valleys, but the Kalash activists said the turnout this year might be low because of the security situation in the Malakand division.

They said that during the festival, the number of tourists to the valleys reached its peak and all the hotels and rest houses were occupied to their capacities by the visitors.--Dawn