Events going on after Zoshi Festival

(Written on 22th May)

 

Small Zoshi on 14th May and Big Zoshi was held next day in Rumbur. Kalasha women and youths enjoyed dancing, elders released singing and the male members offered block cheese and bread to Mahadew, the guardian god, and shared to eat those offerings in front of Mahadew. 

 

 

It was good for the locals Kalasha to perform the festival that there were slightly less Muslim tourists due to Ramazan, and the weather was not so hot as usual year.

Photo ↑: Women are dancing “Miwmaw Awa” on Big Zoshi.

 

 

The day after Zoshi, on 16th, some of the village families started to move to summer houses near their fields.

 

 

On 17th, the marriage function was held in Balanguru village which a newly married girl during the winter festival came back to her father’s house for the first time from husband house escorted by many attendants, nearly 80 men from Bomboret valley with dowry. It is always a quite big event that whole villagers involve and a few goats being slaughtered as well.

 

Photo→ : Moving to the summer house. They just take very basic necessities for daily life.  

 

 

 

 

 

Sudden sad news was brought in the same evening that the father of the community representative had passed away. The celebration mood was changed into condolence. Villagers went to the house of the dead person and some stayed there all night.

 

On 18th, the funeral has started. Several hundreds people came to attend the funeral from the three Kalasha valleys.

 

After all night dancing and singing, next morning on 19th, the dead was buried. Then the funeral feast had served to all attendants from two other valleys and all families in Rumbur. More than 30 goats and a few bulls were slaughtered for this funeral.

 

Many attendants from other valleys left but some stayed at the house of the dead for all night with the relatives and neighbors. 

 

Next early morning, on 20th, people went to the edge of the graveyard to 

 

 offer tiny bread and cheese to the dead. Coming back to the house of the dead, male relatives shaved their beard and hair, then all attendants had served bread, meat with thick soup with ghee.

 

 

Photo ↑: Man standing left, from the same clan of the dead offered condolence at the funeral.

 

 

On 21th, all women were busy for washing and cleaning which are prohibited during the funeral.

 

On 22th, Murach waki Zoshi or Little Zoshi has held which is same entertaining and ritual as Big Zoshi but less participants. It is the sign for taking goat flock to the higher mountain.

 

 

Photo: On the Little Zoshi, people perfomed “Gatch” with waving walnut branch and leaves.    

 

 

So you see, here each day is different from the others, not the same.