Lockdown Hits Hard Kalash Festivals, Businesses

Daimi Begum, a 75-year-old shopkeeper near Bashalini in Karakar village of Kailash Valley, used to run a big business of local products in Chowk before lockdown but now has moved to a smaller shop as the lockdown in the wake of spread of Covid-19 badly affected her busines

CHITRAL, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Oct, 2020 ) :Daimi Begum, a 75-year-old shopkeeper near Bashalini in Karakar village of Kailash Valley, used to run a big business of local products in Chowk before lockdown but now has moved to a smaller shop as the lockdown in the wake of spread of Covid-19 badly affected her business.

Daimi, who is illiterate, said in her local language that not only her business was affected, but also twenty-five other women who used to provide products for her business were affected by the lockdown. She said the women used provide different handicraft items for her business and after taking her share of she distribute the money among the working women.

Daimi says not only she suffered losses, but the housewives were also badly affected who could not sale their handicrafts due to non-arrival of tourists on the occasion of Chelum Josh festival.

As the coronavirus has affected economies and businesses around the world, the epidemic also prevented tourists from visiting the religious festival of Kailash, Chelam Josh. The festival of Chelam Josh was not only celebrated by the people of Kailash as a religious ritual but also in this festival young girls run away with their favorite boys and announce marriages.

During this festival, women perform traditional dances in groups, while men also dance and beat the drums. During the dance men put their hands on the shoulders of women on their right and left and sing songs to express their pleasure on this occasion.

Every year thousands of domestic and foreign tourists visit these valleys to see the colorful festival, which also makes the business community very happy and the hotels that remain closed for six months in a year filled with visitors. Due to the lockdown, all domestic and foreign tourists were banned from visiting Chitral and that is why this annual religious festival was not celebrated in a manner like in the past.

The people of Kalash have been celebrating two big and small festivals every year from thousands of years. During these festivals, Kailash people dance, sing and play drums. Thousands of tourists come every year to see their distinctive and unique culture, dresses and lifestyle of Kalash people. The people here also look forward to the tourists coming to these festivals Not only hoteliers in Kailash Valley but people from all over Chitral wait for this festival which attracts influx of tourists and locals get income from these tourists. This time all forms of movement were banned across the country due to the coronavirus and that is why many tourists did not come to the Chelm Josh festival.

During the festival, Kailash women, dressed in colorful costumes, perform traditional dances in groups and sing religious songs--while young boys play drums. During the festivals and rush of tourists the sales of local products increases and business flourish, but not this year.

Tourists who come to the festival stay at local hotels and buy handicrafts from the shops, which are usually made by the women at homes. They bring these items to the Bumburit Bazaar and handover them to the shopkeepers. On sale the women get their profit.

Saleem, a shopkeeper in Brun village, said because of coronavirus, neither tourists came to Chelam Josh this year nor the Ochal festival was attended by tourists adding he had no business this year. He said that 22 women are associated with his shop who buy things from his shop and make trousers, shirts, kalash kapusi, caps, hats and other garments. This year, he said the market was closed and tourists did not come which caused a lot of loss to him and women associated with his business.

Alina, a Kailash girl student, says that Kalash women make various handicrafts at home and sell them to get education for themselves. Older women educate their children from the earned money but this year they will face difficult time as no business activity took place in the area.

When Alina was asked what the solution was as her festivals are often affected by such epidemics, she said the government should co-operate with them financially or provide interest-free loans so that these people can stand on strong financial footing.

Hidayatullah belongs to Rehan Kot in Chitral and has been running a gemstone and jeweler business in Kalash Karakar village for the last twenty years. He said the women here buy or borrow these items from his shop and make necklaces, pearl bangles, pendants, purses etc. The tourists like these items very much which generate a lot of revenue for the area and its people, but this year no tourists came to the scenic valley because of the lockdown.

When Hidayatullah was asked how many women in his shop were affected by the lockdown, he said that at least 23 women are financially affected.

He also said that the government should provide financial assistance to the affected people so that they can restart their business.

Karishma a Kalash girl from Barir Valley said Barir is far away from other valleys of Kailash where very few tourists come but this time no tourists came here due to lockdown and the businesses of local people are badly affected. She said since there is no other source of income or industry here, people are waiting for tourists to come and purchase their handmade items.

Abdul Khaliq Kalash, president of the Hotel Association in Bumburit, Kalash Valley, says that there are 32 hotels in Kalash Valley. These hotels remain close for six months of the year because of heavy snowfall and cold weather. Hotel owners often wait for tourists at these festivals in Kalash valley, to recover their losses but this time due to the lockdown tourists did not come here and they faced heavy loss. Abdul Khaliq said the government should to not ban these festivals and let the tourists come with proper compliance of SOPs to save the people from financial crunch.

In Kailash Valley, Rs 50 tax is also collected from non-local tourist while Rs. 150 from foreign tourist. According to the district administration, the money is spent on the welfare of Kailash. Last year, thousands of domestic and hundreds of foreign tourists came to the area. Since the NOC requirement has been abolished on the arrival of the foreign tourists, no special record has been prepared for them but their number was considered in the hundreds. Sadly, he said this year not a single foreign tourist came for Chalam Josh festival and the amount of tax collection remained zero.

Last year, more than 100,000 tourists onboard as estimated 40000 vehicles entered the valley. Due to the rush of vehicles, the one-hour journey from Ayun to Bamburit took nine hours. Locals said not a single hotel room remained vacant for booking while most of the tourists stayed in the tents of the hotels' lawn. But this year not a single customers stayed in hotel and locals faced financial losses.

Idrees Khan, president Hotel Association Chitral, says there are about 85 hotels in Chitral that wait for tourists on these annual festivals alone. Due to this pandemic they lost millions of rupees as no local or foreign tourists visited the district. He further said these hotels were declared quarantine centers by district administration for the people of Chitral and visitors but not paid by the administration despite a bill of Rs. 30 million was presented.

In this regard, when Additional Deputy Commissioner on Disaster Abdul Wali Khan was contacted, he admitted that due to the lockdown, tourists did not come to the annual festivals of the Kalash tribe this year, which caused a heavy loss to locals and administration. He further said that these tourists not only go to Kalash Valley to see the festival and stay in hotels but also buy local dry fruits, souvenirs, salajit, Chitrali hat, vest, robe, woolen warm cloth and etc. He hoped that soon these hotel owners would be paid for setting up quarantine centers.

Haji Ghulam Hameed has been running a dry fruit business in the old PIA Chowk Shahi Bazar for the last 40 years. He told that after visiting these festivals, tourists also visit Chitral and purchase local dry fruits from these shops. He said that not a single tourist was seen this time and the situation seemed thought provoking.

Haji Zahir Khan has a very old shop in Shahi Bazaar where Chitrali Caps (hats), vests, coats, robes, shawls, cloaks etc. made from Chitral woolen are traded and tourists who come to see Kailash festivals also buy these items in Chitral Bazaar. But this time they did not sell any things.

Haji Zahir Khan says that such festivals are very important for Chitral because there is no industry or big business here and people depend upon the tourists in these fairs which have been stalled for six months. He said when entry of tourists is banned the entire Chitral gives a deserted look and people are let with very little income resources.

Haji Zahir Khan said that such festivals play a major role in the development of Chitral. Explaining that these festivals are often attended by very important personalities like President, Prime Minister of Pakistan COAS, and ministers who announce developmental projects for the area on the occasion. Like, he said former president of Pakistan General � Pervez Musharraf on the occasion of Shandor festival had announced construction of Lawari tunnel which has now been completed and the road remains open for all round the year.