The Nuristani Culture of Kalash Valley
February 17, 2012
Nuristanis of
Sheikhandeh in Kalash have a very distinctive culture. One finds people either
sitting under the cool shade of trees or by the riverside, playing cards,
gossiping or telling tales of olden times and narrating the heroics of their
ancestors. The Nuristanis, who were formerly known as Red Kafirs, now live in
many villages of Chitral district and two villages of Kalash valley. These
villages are called Shikhanande in both valleys of Bumborate and Rambur known
for their stunning scenic beauty. Amir Abdur Rehman (1880-1901) of Afghanistan
gave them the name Nuristani when he converted the Kafirs to Islam. Formerly it
was known as Kafiristan, the land of non-believers which later became known as
Nuristan, the land of light. A chivalrous people, the Red Kafirs were posted at
the mouths of Bumborate and Rumbur valleys to protect the Black Kafirs from the
frequent attacks from Afghanistan. Today, the descendants of those who were
posted by the Mehtar of Chital are nostalgic about their past and remember
their heroes who protected the Black Kafirs (Siahposh) from the invaders. The
older members of the community spend their time either playing cards or
remembering the old stories of their ancestors. These memories have healing
effect on the elderly Nuristanis. Apart from Shikhanande in Bumborate and
Shikhanande in Rumbur, they also live in other villages of Chitral particularly
at Garam Chashma, Drosh, Urtsun, Sweer, Kalkatah, Gobor and Shah Salim, a
village that borders with Afghanistan. Old Nuristanis seldom take their
livestock to the alpine forests for grazing. It is mostly the young who are
responsible for the care of the livestock which is the main bread earner of the
Nuristanis. Women do the farming. Their time too is spent in card games and
gossip.
The Sheikhandeh village
in Bumborate is noted for wooden houses that are stacked like steps against the
hills. These wooden houses are two or three stories high tucked into the hills.
The ornately carved house indicates the status of the owner; mostly the houses
of the notables carry more intricate carvings, especially the knotted design
that one can see on the temples and houses of the Kafirs in the Brun, Karakal,
Batrit and Anish villages of Bumborate valley. The houses are made of wooden
beams, mud and stone. The roofs of the houses are flat and serve as a step for
the next storey. Apart from wooden houses, wooden mosques also mark the
landscape of Nuristani villages. The most amazing mosque, which is noted for
its four storey wooden minaret, is located in Sheikhandeh Bala in Bumborate
valley in Kalash. The mosque is believed to have been built in 1930. The main
features of the Shikhanande mosque are the wooden minaret and arcade verandah.
Shikhanande Payeen in Bumborate valley also has a wooden minaret. These wooden
minarets are only peculiar to the villages of Shikhanande Bala and Payeen. The
wooden stairs lead to the verandah of the mosque, which is decorated with
floral and geometric designs. The main hall of the mosque also carries
intricate woodcarving. To the west of the mosque, there is a pond. It also has
a separate hujra with a fireplace and facility for ablutions. The hujra with
fireplace is peculiar to the mosque in Gilgit-Baltistan, Chitral, Dir and Swat regions.
The wooden mosques of Seo, Kandia, Sazin and Palaus in Indus Kohistan also have
hujras with fire but their woodcarvings are very intricate compared to other
regions. The wooden mosques in other areas of Chitral also have hujras with
fire places namely Sahan, Ayun, Dahar, Moroi Payeen, Koghuzi which are used for
the guests. Almost all of the wooden mosques of Chitral are noted for the
woodcarvings. However, the mosques of Shikhanande Bala and Pain are not only
famous for woodcarvings but also for the wooden minarets decorated with fretted
panels.
