Chillum Jusht in Kalash

[waleedhbk]

Re: Chillum Jusht in Kalash

@muqawwee123

The Kalash creed is all that remains of a faith, which was once followed across the Hindu Kush. The territory of these animists was known as Kafiristan or ‘Unbeliever country’. Over the past few centuries Kafiristan shrunk into two distinct zones: the area occupied by the Black Kaffirs who are the present day Kalash and the area occupied by the Red Kaffirs, the descendants of whom live the Afghan province of Nuristan. In 1895-6 a jihad lead by the Emir of Kabul forcibly converted the Red Kaffirs. The territories of the Black Kaffirs however, were out-with the Emir’s juristrisction and therefore escaped the Emir’s jihad.

**The Kalash religion is especially significant because it is probably a survivor, along with Zoroastrianism and Hinduism, of a very ancient Indo European faith. Although the Kalash are often referred to as ‘polytheist’, most Kalash claim that they are monotheist, worshiping one creator god, ‘desau’ and that the other figures in the Kalash pantheon are not gods but Desau’s messengers . The Kalash faith can also be described as animist since the Kalash believe that trees, stones and streams all have souls.
**

http://www.kalashwelfare.org/index.php?/about-kalash/history-and-culture-of-the-kalash/

Yes you are right they are like this…They believe that Trees stone and streams all have souls when someone dies they do dance for 3 4 days and then buries them in a coffin

The lady from Kalaash itself told us this

[calypsodc]

Re: Chillum Jusht in Kalash

Do you think that the phatan tribes who were not Buddhist were like them before they converted to Islam?

[muqawwee123]

Re: Chillum Jusht in Kalash

Do you think that the phatan tribes who were not Buddhist were like them before they converted to Islam?

you mean whether conversion changed their psyche?

[calypsodc]

Re: Chillum Jusht in Kalash

@""muqawwee123""

(http://www.kalashwelfare.org/index.php?/about-kalash/history-and-culture-of-the-kalash/)

Facinating. Ancient nature worshipping religion. The beliefs have some commonality with “primitive Hinduism”. What I find interesting is the name of their god desau. In Hinduism lore, the father of the King of the Vedic deities was Indra. He was the son of “Dayus”. Wonder if there is some connection.

[muqawwee123]

Re: Chillum Jusht in Kalash

Facinating. Ancient nature worshipping religion. The beliefs have some commonality with "primitive Hinduism". What I find interesting is the name of their god desau. In Hinduism lore, the father of the King of the Vedic deities was Indra. He was the son of "Dayus". Wonder if there is some connection.

I think thats quite possible, as the article say that Kalash religion was followed in areas surrounding Hindukush and now Kalash is the only place where it survived.

[calypsodc]

Re: Chillum Jusht in Kalash

you mean whether conversion changed their psyche?

Not Psyche, I meant their cultural ,social and religious beliefs. I remember reading somewhere that Phatans tribes were not always hindu or Buddhists. So I was speculating if they were like the Kalash. I will try to see if I can find the link. But not sure, I read that ages ago somewhere in passing.

[muqawwee123]

Re: Chillum Jusht in Kalash

@calypsodc

Not Psyche, I meant their cultural ,social and religious beliefs. I remember reading somewhere that Phatans tribes were not always hindu or Buddhists. So I was speculating if they were like the Kalash. I will try to see if I can find the link. But not sure, I read that ages ago somewhere in passing.

They kept their pre-Islamic code of conduct ‘Pashtunwali’ alive after advent of Islam.

Pashtunwali - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[the_kaur]

Re: Chillum Jusht in Kalash

you mean whether conversion changed their psyche?

General psyche doesn't change in one generation mostly, for instance it changed in Punjab, Jat are just one people, but they seprated based on religion.

Kashmir is no different in this case, Iqbal who demanded muslim state was second generation convert, and So was Sheikh Abdullah of Kashmir who was third generation convert declared openly to pandits, "Raliv galiv ya chaliv"(convert,die or escape) to the pandits.

So I think that religion does change psyche, definitely in sub continent :)

[muqawwee123]

Re: Chillum Jusht in Kalash

General psyche doesn't change in one generation mostly, for instance it changed in Punjab, Jat are just one people, but they seprated based on religion.

Kashmir is no different in this case, Iqbal who demanded muslim state was second generation convert, and So was Sheikh Abdullah of Kashmir who was third generation convert declared openly to pandits, "Raliv galiv ya chaliv"(convert,die or escape) to the pandits.

So I think that religion does change psyche, definitely in sub continent :)

In case of tribal Pathans code of conduct in the name of 'Pashtunwali' had common characteristics of tribal Arabs.

[Aceones]

Re: Chillum Jusht in Kalash

Chillum jusht or (chusht, as they pronounced) is not really a family re-union, its more like "making a family out of no where" : D
i was also in chitral last year, went to Bamburet, the largest village where Kalash people reside these days (there are two more smaller villages)

our guide took us to their tribal leader if you can call him that, and what he explained about this festival was that, right before the festival starts, young boy/girls who want to marry each other, elope together, and hide somewhere. then someone negotiates on boy's behalf, with the girl's father/guardians, and agrees on the number of cows/goats etc he will give to her father if he agrees to marry her to him officially. during this festival all such claims are settled and agreements are made, the couples are then married etc etc
then later on, if some other man wants to marry that girl, or the girl doesn't want to live with the man she married, some else offers more cows/goats/money to her father, and their "panchayet" declares the earlier marriage as null and void, and marries the girl off to the other man, they call it "dukkkan"

they live in very small and dark homes, most homes comprise only one living room which also serves as kitchen, there is fire/cooking arrangements in the middle and people sleep around that fire. other smaller rooms are used for store.

then there is one small town hall type of place, i forgot the term they use for it. their women are left in that town hall during those specific days pertaining to women. they cannot come home during this period and their food is given to them in the hall.

[muqawwee123]

Re: Chillum Jusht in Kalash

Interesting information