Cheelim Jusht (spring festival)
Cheelim Jusht (spring festival)
Key Information:
Tour Duration: 13 - 15 day(s)
Group Size: 2 - 20 people
Destination(s): Pakistan
Specialty Categories: Off-road Adventure Archeology/History
Season: May
Tour Customizable: Yes
Per Person Price: 800 US Dollar (USD)

Spring is welcomed to the valleys with girls singing and dancing on the roofs for the Kirik Pushik, the festival of the first flower blooming. In spring women are allowed to enter the restricted upper valleys, with the Siu Wajik rite, in which a girl crushes three walnuts as an offering on the boundary bridge.
Joshi, the main spring festival, is held in May. All the houses and the temple of the goddess Jeshtak are decorated with walnut branches and flowers, and milk is distributed to all the villagers.
Dressed in new clothes, the women dance while the elder men sing songs of epic and romance. All the fairies in the hills gather, it is said, to watch the Kalasha wave walnut branches in time to the chanting of sacred Gatch (asking for abundant milk) by the religious leaderAfter this festival is announced people store milk in their barns where they keep their livestock. Those who have big flocks and milk in greater quantity, they do not start storing their milk from the first day. Those who have small flocks they start storing their milk from the first day to the tenth day. After ten days are completed women and children go to bring the yellow flowers ( bisha push) from the pastures. These flowers bloom when no other flower blooms in the area. The next day early in the morning these flower are put in the doors of all the houses and barns and the temple doors. All the doors of the buildings owned by Kalash are decorated with these flowers. On this same day the festival starts, this day’s celebration is called “c’irik pipi”. Which means, “drink the milk.” The words of this phrase are the polite accents of the two words “c’ir” milk “pi” drink. In this festival women sing the melodious song “para para may bayaa zhoshi gos’t’ para c’irik pipi o shishamond hawaw.” Which means “I went to my brothers barn on the festival of zhoshi and look it is the time of c’irik pipi.” This meaning is what the words say but it can have another meaning too. Some of the songs sung in festivals have funny meanings some times they are about love. So women go from one barn to the other and collect milk for home. Every village has its own festival of the day. The rich family who can afford to make cheese, they give cheese whole the villagers. After this festival they take the goats to the higher pastures.We celebrate the arrival of spring season with new hopes and aspiration.

ITINERARY:
Day 01 Islamabad.
Morning arrive Islamabad, meet and transfer to hotel to centrally air conditioned hotel Blue Sky. Evening city tour of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, and a shopping trip to Supper Market to explore the market for carpets and rugs gathered here from Iran, Afghanistan, China, Uzbekistan etc, over night at hotel.

Day 02 Peshawar .
Morning after breakfast drive to Peshawar, afternoon visit the archeological museum and evening at leisure ,overnight hotel.
.
Day 3: Chitral
Early morning drive to Chitral passing through scenic valleys and mountains. By this moment we shall be in the Hindukush mountain ranges after passing through lowari pass. Overnight at hotel.

Day 4: Chitral
Visit Kalash Valley and meet Alexander’s decendents. Visit the local houses to observe the life style of Kalash tribe. Overnight at hotel.

Day 05 Kalash valley.
Morning drive to Kalash valleys, afternoon excursion to Rambur and Evening enjoy the Kalash dance and music. meals and overnight hotel.
Day 06:
Kalash Spring Festival in Bumburet

Day 7 :
Enjoy Festival

Day 8:
Enjoy the end of the festival.

Day9:
Swat – Departure early morning and visit Gandhara & Hindu Shahi ruins on way

Day10:
Swat – Departure Late morning for Kalamand visit Madyan in way.

Day11:
Swat – Visit Ushu Valley and move back to Swat by evening.

Day12:
Islamabad - Departure via Shangla Pine Forest and Abbottabad. End of Services



Cost Includes:
• Accommodation in first class hotels on twin share.
• Air conditioned transport.
• Toll taxes and parking fees.
• Daily continental breakfast.
• Entrance fee at places mentioned.

Cost does not include:
• Medical or baggage insurance.
• Expenses of personal nature.
• Guide charges, lunches and dinner.
• Tips and gratuities.
• Beverages, aerated drinks
• Airfares and airport taxes.
• Any other services not specified.



info@alpine.com.pk
umbreenzaidi@yahoo.com