Kalash valley dress
Kalash Valley, Chitral Pakistan is famous for its traditional clothing and cultural lifestyle due to the uniqueness of dress designs. Specially Girls and women wear a black traditional dress full of embroidery, and pearls on it.
There are several ancient and historical sites in Pakistan which follow their ancient tradition in this time as well.
To understand the diversity of any civilization and culture, its architecture, ornaments, and traditional attire are of key importance. Similarly, one's personality and temperament can also be judged by one's attire.
Why Kalash valley is famous?
The Chitral Valley is considered one of the most beautiful places in Pakistan, with its beauty and Kailash culture making it quite unique from other parts of Pakistan.
Not only are the valleys full of beautiful and fascinating sights for tourists, but the colors of the culture change every 50 km. This feature makes it unique and important from other parts of the country.
Where is Kalash valley in Pakistan?
Chitral is the largest district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in terms of area, located at the foot of the high peak of 'Trichmir', which stretches from Lawari Tap to Shandor Tap and from Kailash called Kafiristan to Wakhan Valley.
It is also an important border region of Pakistan, with Afghanistan to the north, south, and west. The district is connected to Dir via Dara Lawari, while you can reach Gilgit-Baltistan via the Mastung Valley.
Pakistan's Specialty in Tourism
Pakistan offers breathtaking scenic views and valleys like Hunza, Swat, Kalam, Malam Jabba, Naran, Kaghan, Neelam Valley, Skardu, Murree, etc. Famous tourist spots like Khunjerab Pass, Attabad Lake, Soon Sakesar, etc. Beautiful cities include Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Muzaffazabad, etc.
See also:
Thal village of Kumrat valley in upper Dir
Tourist places from Kalam to Mahodand lake
Tourism sites in Abbottabad, KPK
And historical, sacred, and ancient places as well which include Rawat Fort, Sharda, Mohenjo-Daro, Tomb of Asif Jah, Bhong Mosque, Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, Attock Fort, Shahi Qila Lahore, Badshahi Masjid, etc. And the world's highest and most difficult mountains, and glaciers like K2, Rakaposhi, Biafo, Passu Cones, and much more.
What do Kalash people wear?
Tourists from all over the world flock here to see the thousands of years old civilization and cultural traditions of this Kalash valley, Pakistan. A full Kalashi dress includes a shirt, shalwar, hat (Pisi), and belt, while women wear necklaces made of different types of pearls and oysters.
Men's dress of Kalash valley
Kailash men, on the other hand, wear Chitrali hats and Sadris with shalwar kameez. In the past, men wore black militia shalwars, but over time, they adopted modern trends, influenced by the surrounding environment.
Women's dress of Kalash valley
The women's clothing of the Kalash Valley also reflects the diversity of the culture, the dignified traditions, and the colors of society.
Black colored cultural dress
Clothing plays an important role in identifying any culture, as well as defining moral values with historical facts.
The most prominent aspect of Kailash's culture is that they have adopted the traditional dress for many generations. This dress is actually a black robe with colorful threads on it. Which is called 'Cou' in the local language.
Kupas, the traditional crown of Kalashi women
The head is adorned with ornaments called 'Kupas' which are worn during the day. They are made using a hand-made machine, the garments are made of pearls, which local women travel a long way to find. Other important parts of the dress include the Tassos "head's short robe" and the belt "waist belt".
The belief of Kalash people
There is a common belief in Kailash that this shield-like design protects the whole community from evils and misfortunes. The philosophy behind the black dress is that it reflects both emotions, joy, and sorrow, at the same time.
Kalash dress design
These pearls are used as a line in the 'Kupas' above the head in such a way that age, social status, and wealth are determined with each line. These 'Kupas" are decorated like shield-like designs as well as floral designs are used in these ornaments. Which are very popular among young girls.
What is Kalash culture?
The embroidered cloth above the head is in the form of 'Ring', usually made of domestic animal wool and adorned with colorful pearls and silver. They reflect various aspects of life such as social status, attitudes, inner feelings, and economic status, but do not include the religious element.
The characteristic of this community is that they easily absorb innovation without giving up their traditions and individuality, which is why they are incorporating their old traditions into innovation.
Ethics of Kalash People
Nowadays synthetic threads are used in various costumes with old techniques, these costumes are an important part of their festivals. Especially to express their grief on the occasion of a death, Kailashi women take off their hats and leave their hair open till the dead are buried.
Dresses of Different Times
The evening dress includes shalwars, shirts, and shawls. The strong connection of Kailash women to their culture shows how sincere they are in their values.
Cultural heritage gave them individuality
Just as the importance of a place can be gauged from the various aspects of the people's attitudes and culture, so the beauty of the Kalash Valley lies in the women's artifacts. Adorned with pearls, their jewelry covers their necks.
According to some anthropologists, the number of necklaces worn by women reflects the dignity of their husbands or fathers and to some extent also reflects the wealth of the family.
This pearl necklace is a symbol of respect and love, the bride receives a necklace of pearls from her in-laws' wives at the wedding which is a warm welcome for a new bride. For centuries, the inhabitants of the Kailash Valley have successfully maintained and preserved their individuality.
Their proud cultural heritage is being passed on to the next generation with flexibility and innovation. That is why their cultural heritage is a source of their identity in the world.
The lifestyle of Kailashi girls
Almost all Kailashi women know the art of sewing, embroidery, and cooking. She sews her own clothes. Kailash garments are not available in the market as it is very difficult to make them. It costs up to ten thousand rupees to make a dress. If she sews from a specialist, she charges Rs 2,000.
The natural beauty of Kalash has its place, but if you want to see the colors of the culture of this region, you can't ignore the clothes and attire of the women here. The women of Kalash wear long, black robes adorned with oysters and pearls.
This color of black cloth and apparel has religious and cultural significance for the people of Kalash. It is well known that when there was no textile or industry in the region, men and women made garments from black sheep's wool. And it is also crafted.
Kalash celebrates three major festivals in May, August, and December, with local women making traditional costumes. In addition to festivals, costumes are made for weddings.
The fabric used in the making of this traditional dress is high and sophisticated. Two types of yarn are used in the sewing of garments, one is woolen and the other is an ordinary thread.
If the fabric is defective and substandard, the sewing of the fabric will be damaged. It takes several days to make Kelashi suits or wardrobes. The cost of sewing a large pair is between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000. Readymade suits sell for between Rs 12,000 and Rs 15,000.
Dress is a compulsory part of Kalash culture & tradition
The Kailashi girl uses a mobile phone and on the occasion of the festival, the Kailashi women make special arrangements for their decorations and come home ready. Unwillingly, Kailashi women have to practice all aspects of their culture, as it is very difficult for a Kailashi woman to wear heavy clothes day and night.
This is also secretly expressed but in spite of all the difficulties, they can't even think of giving it up because the people of Kailash think that if they stop wearing it, the culture will be ruined.