Kalash – The non-Muslim Tribe Of North-Western Pakistan

Just today I came across an interesting Wikipedia piece on the Kalash people, an indigenous community residing in the Hindu Kush mountain range in the Chitral district of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (formerly North Western Frontier Province) province of Pakistan.

I loved to read the small piece, which I found both interesting and enjoyable. It contained information about their language (i.e. Kalash language), customs, culture, religion, etc.

It was pretty interesting to read about their religion. First, the Kalash people are non-Muslims. More importantly, they are polytheists, just like the Hindus. And there is also a touch of Animism, as nature holds a significant place in their daily life.

In this context it may be mentioned that at least one Kalash god has a strong similarity with a Hindu god. That Kalash god is named Sajigor or Shura Verin. And the Hindu god with whom it has similarity is Indra, the king of gods in the Hindu Pantheon.

The cultural and religious identity of the Kalash people was facing threat due to forced conversions. But now the Pakistan government has taken measures to ensure that the purity of Kalash identity remains intact and untouched. And those measures are showing results. So let us not forget to say thanks to the Pakistan government for helping such an interesting indigenous community to retain their cultural sanctity.