Takhum Rezi (also written Tukhm Rezi) is a Persian phrase meaning 'the sowing of seeds'. In the valleys of Ghizer district, west of Gilgit, it is the festival that welcomes spring and opens the farming year – a celebration of the soil, the season and the community, with polo, music, fire and food.
When and where
The festival is held in spring, usually in March. The best-documented celebrations are in Yasin valley, where it became part of Gilgit-Baltistan's official tourism calendar in 2013, and the sowing festival is also kept in other valleys of Ghizer.
Ploughing, polo and fire
Reports from Yasin describe a festival of several days, centred on an old house where it has been celebrated for generations. There is a symbolic ploughing to open the season, a traditional polo match and horse jumping, and dancing to local music. At night, wood fires are lit and the mountainsides are illuminated.
Food binds it together: every home prepares diram, a traditional dish, and shares it with neighbours, friends and relatives. The celebrations close with collective prayers for peace and harmony in the valley, the region and the country.
An old custom
Sowing festivals across the region are old. Writing in 1880, the British official John Biddulph described Yasin's version: rather than the ruler attending, a village official rode a fine horse, dressed in a robe of honour, up and down the polo ground – and if he or his horse fell, it was taken as a bad omen for the year.
Visiting
Takhum Rezi draws visitors from across Pakistan to Yasin. March in Ghizer is still cold, and roads can be affected by the season, so plan with local advice and check the year's dates before you travel.
