In May, after the spring festival of Chilam Joshi, Kalash shepherds take their goats and cattle up to the high pastures. By the third week of August they are on their way back down, carrying cheese, ghee, butter and cream – and the valleys gather to give thanks. Uchal (also written Uchaw, Uchhal or Ucaw) celebrates the wheat and barley harvest and the dairy produce of the summer.
When and where
Uchal is held in mid to late August and usually lasts around three days; reports place it between about 18 and 23 August, varying from year to year. It is celebrated across the Kalash valleys, with the best-documented ceremonies in Rumbur and Bumburet.
Offerings at the altars
The returning shepherds hand the season's cheese, ghee and butter to the owners of the animals, and cheese is offered at the altars in thanks for the livestock and the harvest. During the day, prayers are said in the villages at sacred sites, and holy bread and cheese are shared out. These blessed foods are eaten on the spot: they are not taken home.
In Rumbur, the festival has been described as opening at a place of worship where milk products and fruit are distributed, followed by thanksgiving rituals and then a gathering at the dancing ground, where young people sing and dance.
Dancing into the night
The rhythm differs between the valleys: in Rumbur the celebrations are mainly by day, while in Bumburet the dancing has been reported to continue through the night until morning. Researchers recording the Bumburet festival describe a sequence of fast dances in long lines, dances in small groups and alone, a slow line dance, and finally emotional songs, love songs and poetry.
Food is part of the thanks: cheese, buttermilk and corn bread are shared, and the festival is a time for families to stock up for the season ahead. After Uchal, the herds stay at lower pastures for around two more months before winter.
Visiting
Uchal is smaller and quieter than the spring festival, but it draws visitors from Pakistan and abroad. In recent years the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa tourism authority has provided camping pods in Bumburet, and tourism police are deployed. As at every Kalash festival, ask before photographing anyone, and check the year's dates locally before you plan.
