|
shrine
of Arom ( Kam tribal God ) Kamdesh Kafiristan , inside the wooden
enclosure
is a holy stone sacred to the God Arom . As God of contracts
all
oaths and treaties were taken and sealed at Aroms shrine . |
|
the shrine of Mahandeo at Batrik - Bruhn Mumret valley Kalashadesh . 1929 - 1930 |
|
former Kalashi kot (tower) at Bruhn village
|
|
Aspai
village - upper Bashgal valley Kafiristan = Gromma = holy dancing
platform .
This village was visited and photographed by Sir Lovelock in
1885 ( Gilgit mission ect )
, photos of village effigies and Kati lady
in horned headdress are held at the London
India office archive /
British museum ect . This village was built like a fort with only
1
entry point with all the houses facing inwards . |
|
Upper
Presun valley Kafiristan . This valley was scared to Mara (Imra- Dezau
)
the Great God of Kafiristan , here he had his largest and holiest
temple along with several shrines ,
altars and other sacred spaces .
Unlike the warlike other Kafiristani tribes the Presun valley tribe was
peaceful and very religious .
The Presun tribe are considered to be among
the first to settle the hindu kush . |
|
The
Mara Temple of Presun valley Kafiristan ( the spiritual centre of
Kafiristan )
known to the Kalashi as the Temple of Mahandeo , holiest
site in all of Kafiristan.
It had 7 large door's ( 5 of which were
closed all the time )
on it's front side with several large effigy's of
Mara ( Imra )and much lovely carving as well.
A holy cave near by was
used to offer
sacrifice and was in Kafiristani
mythology a direct entrance to
the underworld of the Ancestor's ( one
had to walk backwards
to approach it as all those who looked at it were
cursed ).
In a house next door to the Temple was an iron pole
that Imra
himself had placed there = that was the axis mundi of the Kafiristani
world
. see Robersons - Kafirs of the Hindu Kush for a detailed
description of the Temple . |
|
Grompisht village - Urtzun valley Gromma = Holy dancing platform = Rikh'ini |
|
before the shrine of Gy'iz Kamdesh Kafiristan |
|
Imra's altar at the Kati village of Brumotul- Mumret valley - Kalasha desh |
|
Kafiristani loving couple chair carving |
|
Brumotul big man Kafiristani grave house |
|
Waigal / Ashkungal area Kafiristani loving couple post |
|
Kafiristani big man grave house Waigal valley |
|
Imra's
( Dezau ) shrine and Sacred tree at Urtsun valley .
The shrine's Kam
influence is clear , this valley had a mixed
Kalashi + Kam tribal
society .
A simple carving of Imra's face sits up top and is crowned
with horns. |
|
Imra's
( Dezau ) shrine and Sacred tree at Urtsun valley .
The shrine's Kam
influence is clear , this valley had
a mixed Kalashi + Kam tribal
society .
A simple carving of Imra's face sits up top and is crowned
with horns. |
|
Kafiristani carving and a common Kalashi design
too used to adorn doors and beams on there houses . |
|
Dara
= Kafiristani memorial gateway in Bashgul valley at the entrance to a
side valley .
These , like the effigys were erected to honour Big Men in
the community | | | | | |
|
winter
rite at shrine of Dizane Kamdesh lower Bashgal valley
Kafiristan =
shrine is made in the Parun valley style ,
unlike the local flat roofed
Bashgal valley type shrine.
Imra's shrine can just be made out in the
background ,
these shrine's were above Kamdesh and Imra and other god's
had
more shrine's below Kamdesh , there was all so a sacred pool below
Kamdesh . |
|
Altar of Sajigor Rukmu valley- Kalasha desh |
|
Female Kafiristani effigy = horned ect |
|
Kam
woman dance to the Gods while there men raid .
The horned headdress that
was used by the Bashgal valley
women for religious dances and such .
The
horns can be seen in female effigys ( todays Kalashi only make male
effigys ). |
|
Dal hero effigies - memorials to the brave |
|
Presun valley Deity effigys = the square faced deity effigy is a Parun valley tradition . |
|
farm house |
|
Kafiristani Tower |
|
Mumret valley Kalasha desh |
|
the Sajigor shrine of Rukmu valley |
|
Kalashi Ancestor shrine Grom village - Rukmu valley - Kalasha desh |
|
Brumotul house post's |
|
Peck valley Kafiristani pillar |
|
Kafiristani holy dance in traditional headdress |
|
Weshi = wife of Mara = Great God of the Presun valley Kafiristan |
|
Grom village gri = dancing ground , Rukmu valley |
|
native Kafiristani dances |
|
Kati Gromma = holy dancing platform Kunisht village
- Rukmu valley - Kalasha desh . |
|
Kamdesh Kafiristan shrine of Mother Goddess Dizane Kalashi
- Jaztek ) dancing plat form ( Gromma ) below |
|
High Priest of Lutdeh village Bashgul valley Kafiristan ,
walks beside altar and dancing ground = Gromma |
|
below Kamdesh brave's practice |
|
Brumotul
village house carvings Mumret valley Kalasha desh.
Brumotul was
originally a small hamlet that protected the Kalashi from Kati raids
(
just like Kunisht ), but after the conquest of Kafiristan by the Afgan's
several hundred Kati and Kam tribal refugee's settled in 3
of the
then 5 Kalashi valleys of Urtsun - Mumret and Rumbur
As well as 2 or
3 non Kalashi villages in the Chitral region |
|
Kati Animist grave yard at Kunisht village Rukmu valley Kalasha desh |
|
Shing - mou = horn altar , erected on Shing - brei = horn altar day
- 1st day of Joshi spring festival . Rukmu valley |
|
Imra stone at Brumotul village |
|
Kunisht Kati village , upper Rukmu valley - Kalasha Desh |
|
Kunisht village Gromma = holy dancing platform. Rukmu valley |
|
Kunisht - Kati village - Rukmu valley - Gromma ( holy dancing plat form ) |
|
High Priests house Kamdesh |
|
High Priests house Kamdesh |
|
Bragmatal
( Lutdeh ) upper Bashgal valley kafiristan , it was from bragmatal
that a large part of the Brumotul , Kunisht Kati refugees came in the
late 1890s
.after the Afgans had destroyed all the temples and shrines ,
murdered many priests
- Islamic mullas were sent in . Those in the
upper Bashgal valley were all invited to
Lutdeh were they were all
killed to appease those spirits of the murdered
, it was after this
that several hundred Kati from upper Bashgal valley
fled to Kalash a
desh just as winter closed the mt passes behind them |
|
old Dewa village Amol ( clan Temple ) - Presun (Parun) valley with Goddess statue |
|
Kalashi and Kati effigys at Peshawar museum |
|
Ramgul valley Kafiristan , this is in the western region of kafiristan
( Kalasha Desh is at the eastern end of Kafiristan ) |
|
tomb of Kafiristani big man Waigul valley |
|
tomb of Kafiristani big man Waigul valley |
|
Kafir rite - Kam tribal chief Priest in 1881 at Kamdesh village in the Bashgul valley |
|
Brumbutol Grave yard |
|
Holy dance at Kamdesh gromma ( dancing platform ) |
|
Kafiristani grave yard Bashgul valley |
|
Dara
= Kafiristani memorial gateway in Bashgul valley at the entrance to a
side valley
.These , like the effigys were erected to honour Big Men in
the community . |
Source: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kafiristan/400335726669585