Written by: Waseem Abbas
Posted on: December 15, 2022 | 
| 中文
Celebrations of the Nasalo Festival in Bagrote Valley
The present Gilgit Baltistan (GB) and adjacent regions were known as Dardistan and Bolaristan during ancient times, a region that had a unique culture, belief systems, myths, traditions and festivals. Most of those traditions and festivals have died out over a period of time, with a few exceptions, like the Nasalo Festival. Nasalo or Nos (Tamashaling/Thumasaling in Brushishki) is one of the oldest surviving festivals in GB, dating back to 700 AD. The festival is celebrated between December 13 to 21, when animals such as Yak (Bepo in Shina), cows, oxen or goats are slaughtered, and processed food items (such as Warki) made of meat are prepared and preserved to be consumed throughout the winter.
Drying of sliced meat
There is no consensus on when and how the Nasalo festival started, as different parts of GB give a different account of its origins. The popular legend links the roots of this festival to the notorious cannibal king of the region, Shribadat, who is omnipresent in the region's folklore. The legend has it that Shribadat, the last Buddhist king of the region, was an Adam Khor (cannibal), notorious for feeding on infants. He had levied a tax of one sheep on every family yearly and one day, he found the meat to be way tastier. On his inquiry, it was learned that the sheep he had been fed was milked on human milk. He thought if a sheep fed on human milk can be this tasty, how much tastier must be the human meat. He then ordered his subjects to offer him a child to be cooked instead of a sheep, and the disgruntled people started looking at ways to get rid of the despotic ruler. A Persian prince, named Azur Jamsheed, was passing through this area and fell in love with Miyo Khai, Shribadat's daughter. The two secretly got married. The people of the region conspired with Miyo Khai and Azur Jamsheed to kill Shribadat by burning him. Some accounts say that he escaped from the fire and went to a glacier, and he will be back one day to rule the region with an iron hand.
The Nasalo Festival is the celebration of Shribadat's death at the hands of brave villagers who burnt him. People held the belief that if they didn't sacrifice animals on this day, the soul of the cannibal king would be back to haunt them. With the advent of Islam, although the festival continues to be celebrated, but with less fervor and popularity.
People bringing burning sticks on the occasion of the Nasalo Festival in Naltar Valley
The celebrations of the festival start on the 13th of December, when villagers gather at Shawaran or Bayak (a place where elders usually meet for a get-together) or any other bare place, carrying burning sticks of Alpine trees. The use of burning sticks of Alpine tree signifies the Alpine wood used by the villagers to burn Shribadat. Young people bring the leaves of Alpine trees from the nearest forest, and the sticks and the leaves are then combined to make a bonfire. People celebrate by dancing to local music, forgetting their woes and the harsh weather. The songs vary from region to region, but all have the same theme of hopes for a good winter and prosperity for everyone. People also bring Oshor (apples, dry fruits, butter, meat, etc.) to that designated place, and they distribute it amongst all and disperse after eating. These traditional festivities have, however, diminished in recent times.
Oshor or Isperi
A related festival to Nasalo is Rasam-e-Shaap, which is celebrated in the week after Nasalo, where unmarried people in groups visit every home. They seek permission from the owner of the house for shaap, which literally means to give prayers. The visiting boys sing traditional songs in the name of the people of the home, praying for their health, good fortune, good marriage proposals, and many offsprings. The hosts then give the visitors gifts according to their capacity, like Oshor, meat or cash. The most interesting characteristics about the festival are that the groom wears a big mask while the bride wears a big chador. The bride and groom as referred to as Jari ga Jaro. They interact with the host family on the visitors' behalf and often crack jokes with the host family. The family they visit is left guessing as to who the groom and bride are, because their identity is not revealed.
Jari ga Jaro (bride and groom) during Rasam-e-Shaap
Nasalo celebrations have changed in recent times due to the influence of Islam. The religious circles, instead of opposing the festival as has been the case in the past, have tried to give it an 'Islamic touch' by holding congregations in mosques and offering prayers for the deceased after eating the Oshor: dry fruits, butter, meat, and other food items that every family brings to the congregation place. However, they, not surprisingly, strongly oppose music and dance at the festival.
Distribution of Oshor in Masjid in Farfooh, Bagrote
Apart from their historical or cultural roots, the Nasalo festival helped the people of the region get a nutritious diet during the harsh winter of the area. In the past, when the weather of the region was extremely cold and people had no cooking oils, the only way to consume and store fats was to consume them from animals. The fats and meat of animals also helped them remain warm during the winters. It is believed that the meat of animals slaughtered before the 21st of December is well preserved when mixed with salt and fat and wrapped in animal gut, known as Warkay or Warki in Shina and Ghittey in Brushishki.
Warkay or Warki being prepared
The festival has gained public attention in recent years, with both the community and the government taking initiatives to promote the festival. The role of social media in disseminating knowledge about the festival and popularizing it is of paramount importance. Hundreds of people and many government officials participated in the Nasalo Festival of the Bagrote Valley, Gilgit on the 13th of December this year.
An old man dancing on the occasion of Nasalo festival on the 13th of December in Bulchi, Bagrote
In the recent past, the traditions of the Nasalo festival have modified and changed due to easy availability of meat and animal fats, rapid urbanization, increasing poverty, and the Islamization of the region. The tradition of Nasalo has also been commercialized in the recent past, with butchers selling meat to people who cannot afford to sacrifice an animal.
Our culture, heritage, myths and history are under threat of extinction, but unfortunately the government does not seem interested in preserving it, although the people's efforts to preserve their cultural traditions is commendable. The knowledge about these myths and attached festivals is scarce and scattered, and different versions contradict each other. The need of the hour is that these historic festivals must be recorded in video and written form so that our progeny is aware of their cultural heritage.
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