Moreover, the simplicity and harmony of the
province is a treat for the mind and soul. The region is known to be surrounded
by the highest and greatest number of mountain around the world. Although the
area is bare and rugged, as the clouds are blocked by the immense mountains but
the labor of the strong and willing local population has even claimed the hard
mountains for cultivation resulting in beautiful green orchids of many fruits
in the green fields and ruggedness on the mountains topped with white snow.
Gilgit-Baltistan
is the home to diversified cultures, ethnic groups, languages and background.
Major cultural events include the Shandur polo Festival, Babusar Polo Festival
and Jashn-e-Baharan or the Harvest Time Festival(Navroz). Almost every bigger
valley has a polo ground, polo matches in such grounds attract locals as well
as foreigner’s visitors during summer season. One of the such polo tournament
is held in Shandur each year and polo teams of Gilgit with Chitral participates,
where visitors come from all over the country to enjoy this matchless experience.
The no-rules, free style Shandur Polo has become a legend world- wide, with
international tourists visiting almost every year to witness it. There is live
folk music, dancing a camping village.
Secondly,
Navroz sometimes spelled as Nawroz marks the start of the Persian New Year. It
is celebrated in different parts of the world and has its local variants. It is
renowned traditionally in the Gilgit-Baltistan region on 21 March onwards every
year. The festivities begin early in the morning and enclose free-style polo,
traditional food items are served throughout the festival. Salutations and
prayers are exchanged, everyone hums words of kindness and fortune to each
other.
Thirdly,
Harvest festival takes place when the crops sown months ago are ready for
reaping and harvesting. Locals celebrate harvest time to show gratitude towards
God for blessing them. Live music is played, the farmers rejoice via dancing
and each individual shares their happiness with each other through food and
prayers.
Apart
from it, Ginani Festival is another annual crop harvesting festival celebrated
with jazz and zeal in valleys of Hunza and Nagar.The date of the festival,21 June,
mostly overlaps with the longest day of the year. The celebrations begin 10
days prior to Ginani. Musicians at Altit Fort play tunes that are called
Hareeps in Brushaski.On the day of Ginani, people gather at the place called chattaq.
Prayers are offered for the wellbeing of the community and wheat grains are
extracted from the harvested wheat plants and cooked. ’dirum pitti’’ is a
special dish prepared by locals to commemorate the occasion.
Likewise, other popular sports are football,
cricket, volleyball (mostly play in winters) and other minor local sports. With
growing facilities and particular local geography climbing, trekking and other
similar sports are also getting popularity. In addition, traditional dances
include: Old Man Dance in which more than one person wears old-style dresses;
Cow Boy Dance(payaloo)in which a person wears old style dress, long leather shoes
and holds a stick in hand. The above festivals are the epitome of Gilgiti and
Balti culture.
In
conclusion, acknowledge the vast illimitable potential of tourism and its effects,
the Government of Pakistan and Gilgit-Baltistan Administration should focus on
tourism for creation of employment opportunities which higher economic growth
and to introduce the outside world the hidden treasures of Gilgit-Baltistan.
The number of tourist increases bit by bit over the year, the challenges is to
merely to enhance the tourist but also to consider how tourism can be promoted
without affecting the natural and cultural beauty of region by improving the
quality og the region by upgrading the quality of life.
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