Islamili community commemorated Peer Nasir Khisro ,s religious festival of Pathak.
By: Gul Hamaad Farooqi
CHITRAL: Ismaeli community of Garachishma some 45 KM from here commemorating religious festival of Peer Nasir Khisro Pathak a spiritual saint of 1100 century. According to their doctrine Peer Nasir Khisro arrived here some 1000 years ago from Badakhshan for preaching of Islam at Chitral where Non Muslim Kalash tribes ruling here. These people were converted to Islam due to his preaching.
He stayed in a cave for 40 days for worship (chella) and after completion of his chella of 40 days he came out from the cave and announced to celebrate Pathak. In which he advised the people to clean their houses and to sprinkle and shower flour in their houses to be shine it and to change their color in white one because mostly the local people burning wood for cooking and heating purposes and their houses black of its smoke.
Pathak festival of 2016 was celebrated with an organized way by Garamchishma Area Development Organization (GADO) with financial support of some other relief organizations. Before celebrating this spiritual cum religious festival Khaleefa (religious leaders of Ismaili community) announced about its procedure how this festival will be commemorated. They sent their nominated people to convey their messages to local people and to clean their houses as well as to shower flour in four corners of their houses to be shine it and change their color in white one.
Khaleefa Temour Shah and other burnt oil lamp and announced to celebrate the festival. A function was also held near its shrine where speakers paid rich tribute to Peer Nasir Khisro who came here a thousands years ago and spread Islam in this region. There was also book stall and precious stones to introduce local production and to motivate the young generation towards book reading.
Speakers highlighted different aspects of Peer Nasir Khisro. While local artists presented Geenan and Nath sharif. A large number of people attended this colorful spiritual festival of Pathak where people of the area will visit turn by turn their relatives houses and they will be presented traditional food.
It is worth to mention here that this is a unique festival which is being celebrating only at Garamchishma valley by Ismaili community.
Ismaili Muslim community of Garamchishma valley commemorate Pathak festival, to remember Ismaili Dai (Scholar) Syedna Pir Nasir Khusraw
According to the traditions of Ismaili Muslims, Pathak marks the successful conclusion of Pir Nasir Khusraw’s 40 days of meditation (chilla).
Khusraw was a Fatimid era Ismaili mystic, poet and philosopher who was the first to preach Islam in Central Asia and Badakhshan in Afghanistan and Wakhan Corridor. Born in 1004, Khusraw wrote a number of books of poetry, but most notable was his travelogue Safarnama, written during seven years of travel across the Islamic world and arguably the most authoritative account of 11th century life in the
Muslim Empire.
Later, while in Khorasan, Iran, he encountered the wrath of hard-line clerics. He then retired in Badakhshan, now spread across Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan, where he continued to preach and helped spread Islam across this part of Central Asia.
Alice Hunsberger, a researcher and author of a book on Khusraw, wrote of the esteem he is held in, “When Tajikistan was a Soviet republic, an officer from Moscow familiar with Ismaili history asked his guide, there is Mount Lenin, Mount Communism, and Mount Fifth of May, aren’t you upset that there is no Mount Nasir Khusraw?” To which his host replied, “There is no mountain high enough.””
Pathak was celebrated as a cultural event by all local communities, but since the rise of sectarianism in the 1980s due to the policies of General Ziaul Haq, the festival became exclusively Ismaili.
On Pathak, Chitralis buy new clothes and cook specialty dishes like shoshparaki (dessert) and Ishperi (cheese).Traditional sports like shimeni zhingkek (tug of war), bhot pissik (stone throw) and chookubiz (swinging) are played, though they have taken a back seat to ceremonial aspects.
A function was also held at Aga Khan local council office where speakers paid rich tribute to Peer Nasir Khisrow and highlighted different aspects of his life who was a researcher, poet, ruler, religious clerk and spreacher of Islam. The festival was kicked by burning (lightning) lamp with original cooking oil (Deesi ghee) with recitation from the Holy Quran, Hades and poetry of Peer Nasir Khisro at a shrine where he dad stayed after mediation of 40 days worship.
A large number of people including women folk participated in this colorful and spiritual festival of Pathak where they were welcomed and presented traditional food.
Pathak festival
