Chitral Valley

Chitral Valley:

The Chitral valley, located in the northern region of Pakistan, is one of the most remarkable places in the world when it comes to natural scenic beauty. Its picturesque mountains, beautiful springs, Juniper forests, friendly people and rivers teeming with the famous Trout fish are truly spellbinding. Alexander the great passed through this region in 327 B.C and left behind the signs of his culture.

Location:

The Chitral valley is situated amidst the mighty mountains of The Hindukush range. This mountain range is 322 km long. The chitral valley is separated from China by the Hunza region and from the Soviet Union by a narrow part of Wakhan, a province of Afghanistan. Chitral river flows near the Chitral district.

Facts and Figures:

Coordinates: 35°53′N 71°48′E

Elevation: 1278-7700 meters

Area: 14504 square meters

Population: 1,59,230

Religion: Mostly ISLAM

Local Language: Khowar

Famous Sport: Polo

Area Code: 0943

Currency: Pakistani Rupee

Time Zone: PST (UTC+5)

Dress:

The people of Chitral valley mostly wear "Shalwar Kameez" which is the national dress of Pakistan. Women wear "Duppatas" and Shawls along with "Shalwar Kameez". The most popular head dress of the Chitrali men is the woolen "Pakol". In winters, the men wear long baggy coats having long sleeves known as the "Shuqa". These coats are also made out of wool.

The people of Kafir Kalash distinguish themselves by wearing specific woolen hats with feathers and/or small metallic bells. The Kalashi women wear an eye catching head gear which consists of a black cloth with shells, buttons and feathers on it.

People of Kafir Kalash

Sports:

The traditional sport of Chitral is Polo. World's highest Polo ground (Shandur Polo ground) is also present in this area, where the Shandur Polo festival takes place. Around 15,000 people visit this place during the Shandur Polo festival which lasts for about a week. Football is also very popular in the valley. A number of football clubs are present in the Chitral district.

Approach Routes:

The valley is easily accessible by air from the historical city of Peshawar. Most of the land routes are over mountain passes. Towards the North Lowari pass leads 365 km to Peshawar.To the east, there is a 405 km (252 mi) route to Gilgit over the 3,719 m (12,201ft) Shandur Pass.
And in the west, the Dorah Pass provides an additional route to Afghanistan.