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PAKISTAN NORD Il Festival Chilam Joshi Dei Kalash Tra Etnie, Siti Archeologici, Laghi E Montagne 16 Giorni

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PAKISTAN NORD Il Festival Chilam Joshi Dei Kalash Tra Etnie, Siti Archeologici, Laghi E Montagne 16 Giorni PAKISTAN NORD Il Festival Chilam Joshi dei Kalash Tra etnie, siti archeologici, laghi e montagne 16 giorni Straordinario viaggio nel nord del Pakistan, in occasione del Festival Chilam Joshi dei Kalash. Nell’estremo nord-ovest del paese si trovano tre anguste e recondite valli di alta montagna che si insinuano fra le pendici dell’Hindukush. Vi risiede una popolazione estremamente periferica e poco numerosa che, per i suoi caratteri storici e culturali, va annoverata tra le più interessanti di cui si possa occupare l’etnografia: si tratta del popolo dei Kalash, seguace di un’antica religione politeista di origini ancora sconosciute, noto anche con il nome di Kafiri, il termine usato dai musulmani per connotare gli infedeli. I Kalash prendono molto sul serio le loro feste che comportano invariabilmente complicate cerimonie religiose, danze e festeggiamenti. Ogni valle ha le sue tradizioni specifiche, ma in genere gli uomini anziani stanno al centro, cantando a turno vecchie leggende, mentre le donne, accompagnate dai tamburi, danzano intorno a loro, con le braccia sulla vita o sulle spalle delle compagne, girando in linee concentriche… La valle dello Swat, culla della raffinata arte del Gandhara; l’isolata valle del Chitral, dominata dal massiccio del Tirich Mir (7.706 m); le ampie vedute del Rakaposhi (7.790 m) e del Nanga Parbat (8.126), tra le più alte vette del pianeta; la valle dell’Hunza, che incarna il mito dello Shangri-La; le rovine dei siti buddhisti di Takht-i-Bahi e Taxila, Patrimonio dell’Umanità UNESCO… I grandi contrasti del paesaggio del nord del Pakistan sono uguagliati solo dalle diverse culture dei suoi popoli che da sempre vivono nel “crocevia” dell’Asia. PROGRAMMA DI VIAGGIO – Partenza del 9 Maggio 2020 in occasione del Festival Chilam Joshi dei Kalash. 1° giorno / Italia – Islamabad Partenza nel primo pomeriggio da Milano Malpensa con volo di linea Turkish Airlines via Istanbul per Islamabad. Cena a bordo. 2° giorno / Islamabad – Takht-i-Bhai – Saidu Sharif (circa 270 km) Le rovine del monastero buddhista tra le più complete di tutto il Gandhara Arrivo a Islamabad in nottata, disbrigo delle formalità d’ingresso, accoglienza da parte dell’organizzazione locale e trasferimento in hotel per un breve riposo. Dopo la prima colazione partenza verso nord-ovest per la North-West Frontier Province che si estende per 700 km lungo la frontiera con l’Afghanistan, a cavallo del Khyber Pass e di altri storici accessi che dalla Persia e dall’Asia centrale conducevano in India. Lungo il percorso sosta per la visita delle rovine del monastero buddhista Takht-i- Bhai , Patrimonio dell’Umanità UNESCO, tra le più complete di tutto il Gandhara, risalenti a un periodo compreso tra il I e il VII secolo d.C., poste in una posizione spettacolare su una collina rocciosa. Si prosegue per la Valle dello Swat, ampia e verdissima, bagnata dal fiume omonimo che scorre disperdendosi in rami laterali. I suoi paesaggi dolci non riescono però a competere con i panorami mozzafiato delle altre valli del nord. Il suo fascino sta tutto nel peso della storia, visto che da qui è passato Alessandro Magno e da qui l’arte e la dottrina buddhiste si estesero in tutta l’Asia in seguito alla nascita dell’antica civiltà del Gandhara. Gli abitanti di origine pashtun yusufzai, di lingua pashto, sono persone semplici e ospitali. Arrivo a Saidu Sharif (990 m), la sede tradizionale del governo dello Swat. Pernottamento in hotel. Pasti: colazione in hotel, pranzo in ristorante locale, cena in hotel. 3° giorno / La Valle dello Swat La raffinata arte del Gandhara Le sorgenti, i corsi d’acqua e i frutteti hanno valso alla Valle dello Swat il nome di Udyana , giardino. Dopo la prima colazione intera giornata dedicata alla visita dei principali siti di interesse dello Swat Inferiore. Purtroppo molti dei numerosi resti archeologici sparsi per tutta la valle sono attualmente in pessime condizioni. Pernottamento in hotel. Pasti: colazione, pranzo e cena in hotel. La Valle dello Swat e l’arte Gandhara Nel 327 a.C. Alessandro Magno conquistò la valle sconfiggendo gli abitanti a Udegram e Barikot. Il buddhismo arrivò nel III secolo a.C. con l’imperatore Ashoka e fiorì per ben nove secoli, diventando una sorta di “Terra Santa” e dando vita anche al Vajirayana, il buddhismo tantrico, che da qui si diffuse in Ladakh e Tibet. Durante i regni buddhisti l’arte religiosa raggiunse livelli di grande raffinatezza. Grazie alla posizione strategica della valle, sulle più importanti vie commerciali di un tempo, gli scultori locali vennero a contatto con tutte le culture e da queste assimilarono linguaggi diversi che si riconoscono nella particolare fusione di stilemi greco-romani e indiani da cui nacque la particolare e apprezzatissima arte detta appunto Gandhara. Vi arrivavano pellegrini da tutte le regioni asiatiche per visitare i numerosi stupa e monasteri decorati con bassorilievi dedicati alla vita del Buddha, capitelli corinzi dove figure umane si intrecciavano a motivi ornamentali, statue di Buddha dall’aspetto mediterraneo o centroasiatico. La caratteristica peculiare di questa scuola è di aver presentato, per la prima volta nella storia della religione, la figura di Buddha in forma umana, diversamente dalle precedenti scuole e in particolare dalla statuaria indiana antica le cui raffigurazioni del Buddha erano esclusivamente simboliche e identificate in un fiore di loto, un albero, una ruota o uno stupa. Nel periodo di massimo splendore del buddhismo, secondo la relazione del monaco viaggiatore cinese Hsuan Tsang, nella valle c’erano ben 1400 monasteri. 4° giorno / Saidu Sharif – Ayun (circa 230 km) Verso l’isolata Valle del Chitral al confine con l’Afghanistan Dopo la prima colazione partenza verso nord per Ayun. La strada si inerpica a fatica in ampi meandri sul versante del Dir, scendendo poi ripida nel Chitral. Si percorre il nuovo tunnel che consente di evitare il Lowari Pass (3.118 m) spesso chiuso in passato per neve o per le pessime condizioni della strada. Discesa nell’isolata Valle del Chitral , al confine con l’Afghanistan, nell’angolo nord- occidentale del Pakistan, chiusa dalle pareti dell’Hindukush a ovest e da quelle dell’Hindu Raj a est. Campi terrazzati di grano orzo, mais e riso, frutteti di noci, albicocche e more si susseguono lungo la valle, ai piedi di ripide pareti montuose. Da ogni punto della bassa valle è visibile il massiccio solitario del Tirich Mir (7.706 m), il più alto dell’Hindukush. Arrivo nel villaggio di Ayun . Pernottamento in hotel. Pasti: colazione in hotel, pranzo in ristorante locale, cena in hotel. 5° giorno / Ayun – Valle di Rumbur – Ayun (circa 40 km) I villaggi dei Kalash e il Festival Chilam Joshi Dopo la prima colazione partenza per la visita dei villaggi Kalash della Valle di Rumbur . Partecipazione al Festival ChilamJoshi , una festa dedicata alla primavera e ai raccolti futuri, celebrata ogni anno nel mese di Maggio. I Kalash prendono molto sul serio le loro feste che comportano invariabilmente complicate cerimonie religiose, danze e festeggiamenti. Ci possono essere adua-naat (danze diurne) e raadt-naat (danze notturne), alcune vietate agli stranieri. Ogni valle ha le sue tradizioni specifiche, ma in genere gli uomini anziani stanno al centro, mentre cantano a turno vecchie leggende o semplicemente chiacchierano. Accompagnate dai tamburi, le donne danzano intorno a loro, con le braccia sulla vita o sulle spalle delle compagne, girando in linee concentriche. Pernottamento in hotel. Pasti: colazione in hotel, pranzo in ristorante locale, cena in hotel. I Kalash Proprio sul confine con l’Afganistan si trovano tre anguste e recondite valli di alta montagna che si insinuano fra le pendici dell’Hindukush. Vi risiede una popolazione estremamente periferica e poco numerosa che pure, per i suoi caratteri storici e culturali, va annoverata tra le più interessanti di cui si possa occupare l’etnografia: si tratta del popolo dei Kalash, seguace di un’antica religione politeista di origini ancora sconosciute, noto anche con il nome di Kafiri, il termine usato dai musulmani per connotare gli infedeli. Alcuni studiosi ritengono che i Kalash siano discendenti delle milizie erranti di Alessandro Magno; è comunque vero che la maggior parte degli abitanti di queste valli hanno capelli chiari e occhi azzurri, quindi ben diversi dalle altre etnie che popolano il Pakistan. La prima cosa che colpisce arrivando nei villaggi è l’abbigliamento femminile: un ampio saio di lana naturale marrone stretto in vita da una cintura decorata con gli stessi motivi del caratteristico ed elegante copricapo chiamato kupass , ornato da numerose file di conchiglie cauri, originarie dell’Oceano Indiano ed utilizzate fino a pochi decenni fa come moneta per gli scambi in tutto il subcontinente indiano. I riti e le tradizioni del popolo Kalash sono molto differenti da quelle delle popolazioni circostanti e a parte i contatti con i turisti, rappresentano un’isola di tempi antichi inserita nel presente. La religione kalash è politeista con un dio creatore, Khodai e una serie di altre divinità tra cui Jestak, la dea che protegge la casa e la famiglia, Mahandeo, il dio della guerra e protettore dei raccolti. Le donne sono escluse dai riti che consistono nel sacrificio di un animale. In genere un montone, agli dei e agli antenati. Ma le donne sono anche escluse dalla comunità durante il parto e le mestruazioni. In questo periodo sono considerate impure e vivono in una casa lungo il fiume, bashaleni . Possono ritornare alla loro casa solo dopo un bagno purificatore e il cambio dell’abito. 6° giorno / Ayun – Valle di Bumburet – Chitral (circa 50 km) I villaggi dei Kalash e il Festival Chilam Joshi Dopo la prima colazione escursione per la visita dei villaggi Kalash della Valle di Bumburet e partecipazione alle celebrazioni del Festival Chilam Joshi .
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