CHITRAL: The preliminary functions leading up to the grand winter festival of Kalash called Chitramas have started taking place in all the three Kalash valleys of Bumburate, Birir and Rumbur located in the south of Chitral.

Tash Khan Kalash, a government servant, told Dawn here on Saturday that the series of functions, which had started from the last week, included Sarazari, Kotramu and Madaik.

He said that the weeklong Chitramas festival would start from the coming Wednesday.

He said that Sarazari function was meant to start purchasing and stitching new clothes and costumes for children to wear during the grand event.

Mr Khan said that Kotramu was of immense interest in which the statues of different domestic and wild animals were made by women with a mixture of water and wheat flour.

He said that the statues were then baked in fire to be later used to decorate the houses during the festival.

During the Madaik function which was held on Saturday, he said, the Kalash people cleaned and washed their preserved fruits, including grapes, pears, apple and walnut, to be eaten during the course of the Chitramas festival.

Meanwhile, the Kalash people, especially women, have also started flocking the city market to shop for the festival.