Library Sources Available on Pre-Islamic Religious Traditions of the Eastern Hindu Kush and on Shamanism among the Kalasha People

Authors

Dr. Muhammad Kashif Ali, Department of History & Pakistan Studies University of Gujrat, Pakistan.Follow
Dr. Ghulam Shabbir, Department of History & Pakistan Studies University of Gujrat, Pakistan.Follow
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Chawla, Former Dean Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Former, Chairman Department of History & Pakistan Studies, University of the Punjab, Pakistan.Follow

Date of this Version

Spring 2-10-2021

Document Type

Article

Abstract

The shamanism is the oldest cult of human being, in Pakistan the Kalasha are the sole people in the (eastern) Hindu Kush region who have the tradition of shamanism alive though at the last breath. The Kalasha are Indo-Aryan people of Dardic branch and their religion has similarities with the religion of Vedic period. Shaman or dehar is one of the most significant institutions of the community and is the most spiritual in nature. However, for some decades the shamanism due to multiple reasons is towards the decline; impurity is the key reason. Though the Kalasha people does not have any prophet or the divine book therefore the dehar gets more importance which, according to the Kalasha traditions, is a coordinator among his people and the creator through supernatural beings like fairies. Recent times is not good for the community, there is no real dehar for some decades and community is without spiritual leadership.