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The Wandering Souls of Rohi
No full textA few years back, there were some living a peaceful life in the Toba Bahu Janan Wala. Their livelihoods were largely dependent on livestock such as cows, goats, sheep and other animals which were taken out for daytime grazing and brought back in the evening. One evening when they counted the animals, two of the cows were missing. The people got worried as their animals might have got lost in the wilderness of the desert while grazing. As they started looking around for those animals, it became very hot and as it was very sunny there soon was shortage of drinking water. But despite all their efforts, they could not find their animals and their food and water ran out. In the evening, as they were still searching, they lost their way home. For many days they kept walking in the desert and as they did not find any water, they couldn't walk anymore and fell down. But, eventually they got up again and kept going looking for the water in any nearby toba. [Unfortunately], they couldn't reach any toba or find any water and eventually died very close to a toba. Next day, their families got worried that there was no news of them. So they sent three to four villagers out looking for the lost members. After searching all day at the end, they found the [lifeless] corpses of the people, picked them up and went back home.
It is believed that the spirits of those people are still wandering around. The atmosphere in this village is so scary that people often stay away from that place, particularly during moonless nights when people never travel there.2.9.13.
The Jinns of the Chinar Tree of Shigar
No full textMy name is Muhammad Hassan Khan from the Amacha family. Since I am the PhD holder from Baltistan, people know me as Dr. Amacha whereby in 1975 I completed my MBBS from King Edward Medical College in Lahore and thereafter I obtained a diploma in public health from the College of Community Medicine in Lahore and 10 years later a Master's in Public Health from the same university. [...].
There are various famous tales in Shigar. The one I remember is about a chinar tree in Shigar near the polo ground. Local people believed that if you passed under this tree at night, you would see a hen and its chicks, which would walk alongside you, making noises and bothering you. People were afraid of them because they believed that the hen and chicks were jinns. When I went to Gilgit, there was an even more popular belief that fairies lived in the chinar tree near the Shigar polo ground. In Nagar, people also said that the jinns and fairies there would bother people and take control of them. The people who exorcised the jinns and fairies would ask the possessed individuals where they were from. They would reply that they were from Shigar and lived nearby the chinar tree of the Shigar polo ground. After reciting prayers, the jinns would return to the place they came from, which was the chinar tree at the Shigar polo ground. These stories are well-known across Shigar, Hunza, Nagar, and Gilgit. About 10-12 years ago, the forestry department cut down the chinar tree, and it no longer exists.2.6.5.
The Strapkhor, the Jinn, and the Clever Old Woman
No full textThis tale, over 400 years old, has been passed down through generations in our family. We heard it from our great-grandfather, and it continues to be shared as a piece of our rich cultural heritage. In ancient times, humans coexisted with jinns. The advent of machinery, trains, airplanes, and cars marked the end of this era. Back then, populations were sparse, and houses were far apart, often one or two miles apart. Consequently, the entire region of Baltistan was inhabited by jinns. My great-grandfather used to tell us stories about jinns visiting our homes. One such tale involves a traditional dish called strapkhor, unique to Baltistan and possibly not found anywhere else in the world. The preparation of strapkhor is a lengthy process. First, wheat grains are soaked in water for several days until they sprout. The sprouted wheat is then dried in the sun. Once dried, it develops a distinct flavor, ready to be used in making strapkhor.
One day, an old woman was making strapkhor on an iron stove. Due to the scarcity of wood, they often used various weeds collected from pastures as fuel. While she was cooking, a woman who appeared to be a human entered the kitchen and offered her help. As the old woman placed the dough on the griddle, it kept disappearing mysteriously. The wise old woman quickly realized that her helper was not human but a fairy or a jinn. She cleverly asked the fairy to blow on the stove, claiming it wasn't burning properly. As the fairy bent down to blow on the stove, the old woman swiftly pushed her head into the red-hot iron stove. The fairy screamed and, instead of fleeing through the door, escaped through the stove's hood. Outside, another jinn was waiting for her. Seeing her condition, the waiting jinn spoke in their language, instructing her to invert her body "head down and feet up". When she did so, the iron rod stuck in her neck fell out. This encounter revealed to the old woman that the being was indeed a jinn. She noticed that the jinn had inverted feet and hair under their soles.2.7.9.
The Healing Power of the Jand Tree
No full textI am going to narrate a tale quite well known in our area.
Around 40-50 years ago a Peer Sahib1 lived here named Peer Zafar Ali Shah. He used to pray a lot under a jand tree2. He so intensely prayed there that it left some effects on the tree so that some time after Peer Sahib left the area, the villagers noticed strange things happening: even as seasons changed or during drought an extreme heat the tree never shed its leaves. As all of these did not affect the tree, instead it remained tall and lush green through-out the year, we believed that the tree had absorbed some of the blessings from the prayers of the Peer Sahib. Eventually people noticed that the leaves and pods of tree had medicinal effects. Any sick villager who would visit the tree, take the leaves and eat them would by the grace of Allah Almighty recover from his/her illness.
I personally experienced this when my younger sister became sick. We took her to many doctors and used many medicines but there was no recovery until one of the villagers advised us instead of spending money on travelling to cities and medicines why not visiting the miraculous tree. As we did it, my younger sister recovered within no time.2.9.5.
The Ritual of Slaughtering Animals Near the Stream
No full textIn the old times, when water didn't yet flow in channels, there was a ritual where everyone would gather and take an animal to the stream. There, they would slaughter the animal, cook it on the spot, and everyone would eat together. After offering prayers, they would return home, and this would cause the water to start flowing. Any leftover meat was not allowed to be brought back home; it had to be buried in a hole dug on the spot. Only people from Barmas participated in this ritual and ate the meat. It was forbidden to offer this meat to outsiders. Originally, a bad spirit Deu lived there, and until this ritual of slaughtering the animal and holding a feast was performed, water wouldn't come to the village.2.5.8.
The Miracle Tree of Shigri Bala: Faith and Martyrdom of Baltistan
No full textI am a resident of Rgiayul in Baltistan. Four generations ago, my family migrated from Zadibal, Jammu, and Kashmir to settle here. My great-grandfather was the one who came to Skardu. He settled and gradually, our family grew. My grandfather used to tell me a tale during my childhood, which I will now share.
In ancient times, Skardu followed Buddhism. Later, Muslim scholars from Kashmir, which is currently under India's control, began arriving in Baltistan to spread Islam. As part of this effort, one brother and sister from the Sadat family travelled from India through the Deosai plains, reaching Shigri Bala in Baltistan. Upon arriving in Shigri Bala, near Rgiayul, the brother and sister made arrangements for food and lit a fire. While preparing food, they heard the sound of horses and saw that a group of enemies of Islam was coming to kill them. It seemed the enemies had already learned about their mission to spread Islam in Baltistan. The fire and smoke revealed the brothers' location. In haste, they buried the burning wood in the ground, extinguished the fire, and fled towards the nearby village of Rgiayul. The enemies pursued them and martyred the brother and sister in the village of Rgiayul, where their tombs remain until today. When the people of Rgiayul wanted to build a mausoleum for the martyrs, elders from Kuwardo approached the leaders of Rgiayul and requested the bodies so that they could build the tomb since there were no Sadat families in their area. Both parties agreed to this arrangement. The people of Kuwardo still visit the tomb for pilgrimage, and it remains a highly revered place. A mausoleum was also built at the site where the brothers were martyred, which is called shakspon astana in Balti. Shakspon means to be killed with stones, and astana means mausoleum, thus the place became famous by this name. Another significant point is the location in Shigri Bala where the brothers buried the burning wood in the ground. By divine miracle, the wood sprouted and grew into a large tree known locally as issue. The local Balti speakers named the tree issue and claim that there is no other tree like it in the world. This extraordinary tree is large and spreading, similar to a Platanus orientalis and chinar tree. The miraculous aspect of this tree is that married couples who are childless visit the tree, consume its leaves and bark, and then are blessed with children. The tree still stands at the same spot today, and the local people continue to have faith in its miracles. Over 250 years have passed, and people still hold a strong belief in the miracle associated with this tree. After this event in Rgiayul, all the elders gathered to express their sorrow and, witnessing the miraculous deeds of a Syed elder, an agreement was made between Shigri Bala and Rgiayul. According to this agreement, the water in the Shigri Bala stream would be shared over a period of 17 days. Out of these 17 days, Shigri Bala would have water for 10 days and nights, Rgiayul for 5 days and nights, and the small Shigri Bala (Basnit) for 2 days and nights. This 17-day period was documented during the British era, and the system remains in place to this day. Thus, the Rgiayul area receives water for 5 days and nights. In Rgiayul, there are 45 water distribution units (yul) across the neighborhoods of Khachykhor, Chunpakhor, Gunpa, and Usyplang. One yul is equivalent to 24 kanals. Each yul contains 4 chakul. This irrigation system is still practiced in these areas, and no one dares to divert water from this system to their own lands. The irrigation and cultivation system continues to operate according to this traditional arrangement. Rgiayul and Kawardu used to be geographically so close that grapevines grew between these two areas. Nowadays, there's a cold desert and a river between them. My grandfather and great-grandfather used to say that chickens would hop from one grapevine to another, transferring from Rgiayul to Kawardu. This indicates how close these two areas were once. The reason for this change is that in India, there used to be a lake called Nubra, which is still known by this name. This lake's glacier repeatedly broke and flowed into the river, causing massive water surges. These surges led to the destruction of the entire population of Baltistan at that time. As a result of this catastrophe, a significant distance developed between Rgiayul and Kawardu, with a river and cold desert in between. Large trees uprooted by the floodwaters accumulated in an area called Roundu, and the debris caused stopped water there. This event, which occurred about 200 years ago, submerged the entire region of Baltistan. Due to this catastrophe, people migrated to various areas. One such area is Chunda, specifically a place above Gamba Skardu known as Chunda Valley, which still exists today. This valley is situated at the mountains. It was named Chunda because when people arrived by boat, they would tie their boats here. In the Balti language, rdua means rock and ching means to tie, hence the name Chunda.2.7.9.
Dio Qandaal's Cave
No full textThere is a cave is known as Deer-e-Khoh, Dio-e-Khoh, and Dio Qandaale Khoh whereby these names reflect the ancient role of this area as a gateway towards Dir, a valley in the Swat region, where once upon a time a giant (dio) lived. The cave, located in Kargah Nullah, 11 kilometers from Gilgit city and 600 feet above the roadside, served as a safe haven for bandits (dacoits) who robbed locals. To counter the dacoits, the locals devised a plan using a local grass called "Khamoo" in the Shina language. This grass, known for its water-absorbing properties, was used to fill the cave with water, drowning the robbers who frequently came from Chitral. Dio Qandaal's Cave, also referred to as Dio Khoo, is unique due to its distinctive shape and formation. Water continuously drips from its sloping sides throughout the year, despite the absence of a visible water reservoir above the cave. This was attributed by locals to the fact that the cave was created by the giant Dio Qandaal who lived there thousands of years ago. Dio Qandaal domesticated goats and sheep, and his favorite goatherd was a large takine (Budorcas taxicolor). One evening, as the flock returned to the cave, a prince named Behram Shahzada attacked and killed the takines outside the cave. Disguising himself in the goat's skin, the prince entered the cave, bleated "Dio Qandaal hircine", and pretended to be the goatherd. Dio Qandaal, believing it was his goatherd, closed the cave's door, lit a fire, and went to sleep. In the middle of the night, the prince emerged from the goat's skin and heated two iron bars in the fire. While Dio Qandaal slept, the prince used the heated bars to blind him. Dio Qandaal woke up in agony, realizing he was blind, and started throwing large stones in a frenzy. The prince defended himself and retaliated with his sword. Their fierce battle continued until Dio Qandaal broke through the cave's door and fled. The door, now 600 feet away from the cave, marks the site of his escape. Eventually, the prince killed Dio Qandaal.2.3.14.
Agricultural Rituals
No full textMy name is Ansar Madani and for a long time I have been working on the culture of Gilgit-Baltistan, its history and customs and I have not merely read about them from books rather I visited those places and gained local knowledge. The real Gilgit Baltistan is a place in the middle of the [Karakoram] mountains where our elders used to work. They used to settle these pastures in the search of a halal livelihood. As it is very cold in the pasture areas, people would seasonally migrate there in summers. [In the valleys] they would grow wheat and for this purpose soften the land before sowing. They also would use cattle dung as part of many other organic practices. At sowing, also rituals were applied by intellectual elderly person who had the relevant knowledge. An [old] man would pick up the soil and determine whether seeds could be grown there or not. Thereafter, he would advise about whether further tilling was necessary before sowing. There also was a ritual for the seeds as well. People used to bring cooked food from their homes to share it with others so that there would be a bountiful harvest. After that when the wheat was ripe and harvested, they would pile it in a round circle. As they did not have a modern thresher, they used cows tied to each other at some distance by a large stick. One person kept a pot behind the cow to avoid that the cow urinated on the wheat. Before any cow would defecate she would indicate this by raising her tail. The collected dung would be thrown outside the field, behind the cow. People would hit the cow with a wooden stick and would go around and around until the wheat was separated from the husks. An elder would watch and at some point remove the cows from the threshing place, gather the grain, examine the spirit of the wind and winnow it. The elders were watching over the entire process to make sure that things happened right.2.4.5.
The Art of Survival
No full textOnce upon a time, there were many cats and mice, and there was great enmity among them. In an attempt to end this hostility, the animals jointly decided to forge a relationship by marrying a cat and a mouse. However, the cats secretly planned to use this [event] as an opportunity to destroy the mice. The cats cleaned and decorated the house for the wedding, ensuring there were no escape routes. However, due to a mistake, they overlooked a small hole in the roof. On the day of the wedding, all the mice arrived, unaware of the cats' true intentions. Among the mice was a pregnant one who hid in a hole while the rest of the mice danced and celebrated with the cats. Unbeknownst to the mice, a cat was stationed near the door and at every corner of the room. The cats sang songs, one of which told a tale about cats and mice going to the river on horseback to bring back gold and share it. Another song, filled with coded instruction, signalled the cats at the door and corners to draw their swords and attack the mice. As the cats sang the second song, they suddenly pounced, and a fierce fight broke out. The cats killed all the mice, fulfilling their sinister plan. However, they never discovered the pregnant mouse hidden in the hole. When the cats left, the pregnant mouse emerged and escaped. She eventually gave birth to many children. It is said that her offspring spread across the world, ensuring the survival of mice everywhere. The legend goes that the entire mouse population today descends from that single brave mouse who survived the cats' treachery.2.3.3.
The enchanted door of the Western Mountains
No full textA second famous tale in Shigar is about our western mountains which have two peaks with a door between them. The grassy meadow beyond this door leads to a vast pasture. People say that during August, when the summer is at its peak, permission is granted to stay beyond this door for 40 days with the sheep and goats, while remaining in a state of ablution and offering prayers. If the latter is not done, stones will start to pelt, and people are harassed, forcing them to flee. It is also said that this door sometimes remains closed and sometimes open. People believe that when the door opens, fairies come out, visit the river, bathe, comb their hair, and then return inside the door.2.6.5.