24-05-2005

Pakistan’s Kalash ‘Non-believers’ Face Changing Times

via news.bbc.co.uk

The Kalash community dates to the time of Alexander the Great. Until recently, the lifestyle of the Kalash had changed little since the community was established, according to their oral history, by settlers from Alexander the Great’s armies in 377 BC. The strongest influence the next generation faces may well be tourism. Women still wear long, embroidered dresses tied with colourful hand-woven belts and topped with ornate headdresses. Kalash schools encourage education particularly among girls.