Suri Jagek, meaning "observing the sun" in the

Kalasha language Kalasha (, locally: ) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Kalash people, in the Chitral District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. There are an estimated 7,466 speakers of Kalasha according to the 2023 Census of Pakistan. It i ...

, is a traditional

meteorological Meteorology is the scientific study of the Earth's atmosphere and short-term atmospheric phenomena (i.e. weather), with a focus on weather forecasting. It has applications in the military, aviation, energy production, transport, agriculture ...

and

astronomical Astronomy is a natural science that studies celestial objects and the phenomena that occur in the cosmos. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and their overall evolution. Objects of interest include ...

knowledge system practiced by the Kalasha people in the

Hindu Kush The Hindu Kush is an mountain range in Central Asia, Central and South Asia to the west of the Himalayas. It stretches from central and eastern Afghanistan into northwestern Pakistan and far southeastern Tajikistan. The range forms the wester ...

mountain range. It involves observing the

sun The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as visible light a ...

moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It Orbit of the Moon, orbits around Earth at Lunar distance, an average distance of (; about 30 times Earth diameter, Earth's diameter). The Moon rotation, rotates, with a rotation period (lunar ...

stars A star is a luminous spheroid of plasma held together by self-gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night; their immense distances from Earth make them appear as fixed points of ...

, and

shadows A shadow is a dark area on a surface where light from a light source is blocked by an object. In contrast, shade occupies the three-dimensional volume behind an object with light in front of it. The cross-section of a shadow is a two-dimensiona ...

in relation to local

topography Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the landforms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps. Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sci ...

. This system, based on

empirically In philosophy, empiricism is an Epistemology, epistemological view which holds that true knowledge or justification comes only or primarily from Sense, sensory experience and empirical evidence. It is one of several competing views within ...

observed knowledge, helps predict the best times for

sowing Sowing is the process of planting seeds. An area that has had seeds planted in it will be described as a sowed or sown area. Plants which are usually sown Among the major field crops, oats, wheat, and rye are sown, grasses and legumes are ...

seeds, managing

animal husbandry Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, animal fiber, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, management, production, nutrition, selective breeding, and the raising ...

, and preparing for

natural disasters A natural disaster is the very harmful impact on a society or community brought by natural phenomenon or Hazard#Natural hazard, hazard. Some examples of natural hazards include avalanches, droughts, earthquakes, floods, heat waves, landslides ...

. It also governs the Kalasha calendar, determining dates for social events, festivals, feasts, and religious ceremonies.

Overview

Suri Jagek entails studying the

, and

in connection with the surrounding landscape. It relies on empirical observations to forecast optimal periods for planting seeds, overseeing livestock, and preparing for

. It also regulates the Kalasha calendar, establishing dates for social gatherings, festivals, feasts, and religious rituals. Suri Jagek reflects the Kalasha people's deep connection with their environment and the importance of their geographical context in sustaining their way of life. The knowledge is passed down through

oral traditions Oral tradition, or oral lore, is a form of human communication in which knowledge, art, ideas and culture are received, preserved, and transmitted orally from one generation to another. Vansina, Jan: ''Oral Tradition as History'' (1985), reporte ...

, including

folk stories Folklore is the body of expressive culture shared by a particular group of people, culture or subculture. This includes oral traditions such as tales, myths, legends, proverbs, poems, jokes, and other oral traditions. This also includes materia ...

, songs, proverbs, and rhetoric. Some aspects, like using shadow studies for cattle rearing, are being adapted for modern society. However, with the rise of digital technologies, there is a growing preference for more modern methods of

weather prediction Weather is the state of the atmosphere, describing for example the degree to which it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. On Earth, most weather phenomena occur in the lowest layer of the planet's atmosphere, the ...

. The

observatories An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysics, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. Th ...

used for Suri Jagek, known as Suri Jagaekein, are situated in villages across the Mumuret (

Bumburet Bumburet ( Kalasha: ', , also spelt Bumboret or Bumburait) is the largest valley of Kalasha Desh in Lower Chitral District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is one of the three valleys of Kalasha Valleys and a tourist destinati ...

), Biriu (

Birir Lower Chitral District (; ) is a district in Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. It is mainly populated by the ethnic Kho people. Demographics As of the 2023 census, Lower Chitral district has 46,028 households ...

), and Rukmu (

Rumbur Rumbur (Kalasha: ''Rukmu'') is one of the three Kalasha valleys situated in Lower Chitral District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ; , ; abbr. KP or KPK), formerly known as the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), is a Administrat ...

) valleys in the Hindu Kush range.

History

Inclusion in UNESCO's 2018 Intangible Cultural Heritage list

In 2018, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) approved the inclusion of Suri Jagek in the year's list of

Intangible Cultural Heritage An intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is a practice, representation, expression, knowledge, or skill considered by UNESCO to be part of a place's cultural heritage. Buildings, historic places, monuments, and artifacts are cultural property. In ...

(ICH). The decision was made during the 13th session of UNESCO's Inter-governmental Committee for Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage in

Port Louis, Mauritius Port Louis (, ; or , ) is the capital and most populous city of Mauritius, mainly located in the Port Louis District, with a small western part in the Black River District. Port Louis is the country's financial and political centre. It is ad ...

. The committee accepted Pakistan's nomination, recognizing Suri Jagek as a vital component of the traditional luni-solar calendar.

Threats

Despite remaining an oral tradition, younger generations lack awareness of its cultural significance and practical benefits. Community members attribute this to the educational curriculum and pedagogy in schools, which they feel have alienated them from their own cultural heritage. Despite their cultural significance, the ancient observatories used for Suri Jagek face threats from increased construction within the Kalasha valleys, putting them at risk. For example, the Suri Jagaekein in Balanguru (Rumbur) and Guru (Birir) villages have been obstructed by structures and trees, making it difficult to observe the rising sun.

References

{{Reflist Kalash people Time in Pakistan

Overview

History

Inclusion in UNESCO's 2018 Intangible Cultural Heritage list

Threats

See also

References