Dardistan Times

Bo’yayum, introduction and its proceedings.

Bo’Yayum, The Spring festival. (also called Bo’ as noun)
By Quwat Khan Sunny, USA

Among many of the old held traditions, Spring Festival is the most jubilant and gregariously celebrated festival in Yasin Valley. Like Holi in India, Yinlinian in China, Now-Roze in Iran, the purpose of Spring Festival is to celebrate the arrival of spring and the bounties it comes with.  The spring festival is called, Bo’ (A boorushaski word) and the month of spring festival is called Boyying Hesa.

The word, Bo’ in Boorushaski has different connotations; however it means seeds, in the specific context of spring festival. The festival is centrally administered by the ruling families (Rajas) of Yasin. All the side-valleys of Yasin, first, participate in the festival at central level and then, peripherally, each valley or cluster of valleys kicks off its ceremonies individually due to the seasonal and weather variances. Normally, centrally held ceremonies and rituals are 10 days ahead of the peripheral ceremonies.  Several interesting rituals, full of insight, are observed that day chronically till late night.

Shootuma Uochum, Ha’ Isqarakim. Decorating the house and stamping the ceiling with ‘phatak’

The festival is celebrated with great palm and show. All the homes are cleaned. The people change soil of the floor of their house and renovate it (usually it is made of soil). The ceiling of the home is stamped with different patterns using white powder paint, called Phatak, on their beams inside. The pattern stamped, historically used to be the oxen foot-prints. It is believed that the foot-prints of oxen on the ceiling symbolizes prosperity and increasing plow-back. With the passage of time, People, however, have taken it farther to printing hearts, wheat spikes, flowers stalks, birds etc.

Doolashoo Haryo Uochum ka Qaidrang Gi’zchum

Dung, Teirgheit makuti as main entre’

Seylendaroogha Bo’ Hanikmo

Takh-te Hah, Takhto Khatan, The house of the Thrown..

Zchamuyn, Shawaran Dikharchum, jumoo etc.

Haghura Owchirhkayum.

Daffey Tamasha, Ustatishoo Tamasha

Younger boys are also imprinted on their faces with the same white powder, in an ox image. The boys pretend to be oxen fight their heads. Usually, they end up crying. Girls swing by the ropes hanging them down from large trees, usually from walnut. The teenage boys prefer play hockey-style polo on grassy plots or in the fields.

On this eve, a special dish (Makuti) is prepared. A day before the Bo’, women in neighborhood help each other to peel the shells of walnut or apricot seeds to make the oil used in Makuti. In taste, Makuti looks like a dessert or an appetizer but people considered it as main entre’ at that special day.

People give up all other activities and fully involve themselves in spring festival to pay a special reverence. However, indulgence in the festival does not mean that parents forget their married daughters (Seleyndaroo). A pot-full of Makuti must have to be sent to the daughters, weather they are far or near. Young brothers or sisters or father usually take the Makuti to the married daughter (Seylen). This token of remembrance is called Ha’nik. The Seylendaroo feel secured, happy and reaffirm their love to their parents, brothers and sisters. They rejuvenate their kinship through Hanik’.

Early in the morning people from the nearby villages, march towards the Takht-e-Ha or Thakhto-Khatan, in procession, which historically used to be the house of the Thrown.  Along with various minor rituals in this house, a grand musical session goes on and people participate in the dancing, songs, food etc. After the indoor rituals, an old, pious and respectable person, usually called Zchamuyn, of the valley is selected to inaugurate the Polo Ground (As it is to be used for the first time after the tiring winter season. The procedure is interesting as well as unique. The person should be in a royal dress, turning turban around his head and wearing a fancy over-coat (jumoo) and white Indian style shalwar-kameez. Spectators from all over the valley gather around the Polo ground, ready to give huge round of applause to the person, when he sprints his horse across the ground, as if he is splitting the ground into two parts. It is called Shawaran Di Kharhchum (splitting the ground). The gentleman sprints his horse across the ground, waving his hand in the air. The music goes along while crowd is shouting,whistling and cheering.The ground is now considered to be ready to start the war-like free style polo match. Six players from each team come in front of the stage where the leadership of the Valley presides. The leadership or Raja would stand up and throw the wooden ball (Thari) into the ground and the polo match would start. Horse jumping is another signature of the Bo’yayum. There is a special place with piles of stones nearby the ground where horsemen demonstrate the horse jumping in front of a big crowd with the rhythm of classical music.

It brings the people together for a very special celebration. Old songs are sung and music is played that is traced back hundred of years. Special family dances are performed. The elegance of the older dancers touches hearts with the style in which they danced. Guests are given special respect. As an honor, they are invited to dance and represent their own country, Qo’om or place.

“Never have I had such a marvelous experience! I was invited and participated in all the men’s traditional activities with such acceptance. I eventually had to dance for my country as it was a custom that all who attended this festival will have to dance” says, A Western lady writing to a website.

All the day long people are involved in various cultural and recreational activities including, Polo, tug of war, athletics, football etc. Eventually, the sun sets behind the mountains announcing the wrap up of the day and people start treading home.

Chupati’mo, Brut

The evening is for neighbors and family only with special ceremonies. Special big round bread called Brut is made along with several small round breads. The small breads are called Chupati’mo, and these have to be given away among the kids in the house. The Brut is like a pizza crust made of plain wheat-flour dough.

Umayh, Heymaz, Shooqa, Oschtum.

After the dinner, preparation is made for Heymaz, a unique in house ritual. A large bunch of dry thorns is brought to ablaze a huge fire. It is this kind of in-house fire, because of which the house has square-shaped ventilation hallow in the center of it called Sum. The purpose to leave it open in the center is, to exhaust the heavy smoke. Before Heymaz, a greenly branch of alpine is oiled and burn in the fire with some prayers. This is called Umeyh.The smoke of the Alpine is deemed to be sacred and its smoke presumably purifies the house. While the fire is ablaze in full swing. The family head, dressed in farmer or shepherd fashioned, wearing a long woolen gown fastens with a wrinkled scarf around his waist stands up. Such gown and scarf-belt locally known as Shoqa and Oschtum respectively. He takes wheat-flour in a large pot. The flour is thrown across the blazed fire in a way that it crosses the fire and hits the top tip of the central pillar of the house. The flour is thrown in a bottom up loop shape.The procedure is a bit simple but the essence of the words, expressions and slogans he uses are historical, full of insight and meaningful. Three times he has to throw the flour across the fire preceded by some slogans, prayers and funny stories uttered loudly with extra super strength. The first loop of flour goes after this voice-over:

Teili-ti thamey Bo’ yani mee
Ayash thum ghai ya doosi mee
Ayash Bubuligas sey Ghendeyzshey hazch nal’ niya ingiya dosumoo.
Heyra zal’ mayagha ghendezch ka buri shul’li mee.
Sela zal’ mayagha fal faljo shul’li mee.
Ghendayzshey  zcheyrezsh sirhki’mee
Fal’ley soom sirhki’mee
Han Fal’ zchum tha’ fal
Tha’ fal’ zchum tha’ taghar fal’

Khushanigha guan!
Gar minyasa guan!
Sel’la guccha!
Hey ra guccha!
Hushzcha’ guchha!
Ma’ la guchha!

Salaqoti, mal’a qoti
Heymaz!

Ayash Bubuligas, the wife of Raja Ayash gave a reception with a golden plough set

When she jolted herself to the right, gold and silvers shook down.

When she jolted herself to the left, wheat and wheat-grains shook down.

The gold deepened its roots and the wheat grain put forth the seedling.

From one grain, there became hundred grains and from hundred, there became hundred Taghar (huge bags made of pelt) of grains.

May the wheat grain be of use in Happy moments! May the wheat-grain be of use in celebrations!

May the crops bow to the right and to the left (with healthy spikes) in the field and then, at the time when the wheat bunches are piled.

Salaqoti mala Qoti Heymaz

This makes the first round of Heymaz complete. The 2nd and third round go in the similar pattern with different narations.

The Bo’ comes to an end with joys and hopes for better crop, prosperity and blessings. Before this, one ought not to start any sort of farming or plantation. Presently, most of the people give little or no reverence to the centuries old rites and rituals of the valley. The wonderful traditions and the essence of our customs are thus have been jeopardized. There is a considerable need, realization and awareness for self-image, identity and respect for our ancestrall heritage.