by Comrade Shoaib Nagi

Created on: November 27, 2009   Last Updated: November 28, 2009

Shandur Valley is situated in the northern area of Pakistan. Shandur Top is basically a pass or a natural route that connects the valleys of Chitral and Giligit. It is situated above 12,000 feet. Perhaps the greatest cultural attraction that Shandur offers is its annual polo festival. Shandur is situated 147 km away from Chitral and 212 km away from Gligit.

The Shandur Polo Festival is a three day festival attracting thousands of tourists from Pakistan and abroad. The traditional polo tournament of Shandur is held every July. It is being held since 1936 and is played between the teams of Chitral and Gilgit. It is held on the highest polo ground of the world that is Shandur. Many tourists, celebrities, officers, politicians and adventure lovers come to enjoy this three day festival of sport and culture.

The game of polo has a long history in Central Asia dating back over 1400 years. It spread from Persia into the Indian Subcontinent and took strong ground in the Himalayan areas. It is a equestrian sport in which basically the main aim is to drag the ball into the goal with a stick while seated on a horse. In the local language it is known as Istoorghar and is the traditional game for the people of Chitral. The motto of Chitrali people is 'we play the game of king and the king of games'. In the festival the game is played to the music band comprising a big drum which usually play folk music.

Apart from this, this festival offers other cultural attractions such as folk music and dancing. The folk music of Pakistan's northern area as well as the Kalashi tribes is played to give the festival a strong cultural touch. This music basically comprises of unique sounds of different types of drums and also of the voices of local instruments. The dances of the Kalashi culture are much loved by tourists because of their diversity. The Kalashi tribes are people settled in the Hunza and Chitral valley from hundreds of years. They are said to be of European background and are usually quite diverse from the rest of Pakistani cultural groups.

Apart from this, a camping village is also set up for tourists from various parts of Pakistan and the world. These camping villages attract many adventurers and mountaineers. Shandur Polo Festival is one of the best tourist experiences and can relax a tourist of any mentality and culture.

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