Chitral won Shandur Festival 2012 by defeating Gilgit-Baltistan by 10 to 5 goals in a thrilling final match at Shandur, Pakistan -- the world's highest polo pitch (See map). A total of eight teams took part this year. Overview of the polo pitch and Shandur Lake. Mountain reflection in Shandur Lake. The world's highest polo pitch. Nearby hill at sunset. ...

If you want to know about the culture, history and languages of a unique civilization, called ‘The Chitrali Civilization’, visit www.mahraka.com...

Shandur Polo Festival 2012 is schedculed for July from July 7 to 9, 2012. If anybody is already scheduled for the event, you can be in contact with us so that we will facilitate your trip. Regards, Shams...

Wish you all the ECOCLUB friends a very happy new year 2012!...

Wish all friends a happy Merry Christmas!...

Chitral -- Tourism Corporation Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (TCKP) sponsored festival of indigenous cuisines and the evening musical show was organized through the arrangement of Chitral Association for Mountain Area Tourism (CAMAT) on March 21, 2011, in Chitral town. The slogan of the day was ‘our culture is our identity; its protection is our need’. The objective of the activity was to protect and promote the traditional food of Chitral and to link the same with tourism industry for the economic empowerment and welfare of women—who are normally involved in cooking at household level—in the entire region. It is to be noted that the young generation has almost had forgotten the names and tastes of their cultural cuisines, which means they could disappear very soon without adding economic incentives and linking it with tourism industry. This was the overarching objective of the event. The food festival implemented in collaboration with Girl Guides—a voluntary...

Competition of cooking traditional Chitrali cuisines and evening cultural music will be organised on March 21. The activity is organised through the support of Sarhad Tourism Corporation and will be implemented by CAMAT. It must be noted that STC and CAMAT signed MoU and the former provided financial support for the activities of 2011-12. The purpose of the activity is to promote the indigenous cuisines and to link it with tourism industry in guest houses to be sumplemented by traditional music....

PESHAWAR: The Wildlife department has sold permits for hunting of four Kashmiri Markhors (wild goat with spiral long horns) under the Trophy Hunting Scheme. "We have sold permits for the current hunting season, starting from December to March, to an outfitter, Shikar Safari Club," informed Chief Conservator Wildlife Department Saeeduz Zaman while talking to this news agency on Tuesday. He revealed that four permits have been sold at a total value of $2,86,000. Giving further details, Saeed said, two permits were sold for hunting Markhor in Tooshi Shasha game reserved in Chitral for $80,500 each. Similarly, one permit was sold for $70000 in Gahirat game reserved in Chitral while the fourth one was sold for Kohistan district (Kaigah Game Reserve) for $55,000. The chief conservator said sale of these permits were made through auction. The department sought bids from hunters-outfitter for hunting of 10 Himalayan ibexes and four Kashmiri Markhors....

Wish everybody a happy year 2011!...

Chitral Association for Mountain Area Tourism (CAMAT) facilitated the participation of artisans from the Chitral district to Lok Virsa Handicraft/ Looming Exhibition in Shakarparian, Islamabad from December 28 to30, 2010. The purpose of the exhibition was to highlight the products from different parts of Pakistan, giving market linkages and exposure opportunities to artisans to learn from each other’s work. Chitral’s pavilion attracted a good number of visitors who showed interest in the handicrafts and bought Chitrali cap, woolen and goat-hair carpet, wooden spoon and so on. In the meantime, training about looming was also imparted to artisans aimed at diversifying their products and to make it more market-friendly. This could be possible by changing the designs, patterns and color system of the products. Likewise, the frame looming which is in vogue in Chitral has to be changed for an easier method called ‘pit looming’, practiced in Sindh and Punjab. It...