Pasturing Animals

Farman Baig

Research Data

Pasturing Animals

Description

In the old days our forefathers took their cattle to pasture charagaon for a well-defined period each year. In the old days, our forefathers used to spend most of their time on agriculture. During that time their cattle used to stay in the village till April. Thereafter, they took their cattle to a settlement (dior) where they remained for 15 to 20 days until the grass finished. Thereafter, the cattle was taken to Furzin where they remained until June before they continued to Ramanj and Kareelgos and Chikar. Chikar was a particularly good place for grazing of goats. The 500 animals belonging to 6-7 families of Kyber Gojal and comprising sheep, goats, and cows were thereafter taken to Lupgar Nala for 20 to 25 days and after that to Lupgar where they stayed until the end of September. Thereafter they returned back home. This is what our forefathers told us about their grazing circuit. At the time when the animals returned [to Khyber Gojal, the herders used to boil milk for 4-5 days. To this end, they first heated the milk, then added a little bit of sourness [vinegar] to it so that it coagulates. It becomes a very sweet jigge as we call it in Wakhi language. Between 50-200 people from the 40-50 families of the village would join the celebration welcome of those returning from the pasture and bringing in big pots filled with butter and cheese qurut.

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