ON THE FESTIVALS AND FOLKLORE OF GILGIT. Ill 



frequently visited by fairies who used to make these inscriptions, as in the opinion of the 

 Chilasis it is beyond man's power to produce such inscriptions. It is also affirmed that 

 these fairies were seen in those days by all men, but nowadays they are visible to no one 

 except to a great Mullah by dint of his miracles. The Bagrot people say that the 

 carvings were inscribed on stones by the fairies on the night of " Shino Bazono ; " and 

 that on the same night the fairies frequently used to rub away the figures from one stone 

 and to engrave the same on another. * 



-;? J 



The Ceremony of Sri Kun. 



Sri Kun is said to be the sister of Nagi Sochemi, and lived at Shankank, a village 

 near Godai in the District of Astore. The villagers used to present goats to this goddess 

 and prayed before her seat for the supply of their wants. Her followers were strictly 

 prohibited from keeping cows, or drinking their milk, and were under the impression 

 that by so doing they were apt to lose their flocks, herds, or the produce of their lands. 



"Jainkish" and "Dewaro." 



At Gilgit proper and in the surrounding villages there are seen two small tracts of 

 land called " Jainkish " and " Dewaro." The former is situated on the river bank and the 

 latter at the foot of a hill, except at some places in which they both are found at the foot 

 of a hill. In ancient times, when Islam had not spread to these parts, the tribes used to 

 burn the dead at "Jainkish," and a few days after they gathered and carried away the 

 bones to " Dewaro," where they buried them in one pit. Remnants of bones still mark 

 these places, though the traces have almost been obliterated by time. In these circum- 

 stances, however, one is not wrong in supposing that jVIuhammadanism is of recent growth. 



Several old men still living at Gilgit relate that they used to play with the brass 

 bangles and rings which they found in "Jainkish; " but to carry away such articles to 

 their houses was considered improper. From this it appears that the dead bodies were 

 burnt with their ornaments. 



Sankar Village and a "Chinar" Tree. 



There is a small populous village named Sankar in the Bagrot Valley. It is said 

 that when this tract was lying waste, a Fakir named Shah Burya passed through and 

 halted there for a short time. Becoming thirsty and finding no water, he prayed to God 

 for a good supply. His prayer was granted, and a sufficient quantity of water burst 

 forth from an adjacent hill. After a few days Shah Burya felt the heat of the sun, and 

 planting his stick, which was of chinar wood, deep into the ground, prayed again to the 

 Almighty to make it into a large chinar tree. This prayer was also granted, and a 

 big tree grew, under whose shadow he afterwards used to sit. The branches of this tree 

 are said to have been once so large and spreading that they touched the neighbouring 

 hill about 600 yards distant, across the Bagrot Nullah. The tree was afterwards burnt by 

 the Mongols, but after a short period five shoots sprang out from its trunk, and these 

 are still to be seen, forming an enclosure about 30 yards wide. 



