Tuesday , March 19 2024

Shandur valley, Shandur Pass, Shandur Top and Shandur Polo Festival

Shandur pass at the elevation of 12,200 feet or 3,700 meters is a high mountain pass that connects Gilgit Baltistan region to the Chitral valley in Pakistan. The top is flat, a plateau and can be crossed between late April and early November. The grade is very gradual, and the area is crossed by small streams of trout. Grazing in summer is plentiful.


Every year there is a polo match played on Shandur Top between a team from Chitral and a team from Gilgit. Shandur Top is one of the four major mountain passes to enter Chitral. The others are Dorah Pass from Badakshan in Afghanistan, Lowari Pass from Dir, and Broghol from the Wakhan Corridor in Afghanistan. The people who live on both sides of Shandur Top speak the Khowar language.

Shandur Polo Festival:
Shandur invites visitors to experience a traditional polo tournament which since 1936 has been held annually in July between the teams of Chitral and Gilgit. The tournament is held on Shandur Pass, the highest polo ground in the world at 3,700 meters (the pass itself is at 3,800 meters). The festival also includes Folk music, dancing and a camping village is set up. The polo tournament is featured in the first episode of Himalaya with Michael Palin.
Gilgit, Chitral and Skardu have always played the game of polo closest to its original form. In the past, local Rajas, Mirs and Mehtars were the patrons of the game.

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2 comments

  1. i like chitral too much , i want to go there , but i want to know Hotels are there or not?

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