Pilik Lamp Festival of Tajik Ethnic Group

“Pilik” is a festival with the unique characteristics of the Tajik nationality. “Pilik” means “lamp” or “wick”, it is called as “lamp festival” because the central contents throughout the festival. The time of festival is on August (Balati) 14 and 15 according to the calendar of Islam, so it is also called as “Balati Festival” (August Festvial), and it has relationship with religion. 

It takes two days to spend the Pilik Festival. On the eve the festival, each family makes many small lamps and candles and a very big light by themselves. They apply the pole of a special “kawuri” grass on the plateau to make the wick, wrap cotton outside it, bind it into the shape of torch, dip butter or sheep’s oil and then get it done. The first evening of the festival is “home Pilik”. After it becomes dark, all the family members sit on the kang in a circle, and place a sand table in the middle to insert the lamps and candles. The head of the family chairs the ceremony, firstly prays, then calls every family member’s name according to the order of ages and seniority in the family. When he calls the member, he or she should answer, and should insert a lighted candle before himself/herself to pray for luck.

After the lamp and candles of all the family members are lighted, all of them extend out both hands to warm for while over their own lamps, then read and recite the scripture, pray to the Allah to grant happiness and bless and protect safety. When the ceremony ends, all the family members commonly share the sumptuous delicacies under the shining candlelight. On the next day, people visit relatives and friends and congratulate each other. In the evening, the “grave Pilik” ceremony is held. All the families will bring rich foods to the graveyard of their clan, and pray for the soul of their ancestors with the shining of lighted lamps and candles on the graveyard. Then, all the family members sit down in a circle to commonly share the foods.

After the grave Pilik ceremony ends, all the families will light the prepared biggest lamp, and hang it on the roof of house, it is called as “heaven lamp”. All the family members solemnly stand before the house, and look up at the “heaven lamp” and pray for happiness again. Then, the children light campfire outside the house one after another, and surround it to happily sing and dance, and play games to their hearts’ content. At this time, the night sky shined by the flame on the Pamirs is like that in daytime.

The form and contents of the Pilik Festival are actually closely related with fire. It reacts the people’s praise, praying and fetish to fire. Some people believe that this is the trace that the Tajik people had ever believed in Mazdaism before they were converted to Islam.