Telkara (tel-KAH-rah)

Night of Starlight

  By far the largest and most beloved celebration in Telkara, Kalunat Ashtira takes place on the longest night of the year—the winter solstice. Though it honors Ashtira, Goddess of the Desert Night, the festival is not a mourning of darkness, but a celebration of the many embers scattered across its veil.   At twilight, the city begins to glow. People from all walks of life step out into the gathering dusk, lighting small clay lanterns—some shaped like stars or flowers, symbols of Ashtira herself—each lightly perfumed with a unique scent. Gleams of light kindle across Telkara and spread, floating on canals and pools, swaying from doorframes, tucked into trees and alcoves.   The city becomes a tapestry of starlight and fragrance. Citizens walk the streets with their lanterns, forming rivers of light that wind through the capital. Eventually, each procession arrives at a nearby shrine or temple of the Goddess, where the lanterns are left as offerings—hundreds, sometimes thousands, of tiny flames burning softly in the dark. A thousand points of light to honor the Lady of the Stars.   As the fragrance of night-blooming flowers drifts on the breeze, the steady march of lanterns gives way to clusters of vibrant market stalls, where light, sound, and scent weave a rich tapestry of celebration. Bazaars bloom throughout Telkara—from the bustling Suq al-Nalgarim itself, to the theatrically spirited market in Jinan al-Ahlam, the performers’ district, and onward to the bright, festive, and often humble offerings that fill the streets of the Old City. Shoppers will throng to fill the streets, looking for bargains or rare finds, until close to the night bell, signaling the halfway point to dawn.   Aside from nocturnal commerce, there are other activities going on throughout the city. Star gazing is, of course, popular, and the famed Ismirat Halin observatory opens its doors to the public. Throughout the town, dancers perform what are known as Dances of the Blooming Night, graceful, fluid styles emphasized by diaphanous veils and ribbons, to evoke the nature of the goddess. Traditional storytellers, known as Zahani, ply their craft where ever they find an audience, recounting tales of Ashtira with golden metaphors. In Harat al-Sijil, the heart of town government, Amira Layla al-Basit judges a baking contest with other city officials, searching for the best Zahriq, a dessert closely associated with Ashtira. It is said that one has not celebrated Kalunat Ashtira until they've had at least one taste of Zahriq.   As the middle of the night approaches, and Ashtira's night jasmine shines fully among the stars, people return to the shrines and temples. All are open on this night, and none are turned away at the door. The priests of Ashtira offer blessings and anointing to all who come, and more lanterns will be lit, with ceremony. Divination is popular for this, the longest night, and folks will look for their luck in love for the coming year in the ripples of the water pools, or the flicker of a lantern's light.   As the night bell sounds, the festival slowly begins to wind down. Joyful, but weary, citizens will drift home to their beds with new purchases, new blessings, and a belly full of Zahriq. The streets quiet, the lanterns dim, and Telkara dreams under a sky still scented with jasmine and memory.