The State of Kashmir located in the Northern part of India has a long and illustrious past. Currently, Kashmir includes the regions of Kashmir valley, Jammu and Ladakh. The main “Valley of Kashmir” is a low-lying fertile region surrounded by magnificent mountains and fed by many rivers. It is renowned for its natural beauty and quaint lifestyle.
Although there is a bitter fued between India and Pakistan concerning the land itself, over which three wars have already been fought, the people of Kashmir still continue to live their daily life amongst patrolling soldiers and produce some of the finest fabrics the world has come to known.
Culture
Cradled in the lap of majestic mountains of the Himalayas, Kashmir is the most beautiful place on earth. On visiting the Valley of Kashmir, Jehangir, one of the Mughal emperors, is said to have exclaimed: “If there is paradise anywhere on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here.”
Jammu and Kashmir sports a multifaceted, multicolored and unique cultural blend. Varied ethical and social entities, diversity of religions flourishing in the area, different language and cultural forms together with heritage albeit with an over-reigning harmony that blends in with the serenity and beauty of the region is probably the least one can say about this beautiful state. Kashmiri lifestyle is essentially, irrespective of the differing religious beliefs, slow paced. Generally peace loving people, the culture has been rich enough to reflect the religious diversity as tribes celebrate festivities that divert them from their otherwise monotonous way of life.
Celebrations and festive activities during festivals offer an important diversion to the simple and monotonous lifestyle of these people. The festivals that are celebrated with great fervor include, Id-ul-fitr, Diwali, Hemis festival, Navratras and the Loshar festival.
Kashmir is very popular for its specially brewed tea that is traditionally known as the kahwa. In certain areas of Ladakh the Yak’s milk is given special importance. It is used for making butter that has a very high fat content. It is considered as the best present that a family can give to another. Those living in the remote regions of Ladakh lead simple lives and the monasteries in the vicinity have a great impact on their lives.
People
Known for their charming beauty, most of the people in the valley are very fair complexioned, with light brown to dark hair, blue or grey to black almond eyes, rosy cheeks behind Indian tan, chiseled features and fine physique. Superstitious by nature, Kashmiris are generally non-aggressive and temperate in nature and are God-fearing. They are considered extremely warm, friendly, and hospitable.
Kashmiri women generally have such love of jewellery that their headgear, ears, necks and arms glisten with ornaments. The typical ornament that Hindu women wear is the Dejharoo, a pair of gold pendants, hanging on a silk thread or gold chain which passes through holes in the ears pieced at the top end of the lobes. The Dejharoo symbolizes that the Kashmiri Pandit woman is married. Muslim women wear bunches of earrings, the weight of which is supported by a thick silver chain along with several bracelets and necklaces.
Handicrafts and Fabrics
Carpets
Kashmiri carpets are world renowned for two things- they are hand made and they are always knotted, never tufted. The yarn used normally is silk, wool or silk and wool. Woolen carpets always have a cotton base (Warp & Weft), silk usually have cotton base. Occasionally, carpets are made on a cotton base, mainly of woolen pile with silk yarn used as highlights on certain motifs.
Carpet weaving in Kashmir was not originally indigenous but is thought to have come in by way of Persia. Till today most designs are distinctly Persian with local variations. One example, however, of a typical Kashmiri design is the tree of life. The colors of Kashmiri carpets are more subtle and muted than elsewhere in the country. The knotting of the carpet is the most important aspect, determining its durability and value, in addition to its design. Basically, the more knots per square inch, the greater its value and durability.
Papier Mache
To make Papier Mache, first paper is soaked in water till it disintegrates. It is then pounded, mixed with an adhesive solution, shaped over moulds, and allowed to dry and set before being painted and varnished. Paper that has been pounded to pulp has the smoothest finish in the final product. The designs painted on objects of Papier Mache are brightly colored. They vary in artistry and the choices of colors.
Today it has become highly stylized and appealing by using real gold and silver paint and by adding intricate decorations. The designs and decorations of the Kashmiri Papier Mache, usually in the form of flowers and birds, have a strong Persian flavor.
Chain Stitch and Crewel Furnishings
Chain stitch, be it in wool, silk or cotton, is done by hook rather than any needle. Because of the high quality of embroidery done on wall hangings and rugs, Kashmiri crewelwork is in great demand all over the world. All the embroidery is executed on white cotton fabric, pre-shrunk by the manufacturers. The intrinsic worth of each piece lies in the size of the stitches and the yarn used.
Designs are available in assortment of colors ranging from a single color to multicolor embroidery. The craft is also available on Bedspreads, Cushion Covers, Throws, Shams, Curtain Drops, Duvets Covers in various sizes ranging from single to king size.
Shawls
It is said that the shawls were famous from Kashmir even in the times of emperor Ashok (3rd C BC) but many writers credited Sultan Zain-Ul-Abidin (1420-1470 A.D) as the initiator of Shawl industry in Kashmir. It may be the Sultan whose enlightened rule encouraged promotion of arts as an organized trade and the Pashmina or in Persian called “Pashm” that we know today is a legacy of that period.
There are three fibers from which the Kashmiri shawls are made - Wool, Pashmina and Shahtoosh. Woolen shawls being are the cheapest while the Shahtoosh are the most expensive ones, the fabric Shahtoosh is now illegal for use in shawls and banned worldwide due to the endangerment of the Chiru Tibetan Antelope which has to be killed for the wool to be gathered - sadly an underground demand and supply still remains. Any other stories that you come across about the painstaking method to collect these fibres is a fairytale to fool unsuspecting buyers.
The shawl, or shoulder mantle, has been in existence in India in a variety of forms since ancient times, serving the rich and poor as a protective garment against the biting cold.
Pashmina shawls are unmistakably soft and its yarn is spun from the hair of the ibex found at 14,000 ft above the sea level. Although pure Pashmina is expensive, sometimes blending it with rabbit fur or with wool brings down the cost. The Pashmina shawl is usually made with a mix of silk in either of these percentages respectively 90/10, 80/20 and 70/30 with 70% Pashmina and 30% Silk being the most durable and famous combinations.
People many times confuse Pashmina and Cashmere and don’t know the difference. Both of these fabrics come from the same wool source, the Capra Hircus goat each goat produces only about 3 ounces or 90 grams of Pashmina wool each year. One woven Pashmina shawl requires the wool from three goats. Some of these goats live at lower altitude as well but the wool is not as fine. Pashmina is derived from the hair around the neck of the goat where it is the softest and Cashmere comes from the rest of the body, that’s it basically.
Basketry
Willow rushes that grow profusely in marshes and lakes of Kashmir are used to make charmingly attractive objects such as shopping baskets, lampshades, tables and chairs and are generally inexpensive. To increase their life span, unvarnished products should be chiseled and frequently sprayed with water, particularly in hot, dry climates, to prevent them from being brittle.
Walnut Wood
Kashmir is the only part of India where the walnut tree grows. Its color, grains and inherent sheen are unique and unmistakable, and the carving and fret work that is done on this wood is of a very superior quality. There are two types of walnut trees - the fruit bearing species whose wood is so well known, and one that bears no fruit and is locally known as ‘zangul’. Zangul has none of the beauty of walnut wood, being much less strong and possessing no grain while the walnut wood is almost black and its grains are much more pronounced than the wood of the trunk, which is lighter in color. The branches have the lightest color, being almost blonde and have no noticeable grain. The intrinsic worth of the wood from each part of the tree differs - that from the root being the most expensive and the branches having the lowest price.
Silverware
The Kashmiri artisan also produces excellent products of copper-ware consisting mostly of cooking pots and ‘ samovars ‘ (tea kettle of Russian origin) and sundry articles for the household or the mantelpiece. The copperware of Srinagar is admiringly adapted for electroplating. There are floral, stylized, geometric, leaf and even calligraphic motifs that are engraved or embossed on copper, and occasionally silver, to cover the entire surface with intricate designs which are then oxidized. The work known as ‘naqash’ determines the price of the object, as does the weight.
Kashmir has a lot to offer in terms of tourism and natural beauty. The lonely boat rides in the lakes that are flanked by mountains are romantic and is must for every visitor. Recent times have not been pleasant for the state that is wrestled between two countries, however the people are optimistic about their future.
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