Hayrath Mubarak --- I

The atmosphere seems to be filled with the auspicious fragrance of the Holy festival. Tomorrow is the thirteenth day of the dark fortnight of Phalgun and the peculiar Hayrath Puja as per Kashmir Hindu tradition will be offered in the evening in all KP homes wherever they are. The festival is so much in their blood that all of them from those living in pitiable conditions in camps and makeshift tenements in various cities of India to those living in posh colonies and apartments of the capital cities of India and abroad celebrate with great fanfare and exchange greetings and wish prosperity for one another. It’s on this day especially that we miss Kashmir and the festivities we enjoyed with nears and dears including Muslim friends. Lots of people in cities and villages where the concentration of KPs was much were emotionally and financially attached with the festival. The vegetable sellers in Srinagar collected and hoarded Lotus Stems called Nadru in Kashmiri for more than a fortnight and sold on premium rates to KPs before the festival and the interesting thing to mention here is that lots of them cross over to Jammu even today with their stocks to sell to their customers. Same is the case with KPs preferred cuisine, the cooked fish, though many KPs have now changed their culinary tastes from non-vegetarian to exclusively veggies, the sellers come to their door steps in Jammu to sell the Kashmir fish…… (to be continued)