Kashmir Handicrafts ---- I

Kashmir is famous not only for its sights and scenes, mountains and valleys, flora and fauna but also for its exquisite handicrafts produced by the refined skill and talent of her artisans. The beautifully embroidered shawls and rugs, intricately carved furniture, painstakingly knotted carpets and attractive papier maché products are the world’s delight, and Kashmir's pride.
Kashmiri carpets are world renowned, and perhaps the most popular of Kashmir's handicrafts. Originally from Persia, the art of making the knotted carpet that Kashmir is famous for was patronized by a Kashmir King Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin. In the 15th century, he brought weavers from Persia, to train the local Kashmiri inhabitants. The quality and price of a Kashmiri carpet depends on the density of knots. Most Kashmiri carpets have between 200 and 900 knots per square inch. Carpets with 3600 knots per square inch have also been created by Kashmir's talented craftsmen; but these are extremely rare.
The Kashmiri shawl is of superior quality, soft, warm and charmingly embroidered. It is made of three types of wool: Shahtoosh which comes from a rare Tibetan antelope, and is considered the king of wool, the Pashmina which comes from the Capra Hircus goat, and the Raffal which is spun out of Marino Wool. The Kashmiri shawls are made using two techniques, either loom woven (Kani-Shawl) or needle embroidered (Sozni).
Kashmir's walnut wood-work is the manifestation of elegant and intricate craftsmanship. Walnut wood is hard and durable, and its texture is even and close-grain. This enables the artisan to carve very fine designs. Of these patterns, floral and dragon designs are the most common. Carved furniture is the most famous of this Kashmiri handicraft, but bowls, trays, cigarette boxes, wall plaques, table lamps, screens and bedsteads are other popular items.
In an elaboration of the handicrafts from Kashmir, papier maché cannot be neglected. The art of papier maché involves layering paper pulp on a mould. It is then allowed to set, after which it is decorated. The colors used for decoration are made by diluting pigments in water with a little glue. Mineral, vegetable and organic colors are used. The final object is coated with varnish to give it shine and to protect it. Mughal pictures, mythological figures, scenes of hunting and battle, and floral patterns are the most popular.
All Kashmir crafts including the major ones are household products with active involvement of all members of the family as the essential skills are carried down from generation to generation and learnt without any substantial effort. As such a particular craft remains the monopoly of a particular family, a ghetto or an ethnic group often called by the name of the craft..... (to be continued)

HARI-PARBAT near Srinagar

Hari-Parbat or only Parbat as it was fondly called has been since time immemorial a very fond attraction for the KPs especially of Srinagar. An old legend says that the place was a large lake inhabited by a ferocious demon Jalobhava. In order to save the valley from the demon Sati Mata the royal consort of Mahadeva took the form of a bird (Haer in Kashmiri) with a small pebble in its beak. She dropped it on the head of the demon and the miracle that ensued was that the stone enlarged rapidly and took the shape of present Hari-Parbat and the demon was crushed under it.
The hill thus formed in place of the lake became the abode of numerous Gods and goddesses and particularly the shrine of Chakhrishur on its western face where Mata Tripursundari Sharika is seated graciously represented by the self made Srichakra engraved on a vertical holy rock (Shila). Number of holy temples representing various deities is located on all sides of the hill. So as a devotion to all these deities the devotees circumambulated the hillock to get their desires fulfilled. The Parikrama starts from the Lord Ganesh’s Shrine, which is located on the south-western corner. Inside the temple the deity is represented by a huge Shila. The next place of obeisance on the Parikrama route is the Saptrishi-Sthapna (Satresh) which is marked by an open space on the slope of the hillock near a big boulder in the vicinity of a Chinar tree. Here, the devotees ascertain their luck (locally known as Phal) by random picking up of some rice grains scattered on the boulder.
There are two Parikrama routes, one along the foot-hill of the hillock and the other along the fortified stone wall. The devotees have the option of taking either of the two. Further on, the next holy spot on the Parikrama is the shrine of Goddess Kali, which is marked by a small temple adjacent to a Chinar tree with a large flat open space in front known as Sidh-Peeth-- a place of lively divine presence. The shrine is said to be invested with very strong divine vibrations.
An old fort on its top built by Mughal Emperor Akbar exists there with ruins of a tall strong stone wall around the hill called Kallai in local dialect with ruins of two magnificent gates, Sangeen Darwaza and Kathi Darwaza. The wall enclosed an old populous city with the King’s palace along with the royal armory on its top. The view of Dal Lake and a part of the valley from the fort is most fascinating. Just near the southern side of the outer wall there is Gurdwara Chati-Padshahi which commemorates the visit of the Sikh Guru Shri Hargobind Singh Sahib.
Pokhribal, the shrine of the mother Raghnya is another holy spot on the Parikarma route. The holy spring inside the temple complex is the attraction of thousands of devotees.With the displacement of Pandits outside valley Hari-Parbat and lots of other important Hindu shrines in Kashmir seem in a state of neglect as most of them are guarded by security forces that’re unaware about the importance and sanctity of these places. It’s unfortunate that Kashmir, once a proud face of the Hindu India is changed altogether with its essential Hindu flavour missing now that was once its essential ingredient and none of the concerned neither the administration nor the people of this great country raise even a single voice against this great human tragedy.

It's NAVREH today

The early day today started with a memorable ritual. The Darshan of the filled in thali as noted in the earlier post (Buth-Wuchun) took me instantly back to our roots. We have experienced an unprecedented revolution in our lives during these years. Though on the face of it everything is normal, even better, as our children have grown financially stronger during these years, they are well off and the dimensions of our thoughts and deeds have widened substantially having come out of the solitude of the valley but still emotionally we are out of place especially we elders. Sometime I attribute it to our stubborn attitude of not accommodating with the changed circumstances.
This festival reverberates our past visits to Hari-Parbat hillock situated in the periphery of Srinagar, an ancient and the holiest of the holy shrine of Kashmir. It’s the abode of Jagatamba Sharika Bagwati also known as Maha-Tripursundari or Raja-Rajeshuri. The eighteen armed Goddess is considered the presiding deity of Srinagar city. The Goddess Sharika is represented by a self-made Srichakra also called Mahashriyantra, which consists of circular mystic impressions and triangular patterns with a dot (bindhu) at the Centre. The holy Srichakra is engraved on a vertical holy rock (Shila) located at the middle of western face of Hari Parbat. Shri-Yantra is the most auspicious, most powerful Yantra worshipped for attaining all worldly desires. The saints and spiritually elevated persons devote themselves to it and achieve liberation from the cares of the world. The shrine called ‘Chakrishwar’ can be approached by a flight of one hundred and eight chiseled stones. The number one hundred and eight has a mystical significance in Hindu mythology.
The devotees used to visit Hari-Parbat regularly and reach the Shrine of Chakrishwar in the wee hours of the morning. On the occasion of Navreh thousands of KPs used to pay obeisance at the shrine and wish for their prosperity. Ashaad Navami (Har Navum) is said to be the Birthday of Maa Sharika. On this day the devotees made a sacrificial offering of ‘Teher-charvan’ (rice cooked with turmeric powder and mixed with oil, salt and cooked liver of goat) to the Goddess. This ritual was locally called ‘Chout Kharun’.
The whole hill of Hari Parbat seems to be the multi-dimensional figure of geometrical figure of Goddess Sharika and at the corner of the hill is this magnificent and holy rock and those who have the eye to look at it can find different geometrical images in the shape of triangles, squares and pentagons. One gets lost while gazing at this energy centre as it emits different figures while concentrating on it.The whole of Hari-Parbat is the holy of the holiest shrines as it’s the abode of numerous gods and goddesses. Since each and every stone, pebble, mound and slope of the hillock is auspicious so there was a tradition of going around the hill (Parikrama) in the wee hours of the morning and in olden days hundreds of KPs used to observe the Parikrama regularly, some of them all their lives, before their daily routine started. Now after the KPs having moved out of Kashmir these auspicious places seem neglected including Hari-Parbat though many a casual visitor visit the shrine and are welcomed by the security forces posted there for security....... (to be continued)

NAVREH -- The New Year of KP's

Coming first Nauratra (April 27) is a special day for KP's. It's NAVREH (New Year Day) in Kashmir. The first day of Saptrishi Samvat of the lunar year is celebrated as New Year by Kashmir Pandits. It's also the Basant or Sounth in Kashmiri. It is celebrated on Chaitra Shukla Pakhsh Pratipada. It’s said on this momentous festival Lord Brahma created the whole universe. On this day the new almanac, the annual calendar with new astronomical data and lot of other information commences for the new Hindu calendar year. With this day the most soothing season of the year, the spring starts with a renewed life. The nature wears a new look. Fresh fragrance of new flowers and blossoms fill the air immediately after snow melts in Kashmir. The notes of early migratory birds, Poshnool, Phambseer, Cheni-Hagur, Katij, Kukil, Sheene-Pipien etc are heard after a long spell of winter.
Navreh is also a celebration of an escape from the clutches of the severe cold of winter with a new lease of life and a season of regeneration and fertility. Prior to the festival the family Brahmin brings in the new almanac (Panchang) of the New Year, called Janthari or Nechepater in Kashmiri. In olden days the family Brahmin brought in a beautifully designed handmade scroll of paper with paintings of Goddess Saraswati and Sharika along with a brief calendar of the year showing dates of various important days and festivals called Kreel-Patch but with the advent of the detailed Panchang (Janthari) started in early twentieth century the handmade Kreel-Patch got discouraged.
On the night prior to Navreh the eldest lady of the house fills a big plate (Thali) with uncooked rice and arranges various items on it. The new Janthari occupies an important place with a twig of fresh seasonal flowers, some coins, walnuts (three, five or seven), a small mirror, a Katori filled with Yoghurt, a pinch of salt, a lump of cooked rice, a pen with an inkpot, a golden ornament (a ring or a bangle), a piece of bread or Kulcha etc as per the family traditions are placed on this rice filled Thali. The ritual is called ‘Thal Barun’. On the early morning of Navreh before sunrise all family members have a Darshan of all this Thali with all the items placed on it and look their faces especially in the mirror and the ritual is called ‘Buth-Vuchun’.
All the things arranged on the rice filled Thali have a special significance. The rice being the principal diet of Kashmiris guarantees abundance, the walnuts ensure regeneration and stability, coins and gold ornament prosperity, the pen and inkpot education, wisdom and knowledge, curds fullness and stability. Seeing one’s face in the mirror on the early morning of Navreh dispels all evil influences if present in the house and guarantee a carefree time ahead. The walnuts are thrown into the flowing water and the rice used for making a yellow cooked rice called Taher and is taken as Prasad.
In good olden days before 1990 the Pandits of Srinagar city after having an early bath on Navreh morning and putting in new clothes would proceed in large numbers to Hari-Parbat hill, the nearby most auspicious Teertha of Kashmir to pay obeisance to the thousands of deities especially Maa Sharika and Chakrishur on the hilltop. Maa Sharika is the presiding deity of Srinagar. The holy ‘Devi-Aangan’ at the foothill of Hari-Parbat is the holiest of the holy spots for meditation for spiritual awakening.
The Pandits in Srinagar also used to enjoy the fresh almond blossom in Badam-Vaari in the foothills of Hari-Parbat on this day. It was a wonderful picnic spot and lots of people gathered there in the season, sat on ground on the freshly grown greenery and enjoyed hot sips of Kehwa, a local tea without milk from Samavaar, a peculiar Kashmir tea kettle with an arrangement of heating up with burning charcoal kept inside. There used to be an occasional arrangement of music presentations in Badaam-Wari where traditional Kashmiri Chakri was arranged by various master artists of Kashmir. Now everything has changed after the exodus of Pandits from the valley. There is a permanent scare of armed millitants in the air and general public of all hues prefers to remain away from such so-called extravaganza....... (to be continued)

Almond Blossom in Kashmir

The beauty of Kashmir, the paradise on Earth is particularly heightened during spring season. The enchanting scenario is commenced with the blossom of thousands of almond trees especially on the hillsides that present a surreal blanket of white and pink in the majestic mountainous landscape. The arrival of these flowers indicates the departure of winter and the arrival of spring that attracts tourists worldwide. The enchanting blossom of almond flowers, Badam Fulai in Kashmiri, the first to bloom add a strange aroma to the spring there. The other flowers worth a mention that lend a special charm to the beauty of spring are the Kashmir Daffodils (Yamberzal) besides Virkem and Tenkebatne. Here I’d like to quote a beautiful Kashmiri couplet by the famous Kashmir poet Mahjoor eulogizing these flowers of Spring---
Virkem te tenke batney sule aai jay ratney,
Laeg toer jame tsatney, Gushan wattan chu sonuy
(The two early spring flowers came very early to take their place in the spring while on looking at them the other flowers yet underway to bloom began tearing off their garments to take their lead. Our beautiful country is a garden of flowers.)
Kashmiri Pandits in Srinagar on the auspicious occasion of Nau-Reh (New-Year day according to the Bikrami Calender) used to greet New-Year by having a ceremonial picnic to Badam Vaer, near Srinagar where thousands of Almond trees are in full bloom. This year Nav-Reh falls on March 27 and we remember our past excursions on this day to beautiful spots especially around Almond trees in blossom.
The spring in Kashmir has its own charm with valleys and hillsides, gardens and meadows coming to new life after a long harsh winter. The Mughal Gardens near Srinagar are opened for visitors and people including tourists from outside valley visit in large numbers. The world renowned tourist resorts, Gulmarg and Pahalgam wear a festive look with hordes of people enjoying the fresh natural beauty after being almost indoors for the whole long chilly winter. There is no equal to the natural beauty of Kashmir and words fail to describe the natural scenery not only of spring but equally of autumn, summer and not at all to speak about the beauty of winter in Kashmir.

Kashmir Cultural Heritage --- VII

Nunda Rishi, also called Sheikh Noor-ud-Din was born in 1377 AD. He started a normal life, got married and had two children. He got gradually disgusted with the ordinary life and at age thirty he began visiting far off solitary places and took to penance and meditation. It’s said he fasted continually and gave up eating meat, onions, milk and honey for all times to come. Later he sustained on merely a cup of tea a day and in the last years of his life confined to water alone.
Nunda Rishi lived in the most critical times of the history of Kashmir when Sultan Sikandar and Ali Shah ruled the valley. He was very unhappy over the persecution of Hindus and their religious places by the rulers of the time. He was fully convinced and preached that the essence of all religions was the same and there was no use to discriminate on the basis of religion. He soon became the most beloved of the masses. People flocked to seek his blessings. He called upon people to live the life of purity and piety and stressed upon both Hindus and Muslims to live in a state of co-existence not confrontation. His main teachings were to subdue human senses and overcome the evils of Kama, Kroda, Loba and Moha. He wanted his devotees to enter their own self and seek the lord with controlling their breath. These and his other views of Nunda Rishi were not liked by the rulers of the time as they took it as sedition against their religion and he was imprisoned. He bore all these cruelties patiently and continued with his realistic teachings. The people as a whole respected him immensely and he was popularly called Alamdaar i.e. the flag bearer of real Kashmir ethos.
Nund Rishi attained mahasamadhi in the year 1438 AD. His mortal remains were buried in village Chrar-i-Sharif in Kashmir in the presence of Badhshah, the king and son of the tyrant ruler Sikandar where a grand memorial building stands gracefully in memory of the great saint. Thousands of devotees of all faiths visit there today and bow before this great saint to get their heart’s desires fulfilled...... (to be continued)

Kashmir Cultural Heritage ---- VI

Kashmir cultural history is adorned well by numerous saints and godmen who have contributed a lot in the preservation of our ancient cutural values despite severe odds. These godmen were not essentially scholars of religious scripures but possessed high spiritual capacities and showed the people of their time life's worthwhile path without discrimination of faith. One such towering personality, Lalleshuri is already discussed in some of my posts whose life and sayings have shown the path of purity and enlightenment to people for hundreds of years. Strangely enough these godmen belonged to different religions by their name but served humanity as a whole and taught the greatest lessons of compatibility and patience.
The successor of Lalleshuri in the line, a Muslim saint respected equally by Hindus was Nunda Reshi or Sheikh Noor-ud-Din. Besides being a rishi of high order he was also the composer of typical verse couplets like Vaakhs of Lalleshuri called Shrukh. The content of his verse was almost on the same line as of Lalleshuri though his influence as a saint and poet didn't reach her heights..... (to be continued)