Rare Kashmir Images

1940s Fateh Kadal, Srinagar Kashmir.

All the famous Kashmir art showrooms were then located on the banks of river Jehlum.

1981 Two Kashmiri boys posing for a photo in Dal Lake, Srinagar Kashmir. Confidence Personified.

1911 Sonawar Bagh. A major camp site for Britishers in past.

Kashmiri kids Dal lake 1970s.

Tribute to all Women of past ,Who worked hard to contribute to built and support their families.
Hard working Mothers &Sisters of our Society used to work on Spinning Wheel / Charka known in kashmiri as "Yander" ( derived from Sanskrit word Yentra) for umpteen hours always besides their house hold chores. Women folk all over the valley used to spin woolen & Pashmina yarn on Yender till as recently as late 1970's. The earnings from such work was considered as honest & pious. Mothers used to prepare Dowry "Daaj" for their daughter from such earnings even many have performed Haj with such earnings. In my area Batamaloo every house hold had at least one yendar operational till late 1970's. How ever with passage of time & very meager returns this craft is lost..Alas..but true.

1896 The great oral story teller of Kashmir. HATIM TILWOUN of Panzin village of Kangan.
His oral stories and songs were collected by Sir Marc Aurel Stein (1862-1943) a British traveler,Archeologist and writer at Mohand marg near base of Harmukh mountain and later published as "Hatim's Tales "
( Mohand marg is a days journey from Yarmuqam above Manigam in Ganderbal district ,the beautiful meadow where Sir stein used to stay and used to write his writings ). Hatim Tilwoun was a legend in his lifetime. He recited, sang and talked to his Kashmiri listeners in the towns and villages of the Kashmir Valley. His tales were drawn from history, mythology, traditional narratives and original stories devised by Hatim himself. They were part of the oral tradition which survived in memory and word of the mouth.
Sir Aurel Stein took pains to listen to the legendary Hatim and take down notes. When elaborated and translated for a book, it became a unique collection of folk tales, ballads, folk songs taken straight from the mouth of hereditary storyteller and reciter.