Rural Markets & Village Routines in Old Kashmir Photographs

A collection of old photographs showing everyday work and rural life in Kashmir during the twentieth century. The pictures include a Srinagar street market in 1980 with a traditional meat shop displaying hanging cuts and a vegetable seller carrying baskets; comparative views of the Shalimar canal from the nineteenth century (tree-lined for boat travel) to modern times (with reduced flow and development); British military personnel on ponies in Gulmarg in 1943 with local guides and porters; children in a rural village in 1982 amid traditional structures, livestock, and tools like a stone mortar; a ghat along the River Jhelum near Zero Bridge in 1949 with moored boats and houseboats; and milk carriers balancing vessels on their heads while walking to Srinagar from villages in the 1920s. Simple views of old Kashmir.

This color photograph from 1980 captures a street-level market scene in Srinagar, showing a traditional meat shop with cuts of meat hanging at the storefront while a vegetable seller passes in the foreground. The wooden shop structure, rough roofing, and open display reflect common market practices of the period, when local food trade operated directly along neighborhood streets. Baskets of fresh produce placed outside the shop highlight everyday household commerce and the close connection between vendors and residents. The scene illustrates the rhythm of urban life in Srinagar during the late twentieth century, where food markets, foot traffic, and informal exchange formed an essential part of daily routine. The image preserves a realistic view of working-class commerce and street culture before later changes altered the appearance and organization of local markets.

This comparative image presents two views of the Shalimar canal in Srinagar, highlighting the transformation of this historic waterway over nearly one hundred and fifty years. The earlier view from the nineteenth century shows a tree-lined canal used for boat travel, serving as the primary access route to the Shalimar Garden when no road infrastructure existed in the area. The canal once connected Dal Lake directly to the garden gates and played a vital role in movement, irrigation, and landscape design. The later image reveals the canal’s altered condition in modern times, with reduced water flow and surrounding development reflecting changes in land use and urban expansion. Together, these views document the gradual decline of a historic canal that was once central to Srinagar’s garden culture, transport system, and environmental balance.

This photograph from 1943 shows British military personnel mounted on ponies at Gulmarg, accompanied by local guides and porters in the high mountain landscape of Kashmir. Captured during the Second World War period, the image reflects Gulmarg’s strategic and logistical importance as a training and transit zone for British forces operating in mountainous terrain. The presence of skis and winter equipment indicates cold-weather preparedness and alpine movement. Local guides and porters played a crucial role in navigation, transport, and survival in these conditions, drawing on deep regional knowledge of terrain and climate. The snow-covered slopes and open sky frame a moment where military activity intersected with local labor and geography, preserving a historical record of Gulmarg’s role during a significant global conflict.

This color photograph from 1982 shows children standing together in a rural village in Kashmir, offering a candid glimpse into everyday village life during the early 1980s. The children wear simple, layered clothing suited to the cold climate, reflecting practical dress common in rural households. In the background, traditional village structures, livestock, and everyday tools can be seen, indicating a lifestyle closely tied to agriculture and manual labor. A stone mortar visible in the village setting recalls traditional methods used for pounding grains and household work, practices that were still part of daily life at the time. The image captures a sense of innocence, resilience, and continuity, preserving a moment from a period when village life retained strong links to long-standing customs and communal living in Kashmir.

This photograph from 1949 shows a ghat along the River Jhelum in Srinagar, where boats are moored close to the riverbank and daily water-based activity is visible. Several small boats and shikaras rest near the shore, while houseboats can be seen across the water, reflecting the continued importance of river transport and waterfront living in mid twentieth century Kashmir. The arrangement of boats and the open riverbank suggest a location used for embarkation, loading, and routine movement along the Jhelum. Based on the landscape and river alignment, the ghat appears to be situated near the area of the present-day Zero Bridge, though the surroundings were far less developed at the time. The image preserves a calm river scene from a period when the Jhelum remained central to Srinagar’s transport, economy, and everyday life.

This photograph from the 1920s shows milk carriers walking toward Srinagar, each balancing large metal vessels on their heads as part of the daily supply of milk to the city. The figures move in a loose formation along an unpaved road, reflecting the organized yet physically demanding nature of food distribution in early twentieth century Kashmir. Such journeys were made on foot from surrounding villages, often covering long distances before dawn to reach urban households and markets. The attire and carrying method illustrate practical adaptations to labor and transport before the introduction of mechanized delivery. This image documents an essential aspect of everyday economic life, highlighting how rural producers sustained Srinagar through manual effort and well-established routines.