Rare Kashmir Images


1947 Kashmiri weavers sitting on a balcony
1947 Kashmiri weavers sitting on a balcony.
Sitting on the balcony. Busy with embroidery work. Keep quite without any talk.
The hard working people love their work.



1982 In a village in Kashmir
1982 In a village. The wooden slippers "khraav" can also be seen. Village life - simple life.
Simplicity defined Kashmir those days, now it has languished behind fake modernization and culture that Kashmir was never part of.
"khraav" replaced by hawai slipers was used by everybody everywhere. Brides used "khraav" with beautiful coloured designs producing sounds of gungroo at each step while walking.

Wonderful days indeed !

Habba Kadal chowk in earlier times
Habba Kadal chowk in earlier times ( A place of Academics).
We used to sit in a tea stall adjacent to the mosque till mid night before militancy. Muslims and pandits would roam freely and Habba Kadal chowk always welcomed every individual from Srinagar city who often used to come there in evening hours.
The lane in between Masque and Kapoor Book shop known as barbuze kocha led to our mohalla Sheshyar. Habba Kadal now looks a deserted place except for the mosque which still gives a majestic look. The two temples namely Soomyar & across the bridge Purshayar are now in shambles for lack of maintenance. In our mohalla new multi storied buildings have come up which has made the place very congested. People living in these buildings are outsiders from different areas and very seldom talk to each other. No cordiality exists unlike in the past. My Habba Kadal has lost its charm which attracted many people in the past. I can no longer now live in this place where my old Muslim friends have since shifted their residences to other places.


Srinagar Street Scene
Srinagar Street Scene.

1943 Kashmir
1943 Kashmir.
Kahan Se laye Woh Fiza, Woh Ruhaneyat, Woh Masoom Chere, Woh Vadhiya, Woh Kashmir ki Mahak (meeti) Woh Khoubsurti, Woh Lutf !

Kashmiri Artisan 1920's
An old time picture showing a Kashmiri Artisan doing embroidery work.
An old time pic showing a Artisan doing embroidery work. These artisans were no less than modern day technocrats .
Only thing missing in them was modern day so called certified formal education . Our tribute.
Chain stitch Master crafts man at his work . Chain stitch work is done on Crewel, Namda, Gabbas and Raffel Shawls. The photograph is dated 1920's but keeping in view the clothes & Spectacle I feel it is of 1940's.
Skills of art and crafts, innovations don't come from books but hard work and dedication make them masters. Artisans have always been deprived of what they deserve. We have to make a difference between literate and educated . Undoubtedly all the artisans are Technocrats.

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