Habba Kadal & Village Routines in Old Kashmir Photographs

A collection of old photographs showing everyday life and shared spaces in Kashmir during the twentieth century. The pictures include Kashmiri weavers working on embroidery from a wooden balcony in 1947; village women with children at a rural home entrance in 1982, with traditional wooden slippers nearby; the busy Habba Kadal Chowk in Srinagar in the mid-twentieth century with pedestrians, cyclists, shops, and mosque surroundings; a narrow street lane in old Srinagar in the early twentieth century with wooden houses, balconies, pedestrians, and animals; village children carrying firewood baskets in 1943; and an artisan doing hand embroidery indoors in the 1920s or 1940s. Simple views of old Kashmir.

This color photograph from 1947 depicts Kashmiri weavers seated quietly on a wooden balcony, deeply engaged in intricate embroidery work. Dressed in traditional attire and turbans, the artisans are shown working with focus and patience, reflecting the discipline and skill required in Kashmir’s textile traditions. The carved wooden screens, patterned floor coverings, and domestic objects surrounding them provide a rich architectural and cultural context, typical of Kashmiri homes of the period. Such balconies served as calm, light-filled spaces for skilled handwork, where silence and concentration were considered essential. The image stands as a powerful visual record of Kashmiri craftsmanship, work ethic, and the continuity of artisanal practices during the mid twentieth century.

This photograph from 1982 captures a moment of everyday village life in Kashmir, showing two women standing at the entrance of a modest rural home while holding young children. The women are dressed in simple, patterned traditional clothing, reflecting the domestic attire commonly worn in villages during this period. Notably, a pair of wooden slippers known as khraav can be seen placed on the ground, a once-ubiquitous form of footwear across Kashmir. Khraav were used by men and women alike and were especially associated with rural life, valued for their durability and distinctive sound while walking. The image conveys a sense of simplicity, close family bonds, and cultural continuity, preserving a visual memory of village life before rapid social and lifestyle changes altered everyday practices in Kashmir.

This mid twentieth century photograph captures Habba Kadal Chowk in Srinagar during a period when the area functioned as a lively social, commercial, and intellectual center of the city. The scene shows dense pedestrian movement, cyclists, street-side activity, and prominent shopfronts, reflecting the everyday rhythm of urban life around the mosque and nearby market lanes. Habba Kadal was historically known as a meeting place for people from different communities, with tea stalls, bookshops, and academic discussions forming part of its cultural atmosphere. The surrounding architecture, multi-storeyed buildings, and busy thoroughfare illustrate the compact urban character of old Srinagar. This image serves as an important visual record of Habba Kadal’s role as a shared civic space and a hub of learning, interaction, and commerce before later social and spatial transformations altered the area’s character.

This early twentieth century photograph captures a busy street scene in old Srinagar, showing daily life unfolding within a narrow residential and commercial lane. Traditional multi-storeyed wooden houses line both sides of the street, with projecting balconies and rough stone walls reflecting the vernacular architecture of the period. Pedestrians dressed in customary attire move through the lane alongside animals, illustrating the close integration of human activity, trade, and transport in the city’s urban fabric. Such streets functioned as shared social spaces where commerce, conversation, and routine movement intersected throughout the day. The image preserves an authentic view of Srinagar’s historic street life before modern road widening and structural changes transformed the character of these neighborhoods.

This photograph from 1943 portrays a group of Kashmiri village children standing together in a rural setting, with some carrying large wicker baskets of firewood balanced on their heads. Dressed in simple, loose garments and barefoot, the children reflect the everyday realities of village life during the mid twentieth century, where household responsibilities were shared from a young age. Collecting firewood was an essential daily task, particularly in colder months, forming a vital part of domestic survival in rural Kashmir. The expressions and posture of the children convey innocence, resilience, and quiet dignity, offering a powerful visual record of childhood shaped by simplicity and community life. This image preserves an authentic glimpse into rural Kashmiri society before widespread modernization altered traditional ways of living.

This old photograph shows a Kashmiri artisan deeply engaged in hand embroidery work, capturing the patience, skill, and concentration required for traditional textile crafts. Seated indoors and working with fine patterned fabric, the artisan represents a long lineage of master craftsmen who sustained Kashmir’s renowned embroidery traditions through experience rather than formal schooling. Techniques such as chain stitch were widely used on textiles including crewel work, namda, gabbas, and raffel shawls, forming the foundation of Kashmir’s craft heritage. Although the photograph is often dated to the 1920s, the clothing and visual context suggest it may belong to the 1940s period. This image stands as a respectful tribute to Kashmiri artisans whose knowledge, dedication, and innovation shaped generations of craftsmanship and continue to define the cultural identity of the region.