Winter Streets & Village Life in Old Kashmir Photographs

A collection of old photographs showing everyday routines and shared spaces in Kashmir during the twentieth century. The pictures include a winter street near Burn Hall School in Srinagar in January 1976 with horse-drawn tongas on a snow-lined road; the historic Madeen Sahib Masjid in Hawal, Srinagar from 1905 with its carved stonework and arched entrances; a crowded winter market street in Srinagar around 1980 with pedestrians in pherans carrying kangars, handcarts, and mixed transport; a village boy resting in open grassland around 1950 with grazing animals in the background; women carrying large bundles of firewood on rural paths in the 1950s using traditional cloth supports; and a foreign family on a shikara ride across calm Nageen Lake in 1964 with mountain views. Simple views of old Kashmir.

This photograph from January 1976 captures a winter street scene near Burn Hall School in Srinagar, with snow lining the roadside and horse-drawn carts moving along a wet, reflective road surface. The presence of tongas highlights a transitional period in the city’s transport history, when traditional modes of movement still coexisted with emerging motor vehicles. Residential buildings and boundary walls along the street reflect the quiet, orderly character of this part of Srinagar during the mid-1970s. Winter conditions emphasized slower rhythms of daily life, with reduced traffic and a strong reliance on familiar local transport. The image serves as a valuable visual record of Srinagar’s urban environment and seasonal atmosphere before later expansion, heavier traffic, and infrastructural changes reshaped the city’s streets.

This 1905 photograph documents Madeen Sahib Masjid located at Hawal in Srinagar, one of the important historic religious structures of the city. The mosque was originally built in 1448 by Sultan Zain-ul-Abideen, popularly known as Budshah, and was named after his teacher Syed Mohammad Madani, who is also buried to the left of the mosque. Architectural details visible in the image, including carved stonework, arched entrances, and the traditional roof structure, reflect the distinct medieval Kashmiri style of mosque construction. The surrounding stone platforms and worn surfaces indicate centuries of continuous use and devotion. This image serves as a valuable visual record of Kashmir’s Islamic architectural heritage and underscores the importance of preserving such monuments in their original form for future generations.

This photograph from the winter of 1980 captures everyday street life in Srinagar during a period when traditional practices were still deeply embedded in urban routine. Pedestrians are seen wearing the customary pheran, with many carrying a kangar inside for warmth while moving through crowded market streets. Handcarts loaded with goods, horse-drawn carts, buses, and vans share the road, reflecting a transitional phase in transport where traditional and modern modes coexisted. Winter gatherings, casual conversations, and daily commerce continued despite the cold, highlighting the social resilience of the city. The image serves as an important visual record of Srinagar’s winter culture, clothing practices, and street environment before widespread adoption of modern heating and changing urban lifestyles altered these long-standing traditions.

This photograph from 1950 captures a Kashmiri village boy resting on open grassland, offering a quiet and intimate glimpse into rural childhood in mid twentieth century Kashmir. Dressed in simple traditional attire and a skullcap, the boy’s posture and direct gaze convey a sense of innocence and natural ease shaped by close contact with the countryside. The blurred presence of grazing animals in the background situates the scene firmly within a pastoral environment, where daily life was closely tied to land, livestock, and seasonal rhythms. Such images preserve the simplicity of village upbringing, free from urban pressures, and reflect a period when childhood in Kashmir was deeply rooted in nature, community, and unstructured rural life.

This photograph from the 1950s shows Kashmiri village women carrying large bundles of firewood along a rural path, reflecting the central role women played in sustaining household life. The women are seen using a cloth support tied around the back, locally known as hul gandun, which helped distribute the weight while performing physically demanding work. Collecting firewood was an essential daily task, particularly in regions without access to modern fuel, and the wood was used both for cooking and for burning in kangris during harsh winters. The image highlights the endurance, resilience, and quiet strength of Kashmiri women, who contributed tirelessly to family survival and rural economy. It stands as a powerful visual record of women’s labor, dignity, and responsibility in traditional Kashmiri society during the mid twentieth century.

This photograph from 1964 shows a foreign family enjoying a shikara ride on the calm waters of Nageen Lake in Srinagar. Seated comfortably in the long wooden boat, the visitors reflect the period when Kashmir was a favored destination for international travelers seeking scenic beauty and leisurely lake experiences. The still water, distant trees, and layered mountain backdrop highlight the serene environment that defined Nageen Lake during the mid twentieth century. Shikara rides were an integral part of lake tourism, offering a slow and intimate way to experience the natural landscape. This image serves as a visual record of Kashmir’s tourism culture in the 1960s, capturing a time when the lakes of Srinagar symbolized peace, hospitality, and timeless beauty.