Rural Work & Urban Streets in Old Kashmir Photographs

A collection of old photographs showing everyday routines and community moments in Kashmir from the 1920s to the 1970s. The pictures include farm workers taking a lunch break in open fields during the 1950s, sharing a simple meal under trees; fishermen casting nets from a boat under a wooden bridge in early twentieth century Srinagar, with people watching from above; vegetable vendors and street activity near Kani Kadal in late twentieth century Srinagar; Ustaad Muhammed Abdullah Tibetbaqal performing Sufi music on a traditional string instrument in the mid twentieth century; the bustling Hari Singh High Street at Amira Kadal in 1977 with pedestrians, cyclists, and shops; and crowds at a large autumn fair in 1923, gathering for trade and social exchange. Simple views of old Kashmir.

This photograph from the 1950s shows farm workers gathered during a midday lunch break in the open fields of Kashmir. Seated on the ground beneath trees, the group shares a simple meal using earthen pots and basic utensils, reflecting the routines of agricultural labor and communal eating. Such breaks were an integral part of field work, offering rest and social exchange amid long hours of manual cultivation. The image documents a way of rural life shaped by seasonal farming, modest means, and close community ties, preserving a candid view of everyday work culture in mid twentieth century Kashmir.

This early twentieth century photograph shows fishermen working beneath a wooden bridge in Srinagar while people gather above to watch from the bridge deck. A boat moves through the river as large fishing nets are cast into the water, reflecting traditional river-based livelihoods and techniques. Wooden bridges once spanned sections of the river, serving not only as crossings but also as social spaces where residents paused to observe daily activity below. The image documents a moment when river life, fishing practice, and public leisure intersected, preserving a visual record of how waterways and bridges shaped everyday experience in Srinagar before later structural and urban changes.

This color photograph shows a busy street scene near Kani Kadal in Srinagar, with vegetable vendors displaying produce along the roadside and pedestrians moving through the area. The foreground features a stall piled with onions, while shops, passersby, and light traffic define the urban setting. Kani Kadal functioned as an important commercial junction, linking residential neighborhoods with market activity and professional establishments nearby. The image captures everyday street commerce and movement, preserving a visual record of Srinagar’s urban life during the late twentieth century, when street markets remained central to local trade and daily routines.

This photograph shows Ustaad Muhammed Abdullah Tibetbaqal, a respected Sufi music maestro of Kashmir, seated while performing on a traditional string instrument during the mid twentieth century. Born in 1914 and active for several decades, he was known for his deep command of Sufi musical traditions and refined performance style. The surname Tibetbaqal reflects ancestral trading links with Tibet and Ladakh, a reminder of Kashmir’s historical connections with trans-Himalayan routes and cultures. The image preserves a rare visual record of a master musician whose work contributed significantly to Kashmir’s spiritual and musical heritage, documenting both artistic practice and cultural continuity.

This 1977 photograph shows Hari Singh High Street at Amira Kadal in Srinagar, one of the city’s earliest planned commercial and residential corridors. Conceived under the orders of Maharaja Hari Singh, construction began in 1928 and was completed in 1931, establishing a modern urban layout with shops at street level and residences above. The image captures everyday movement along the street, with pedestrians, cyclists, and active storefronts reflecting its role as a central business hub. Architectural details of the wooden facades and continuous balconies highlight the distinctive urban character of the area. The photograph preserves a mid twentieth century view of Hari Singh High Street as a functioning commercial center shaped by early urban planning and public infrastructure.

This 1923 photograph shows a large autumn fair in Kashmir, with crowds gathered in an open ground for seasonal trade and social exchange. Such fairs attracted people from across the region and beyond, including visitors from Ladakh and trans-Himalayan areas, who came to buy and sell everyday goods such as tools, ornaments, and household items. The fair functioned as an important meeting point for commerce, communication, and cultural contact, linking mountain routes with valley markets. The image preserves a rare visual record of collective rural and regional life in early twentieth century Kashmir, documenting traditional fair culture and patterns of movement before modern transport and market systems transformed these gatherings.