Everyday Domestic & Street Life in Old Kashmir Photographs

A collection of old photographs showing daily routines and community moments in Srinagar from the late 19th century to the 1980s. The pictures include residents observing street life from wooden balconies and windows in 1978; a quiet stretch of the River Jhelum near Lal Ded Hospital area in 1894 with a small boat and poplar trees; locals and children gathered at Habba Kadal in the 1950s; a woman cleaning a samovar beside a water channel in 1976; an evening adult education class lit by lantern in 1951; a family group portrait in a Srinagar home in 1985; a craftsman working outdoors on decorative items in the 1960s; women in traditional pherans and jewellery posed in 1929; horse-drawn tongas on a busy street in 1945; and the sacred spring at Tulmulla (Kheer Bhawani shrine) in the early 20th century with its stone basin and trees. Simple views of old Kashmir.

This 1978 photograph from old Srinagar shows residents gathered at wooden windows and projecting balconies of a multi storey house, quietly observing everyday street life below. Such timber built homes, with their cantilevered balconies and closely spaced windows, were a defining feature of Srinagar’s historic neighbourhoods, especially along narrow lanes and near the Jhelum river. The scene reflects a common aspect of urban domestic life, where balconies functioned as informal viewing points and social thresholds between private homes and the public street during a period before large scale redevelopment altered much of the old city’s built fabric.

This photograph, taken in 1894, shows a quiet stretch of the River Jhelum near the area of present day Lal Ded Hospital in Srinagar. A small wooden boat moves across the still water, reflecting the poplar trees that line the riverbanks, while houses and garden structures sit lightly along the edge of the settlement. The surrounding mountains form a soft backdrop, emphasising the close relationship between the river, everyday movement, and habitation. At the time, the Jhelum functioned as a primary route for transport and daily activity, shaping both the rhythm of life and the physical layout of Srinagar long before modern road networks became dominant.

This photograph from the 1950s captures a busy moment of everyday life at Habba Kadal in Srinagar, where children and residents gather along the road and near the bridge, pausing to look toward the camera. Timber houses and small roadside shops line both sides, while the bridge acts as a natural meeting point within the neighbourhood. Such scenes were common in the old city, where streets functioned as shared social spaces and daily movement unfolded at a human pace. The image reflects a period when Habba Kadal was shaped by close knit residential life, informal commerce, and constant pedestrian activity long before modern traffic and urban changes transformed the area.

This colour photograph from 1976 shows a woman washing a samovar beside a narrow water channel in Srinagar, a routine domestic task carried out outdoors as part of everyday household life. Dressed in layered clothing suitable for the climate, she bends over the flowing water, using it to clean the metal vessel commonly associated with tea preparation in Kashmiri homes. Such channels, often running close to houses, provided a practical source of water for washing utensils and other daily chores. The scene reflects a quiet moment of ordinary work, illustrating how domestic life in Srinagar was closely tied to shared water sources and simple outdoor spaces during this period.

This photograph from 1951 shows an evening adult education class in Kashmir, where a teacher conducts a lesson using a simple chalkboard illuminated by a hanging lantern. The scene reflects efforts to provide basic literacy and numeracy education beyond daylight hours, particularly in areas where electricity was limited or unavailable. Both men are dressed in everyday clothing, and the rough plastered wall behind them suggests a modest local setting rather than a formal school building. Such classes played an important role in expanding access to education, allowing working adults to learn after the day’s labour and contributing quietly to social and educational change during the early post-independence period.

This family portrait, photographed in Srinagar in 1985, shows women and children gathered closely within a modest residential setting, framed by a brick wall and a wooden window above. The group faces the camera with a mix of curiosity and ease, suggesting a familiar neighbourhood environment rather than a formal studio. A young child looks down from the window, adding a quiet domestic detail to the scene. Such photographs were often taken at home, capturing everyday family life and relationships as they existed within shared living spaces, reflecting the intimate scale and social closeness typical of urban neighbourhoods in Srinagar during this period.

This colour photograph, likely taken during the 1960s, shows a Kashmiri craftsman seated outdoors in a garden, carefully working on a decorative object while surrounded by everyday tools and finished items. Sitting on richly patterned rugs beside a low table, he appears engaged in detailed handwork, reflecting the importance of skilled craftsmanship in Kashmiri domestic and economic life. Flowering plants form a calm backdrop, suggesting the work is taking place within a private garden or courtyard rather than a formal workshop. The scene captures a quiet moment of manual labour, where traditional craft practices were often carried out in informal outdoor spaces, closely integrated with daily life and the surrounding environment.

This photograph from 1929 shows a group of Kashmiri women posed together in traditional attire, wearing long woollen pherans accompanied by layered head coverings and ornate jewellery. The women are seated and standing in a formal arrangement, suggesting a studio or organised portrait rather than an everyday domestic setting. Their jewellery, including necklaces, earrings, and head ornaments, reflects styles commonly worn for ceremonial or significant social occasions. Such images served as visual records of dress and presentation during the early twentieth century, documenting how the pheran functioned not only as everyday clothing but also as an important element of formal and cultural identity in Kashmiri society.

This photograph from 1945 shows horse drawn tongas lined along a street in Srinagar, passing in front of multi storey wooden buildings typical of the city’s urban architecture at the time. The tongas, used for everyday transport, wait or move slowly along the roadside while pedestrians and shopfront activity continue around them. The buildings behind, with carved windows and projecting upper floors, reflect the dense commercial and residential character of central Srinagar. Scenes like this illustrate a period when animal drawn vehicles formed an essential part of urban movement, shaping the rhythm of daily life in the city before motor traffic became widespread.

This early twentieth century photograph shows the sacred spring at Tulmulla, a historic village located northeast of Srinagar, known for its long standing religious and cultural significance. The rectangular stone lined water basin forms the centre of the site, surrounded by leafless trees, small structures, and ritual elements placed along the edge of the spring. Tulmulla is traditionally associated with the shrine of Kheer Bhawani, where the natural spring has been a focal point for worship and seasonal gatherings for generations. The image captures the quiet physical setting of the site before later alterations, reflecting how natural water sources, modest architecture, and open courtyards shaped sacred spaces in Kashmir’s rural landscape.