Kashmir (Pandits) Files

  Music And Dance                       The broader Saraswat Brahmin community of India includes the Kashmiri Pandits, a group of Kashmiri Hindus.  They are Pancha Gauda Brahmins from the Kashmir Valley, a mountainous area of the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory, which is ruled by India.   Before Muslim influence arrived, Kashmiri Pandits were already in the Kashmir Valley; many of them later converted to Islam.  Most residents of the Kashmir valley and Dodab in the Chenab region practice Kashmiri culture. The music that Kashmiri Pandits perform during religious and cultural events is henzae.  According to legend, this style of music is the oldest form of Kashmiri folk singing.  When the baraat leaves, a folk dance called Veegis Nachun is popular among Kashmiri Pandit communities.  Kashmir has a unique musical and dance performance style that is both simple and amazing.  A major draw for tourists is the dance and music that are a part of almost every festival and fair. Various types o

 Where did the Kashmiri Pandits go? The Kashmiri Pandits, are a community that is native to the Kashmir valley. Although the Pandits were a minority in the region they were a rather privileged people.      The matter of what happened to the Kashmiri Pandits is a highly controversial topic as things can get blown out of proportion and often only one side of the story gets told. As Kashmir is a region of conflict between India and Pakistan, it doesn’t have a lot of accurate survey data making it extremely difficult for us to access information about the incidents and tell an unbiased story that captures the whole picture. This entry only follows the Kashmiri Pandits and their journey.  The Hindus were in power in Kashmir between the years of 1846-1947, under the Dogra rule. Towards the end of 1947, the Pathans came to power.  Over the course of time due to several reasons, the Kashmiri Pandit community moved out almost entirely.    Maharaja Gulab Singh of the Dogra Dynasty The first migr

  Although Kashmir's original Pandits have lived there for millennia, other civilizations from across the mountains have constantly been exposed to the Himalayan Valley. Mughals and Afghans reigned over us. Preachers and tourists from Central Asia and Persia have been sighted. All of these factors have an obvious impact on Kashmiri cuisine. Mughals and Afghans governed us. There have been reports of preachers and travelers from Persia and Central Asia. Evidently, each of these variables affects Kashmiri food. Food is constantly spiced with asafoetida, fennel, and other herbs and spices while being cooked in mustard oil. There is no usage of tomatoes, onions, or garlic. In contrast to other Indian cuisines, which frequently garnish dishes with herbs like coriander or curry leaves, this cuisine rarely does so. So I will highlight a few famous recipes of the Kashmiri Pundit cuisine. 1. Roganjosh This is arguably the best dish to make in Kashmir. When you will go to Kashmir you will de

Literary evidence shows that in ancient and mediaeval times, the Kashmiri Pandit men traditionally wore a lower garment, an upper garment, and a turban.  Kashmiri art also indicated that the men wore a long tunic, and trousers (probably due to Kushan influence). According to Hieun Tsang, they even wore leather doublets and clothes made of white linen. In winter, they kept warm with a cloak, which the Nilamata Purana calls the Pravarana . The rich draped themselves in fine woollen shawls, while the rest wore cheaper woollen articles like the coarse sthulkambala . There were various turbans also being used, like the ushneek or shirahshata was common. It can also be noted that the women in Kashmir used to mainly dress in sarees, blouses and tailored jackets. They too, wore long flowy tunics and trousers. Both men and women braided their hair in different styles, sometimes with colourful tassels. Men and women were both very fond of adorning themselves in different kinds of jewellery, li