Culture

 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 of dance and music are performed depending on the occasion. 

Mask dancing is one of the well-liked dance styles that is performed at the Hemis Festival. 

The dancers perform ceremonial dances while donning beautiful costumes, masks, and brocade robes.

Chakri, Ladishah, Ruf dance and Dandaras dance are further prominent dance styles.

Folk dances include Roul, Dogri, and Wuegi-Nachun, among others. 

Folk music is a favorite among Kashmiris, who also like the most well-known Rabab song. 

Sitar, Dukra, and Nagara are the most often used instruments in this song. 

In Kashmir, popular music genres such as wanawun, ghazals, Sufi, and choral are performed at festivals and weddings. 

Art And Handicrafts

 

 The Pandit house is a beautifully constructed structure with carved wooden doors, windows, and ceilings.

These are frequently decorated with carving, but Muslim carpenters do this work. 

To represent home auspiciousness, pandit women paint floral and geometrical motifs on the house's front.

At weddings and initiation rituals, they chant lucky songs as well. 

Pandits have a long history of singing in groups and writing poetry, particularly devotional poetry.

 Kashmir is well known for its exquisite and distinctive handicrafts. 

The fabric and craftsmanship of the Pashmina Shawl are renowned the world over. 

Almost all women adore and long for Pashmina Shawls since they represent royalty. 

The shawl's design and embroidery work are stunning, and it delivers an unrivaled combination of warmth and softness. 

Kashmir is known for its floral-patterned wool rugs and hand-knotted carpets as well. 

The best handicrafts produced by Kashmiris, on the other hand, are silverware, paper mache, wood carving furniture, and basketry. 

The government is growing the handicraft business because Kashmir is one of the top tourist destinations.

The Koshur Sufiana, carpet weaving, dance, and music of Kashmir are all crucial components of Kashmiri identity. 

Most residents of the Kashmir valley and Dodab in the Chenab region follow Kashmiri culture. 

The valley is known for its fine arts, which include poetry, handicrafts, and traditional boats and houseboats.

Language

Koshur (Kashmiri), an Indo-Aryan language with strong Central Asian (Dardic) affinities, is spoken by pandits. 

Compared to the Persianized/Arabicized Koshur of Muslims, the Koshur spoken by Pandits contains a greater number of vocabulary

with Sanskrit-Prakrit roots. 

Sharada, the language's original script, is similar to the Devanagari alphabet (of Sanskrit), however, it is no longer used. 

Only priests currently use it to replicate ancient documents on household rituals or write horoscopes.

Persian script is used in schools and other places. 

Kashmiri and Dogri are the Pandits' two main languages. 

They have highly educated Indians who speak both Hindi and English.

 By Rushika

 Reference:

1. https://www.everyculture.com/South-Asia/Pandit-of-Kashmir-Religion-and-Expressive-Culture.html

2. https://www.easemytrip.com/blog/unique-kashmiri-culture-and-traditions

3. https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/pandit-kashmir

4. http://www.kashmir-tourism.org/jammu-kashmir-information/music-dance.html