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 si...