Photographs of life and work of willow basket weavers of Kashmir shared by my cousin sister Dipti Das who traveled to interiors of Kashmir back in 2008 to write her master’s paper on this golden craft for National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.
“Under the direction of the Maharaja, G.E.C. Wakefield got a cinematograph film produced depicting the
unhygienic conditions under which women delivered children and the harsh treatment which was meted out
to them in the homes of their husbands. The scenario for the film was written by Ram Chandra Kak,
Political Secretary, (afterwards Prime Minister). It was an effective medium of propaganda for
social reform; but Pandits reacted unfavourably to the move and opposed the public exhibition of
the film. When an attempt was made to give a show of it in Srinagar, some young men resorted to
picketting. The Englishman was blamed for interference in the domestic affairs of the community.
Base political motives were ascribed to him. Ram Chandra Kak too came in for severe criticism.
Telegrams were dispatched to the Maharaja imploring him to intervene. Finally, Wakefield yielded to
the pressure and the film was withdrawn and never shown anywhere again.”
jaane kaisi sardi aakay baith gayi thi jam gayi thi uskay seenay mai Ghazal ki Kangdi jala kay pehen leta tha Sardi say dhitharnay lagta tha kabhi chadri chadri dhoop ood leta tha Kal suna hai barf gir rahi thi jab pahado par khidki khol kar woh aag taapnay chala gaya chita ki aag par
And the below one titled ‘Kashir hund Nak’shi’, Map of Kashmir, is from ‘An introduction to spoken Kashmiri; a basic course and reference manual for learning and teaching Kashmiri as a second language’ by Braj B. Kachru. 1973.
“Ghulam the Singer,” said Subhana, “one of the lyrical Persian poets, in the court of the Emperor Jahangir, though himself a Kashmiri, knew of this rare wool and mentions it in his love poem entitled Love,’ which I consider one of his finest pieces:”
“O Bulbul, sing of my Beloved, my love,
So pure a being, so far above
The thoughts of men and poets; so fair
Her equal is not anywhere!
Her voice a golden temple bell,
Her walk like that of a gazelle,
Her eyes a shadowed mountain pool,
Her cheeks as soft as ibex wool.”
“The poem,” added Subhana, “narrates the story of the princess, for she was a princess, being sent by her father, the ruler of Badackshan, because of jealousy in the court, to be raised by a hermit in the eastern hills. But a spirit of evil, in form a vulture, or griffin, steals her and carries her off to his infamous nest or castle on the highest peak. The griffin’s domain is guarded by the nagas, or snake people. The hero of the poem, a shepherd of goats, who turns out to be the son of the Shah of Ghazni, is determined to rescue the imprisoned princess. He obtains the help of the Hindu god Hanumon, lord of the monkey people. In this way the poem skillfully merges the myths of the Persians and the Hindus in one of the most touching love stories of all times and all countries.”
~ An extract from THE WORST by Arthur A. Baer for The Chicago Literary Club. April 18, 1960. [Read the complete piece here].
It’s about the art of Kashmmiri salesmanship as practiced by one of its greatest practitioners. Talks on history, poetry, religion and politics while dealing in old rugs. All inside the store of Subhana the Worst that first opened in 1840 just as tourists started coming into the valley.
And here’s an old international news report (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – Oct 20, 1965) about the store run by M. Subhana Kachroo, the fifth generation of the original Subhana who started the store.
Kashmir’s ‘Worst’ Store Actually Vey Successful
By JOE A. McGOWAN JR. The Associated Press
SRINAGAR, Kashmlr – Bouncing along in a horse-drawn tonga, the visitor nortes the signs on the tiny stalls—Abdul Aziz the Carpet Seller; Samad Shah the house-boat Agent; Ramsana Dubloo, Sightseeing and Hunting Trips.
Then, a clearing and a three-story building emblazoned with a sign which momentarily stuns the tourist. It says”Subhana the Worst, Departmental Store.”
It’s a trap and you know it, but it works. At the front door stand three men. Is it your imagination or are they really rubbing their hands with gusto? Instinctively you give your wallet a comforting pat.
One member of the three-man welcoming committee identifies himself as M.Subhana Kachroo, five generations descended from the Subhana who started the store in 1840.
“Welcome,” says Subhana. “We advertise ourselves as ‘the worst’ but before you leave here today, you will agree that we are ‘the best.”’
He kicks off his shoes and ducks under a curtain across the front door, pulling you with him. He leads you across a red carpet to an overstuffed couch.
“You will join me for tea, won’t you?” he pleads. While you wait, Subhana explains:
“Throughout the years, Kashmir Valley had been a quiet Summer retreat for a limited number of vacationers.Then during World War II, many soldiers, mostly Americans, came to Kashmir.They had plenty of money. They liked Kashmiri handiwork.
“Soon everybody wanted to become an art merchant, carpet merchant, wood-carving merchant or what have you. Even peddlers and boatmen opened shops. They were all ‘the best.’ An English friend of my father then suggested to him that he should become ‘the worst.’ Subhana (the fifth) said his father’s experiment worked. Today, Subhana employs 460, most of whom work in small factories or in their homes, doing embroidery work, woodwork, weaving, wood carving and furniture making. During the long Winter when Srinagar is isolated by heavy snow, Subhana’s workers build up stock for the next season.
The tea and cookies are out of the way and now it is time for business.Subhana squats on the floor in front of his customer. Barefoot clerks spread a large sheet on the carpet. At Subhana’s command they begin bringing articles from the floor-to-ceiling shelves and the showcases which ring the room.
There is a woman’s wool evening jacket.
“This took one person nine months to embroider,” Subhana says. The price: 450 rupees ($94).Then a shawl called shahtoos. Subhana says it is woven from the soft breast of a mountain sheep. This is light as a feather but one of the warmest materials made, Subhana says. Furthermore it hasbeen impossible to obtainsince the Communist Chinese overran the Tibetan mountains where the sheep live. The price of the shawl-7,OOO rupees ($1,470)’.
A clerk brings an exquisitely embroidered tablecloth which costs 1,500 rupees ($315). Subhana says it took 2 years to make. The embroidery work is so fine that a worker can sew for no more than an hour at a time without giving his eyes a rest.
Most of Subhana’s ware are by no means so expensive. He has walnut carvings ranging from $2 upward, copper and brassware at a wide range of prices, and for $2.50 a silver bracelet with such typical Srinagar charms as a houseboat, boatman’s paddle and hooka. (water pipe).
But a tour of a maze of tiny rooms on the upper floors is necessary to see the thousands of items.
“Many of my customers spend two or three days here,” Subhana says proudly.Whether Subhana is “the worst” or “the best” could be argued, but Subhana is unquestionably “the most.”
A small Shiva temple with adjoining room built at Naranbagh near Shadipur in memory of Late Resh Bhat Sahaib in 1994 Bilarmi corresponding to 1937 AD at the site of former temple of Sundribhavana. The temple is maintained by a Muslim Pujari who is too willing to show you round the temple and bring a bucket of water for offering to the Shivling in the temple.
The Shiva temple at Naran Bagh with the Muslim Pujari
Shivling inside the temple
Memorial stone of Resh Bhat Sahaib
Footstep in front of the temple reads Janki Nath Sumbli [Rest is illegible]
The above ones are from ‘The Durbar’ (1903) by Mortimer Menpes and Dorothy Menpes based on Delhi Durbar of 1903. The below ones are from an earlier publication ‘World pictures; being a record in colour’ (1902).
Guest post by Man Mohan Munshi Ji. Towards the end I am adding an old photograph of the place and a bit about a Kashmiri proverb related to the place.
The present Vitasta -Sindhu -Samgama the conflunce of Jhelum and Sind rivers at Naranbagh near Shadipur. The river in the left foreground with greyish coloured water is the Sind river and the other with the bluish green coloured water in the right background is the Jhelum. Suyya the able engineer of King Avantivarman by his skill shifted the position of Vitastasindhusamgama from Parihaspura Trigami area to its present location in the vicinity of Sundribhavana (Naran Bagh) by forcing the course of Vitasta north east wards by blocking its original course with embankments to reclaim the cultivable land from flood prone areas and marshes. A Vishnu temple by the name of Yogavasmin was also built by Suyya at the instance of Avantivarman.
The solitary Chinar standing in water in the immediate vicinity of the confluence is considered holy and compared to the holy fig tree at Triveni near Allahbad
-0-
The Chinar tree at Shadipore in a photograph by Fred Bremner. 1905
-0-
Preyaghuch buni nah thadan nah lokan nah badan.
The chinar of preyag neither become taller, nor shorter, nor bigger.
A poor sickly child, who does not grow or become fat.
An explanation about the Chinar tree of prayag that can be found in the book ‘A Dictionary of Kashmiri Proverbs and Sayings’ by James Hinton Knowles (1885):
This chinar tree is in the middle of a little island just big enough to pitch your tent on, in the midst of the Jhelum river by the village Shadipur. The Hindus have consecrated the place, and a Brahman is to be seen twice every day paddling himself along in a little boat to the spot, to worship and to make his offerings.
This chinar tree at Shadipur is believed to be the (sangam) confluence of rivers Indus (Sind) and Jhelum (Vitasta) and is called `Prayag’ by Kashmiri pandits – alluding to Prayag that is Allahabad where Yamuna and Ganga meet up. Kashmiri Pandits used to immerse the ashes and remains of their dead at this spot.
