SearchKashmir feature.
Anmol Kachroo[instagram] takes a journey to Kashmir to find the address of his old house in Anantnag. He comes across walls that were once home to Kashmiri Pandits.
Photo Essay by Anmol Kachroo: Desolate Homes and Silent Walls
Kashmiri Pandit Family, Tral, 1930s
Shared by Shivani Pandita from her personal family collection.
She writes:
In the center holding the baby (my eldest masi, Chuni Pandit), is my maternal grandmother, Leelawati Pandit. She must have been 20-21 yrs old in this picture. The others are Leelawati’s siblings. This picture must have been shot at her parental home in Dadsara village in Tral sub-district of Kashmir . My Nani was 11 years old when she got married but she had her first daughter after 10/11 years of marriage. This picture is shot somewhere between 1934-36 and is one of the few that survived time and migration. My maternal family has been matriarchal as my grandfather died at a young age. Leelawati was not educated but very intelligent and hardworking, she even learnt reading and writing Hindi later from her grand daughter and even in advanced age was keen to learn.
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Photographs of Durga Pooja in Srinagar, 1966. And a bit of visual history from 9th century Kashmir.
From personal album of a Swami associated Ramakrishna Mission in Kashmir for past many decades. Photo shared by Ashima Kaul.
The celebration was organised by Bengali-Kashmiri Sabha in which Kashmiri Pandits and Bengalis were members.
Durga Visarja in Vitasta/Jhelum Srinagar. 1966
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Notes of Goddess Boats of Kashmir
5 Matrkas. 5 Mother Goddesses.
9th century, Devsar. Kashmir.
We can see Vaishnavi seated on Garuda, Brahmani seated on Hamsa, Mahesvari seated on Nandi, Varahi seated on Boar and Camunda on a circular seat. In the lower register we can see various female musicians and a dancer striking a pose. The whole scene is mounted on a boat. This is the earliest depiction of a boat in sculptural art of Kashmir. Possibly inspired by musical boat processions that may have been held in Kashmir for celebrating the mother goddesses, festivities ending with visarjan, or immersion of idols into water.
The image was discovered by J.L. Bhan.
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