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took noon/ Pakistani rock salt

Placed, on the metal, in the space between two burnt-black burners of the Gas daan, right in the place meant for a matchbox and just next to the weeks old crisp taher myet, was a lump of took noon – the rock salt that came from Pakistan.

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An upset stomach! Why that’s no worry at all, Kid. Have some rice with zaamdod la’yiss and a piece of took noon thrown in on the side. Add la’yiss to rice, place took noon in the middle and rub it on the plate surface. Eat. Rub some more. Eat. Strike the crystal on the plate surface. Took. Took. Took. Eat

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A pandit signboard in Kashmir?

On way to Ganpatyaar temple, traveling in a mini-van, spotted a signboard with a pandit name – Dr. S. Raina. M.B.B.S. M.D

I pointed it out. They missed it. I was told it’s just a signboard – there is a greater chance that no pandit actually lives there, the locals have just left that signboard be. Show. 
But it didn’t seem like an empty house.

Some how it all seemed strange and the signboard seemed out of place.

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Kashmirispotting

Kashmirispotting: In which we scan the credits and screen  for Kashmiri names and faces.

Exhibit : Kashmiri spotted in the wonderful credit track of Merchant Ivory’s year 1970 film Bombay Talkie (1970).

The man spotted here is this painted frame is Awtar Krishna Kaul. In 1973  Awatar Kaul went on to write and direct a film for NFDC called ‘27 Down‘. The film was shot in B&W and had Rakhee and M.K. Raina (his first major role) in lead. In 1974 the film won: National Award for Best Hindi Film and Best Cinematography; Ecumenical Award, Locarno Film Festival, Switzerland. Awtar Krishna Kaul died the same year in a drowning incident.

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tahaer – Yellow Rice

 Tahaer tastes great with tcharvan -aulov, or Dum aloo, and it even tastes great with plain zaam’d’odh.
But this yellow doesn’t look right. What’s wrong with this turmeric. The yellow doesn’t come out right anymore. It’s all pale.
Koshur tamul was sweet. It came from villages, certain villages. You had to pay a sort of excise duty if you bought food items – rice, vegetables, or a duck and much else- from village to the city. But often, one could, with some planning, sneak them along.

Is today a bod doh? Did you survive something? Are you taking this to a shrine? Is it yellow enough? Do you know how to add the oil properly? Is this the oil? Is it oil of teel gogul? Is it mustard? Does tahaer give you heartburn?

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You may check out some Kashmiri cooking at A Mad Tea Party

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National School, Karan Nagar

 And a cry went up in the mini-van, ‘National School, National School. Kus school ous.What a school, it was!’ A lot of them had studied in this school.

And I turned to see broken window panes painted on red brick walls and a traditional wooden electric pole.
‘English medium for Boys & Girls’

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Kashmiri Folk Music, recorded in 1986 by Warren Senders

 Previously:

Continuing…

Warren Senders, the leader of the indo-jazz ensemble Anti-Gravity, is a talented composer/musician who has studied and rendered Hindustani music for over 20 years. [check out the Website of Warren Senders]

On March 21 1986, Warren Senders enjoyed some traditional Kashmiri music aboard the houseboat of musician Ghulam Mohammed Ahangar. By the end of the performance, Warren Senders had recorded around 90 minutes of pure traditional Kashmiri music.

Now recently, Warren Senders started uploading these recording at his wonderful Youtube channel.
In fact, has already uploaded around 60 minutes of the recording, setting them to beautiful photographs of Kashmir shot by himself.

Here’s a link to the beautiful recordings (have also embedded some recording that I really found amazing):

“Three Kashmiri musicians: Ghulam Mohammed Ahangar, Abdul Aziz Parvez and Moiuddin Bhat, recorded in Srinagar, March 21, 1986. This video is the first of a series of Kashmiri traditional music. The presentation begins with a 20-minute suite of four instrumental melodies for rabab, sarangi and harmonium.”

In which the musician set, tune and play their instruments.

Is that actaully a Heart beat in the background?

Kashmiri Traditional Melody for Rabab, Sarangi and Nuht

Amazing stuff to say the least!

And

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zaar, playing cards.

Time – 12:57 AM

While the music plays, in an adjacent room, almost invisible, men play zaar – cards, they play Flaash – Flush and they play Paplu – ‘Rummy’. Money goes around. Alcohol moves around like a shy new bride. Prized. Concealed. Consumed. In moderation.