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Kashmiri Pandit Sabha, Ambphalla, Jammu. 2012.
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Batte Sabha
Tinsel Workers. Kashmir-Jammu.Then-Now.
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| “Photograph of tinsel workers in Jammu & Kashmir in India, taken by an unknown photographer in the 1890s. This image shows three seated workers with the tools of their trade. The tinsel wires are made of silver, or silver coated with gold leaf, and made into a bar in the shape of a candle, which is then forced through a series of holes on a steel plate to obtain increasingly fine-gauged lengths. Traditionally the wire was then wound onto a reel, as seen in the photograph, attached at the other end to a jantar, another steel plate, which allowed for futher refining of the gauge, and wires no thicker than a hair were obtained this way. A tola (180 grains of metal) usually produced 600 to 1,200 yards of wire.” via: British Library |
The frilly things seen dangling in the above photographs are the Atahoor worn by Kashmiri pandit women in their ears (more often around the time of marriage festivities). These are not usually made of metal wires anymore, instead they are now made of synthetic (Sulma/Tilla) threads. And since there aren’t many Atah wearing Pandit women left in valley anymore, the trade of these shiny things (along with some other shiny things like ‘shiny golden’ Kangri, employed for some ceremonies during marriage rites) has now moved to Jammu.
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| 2012. Link Road. Jammu. |
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We want Divorce, 1937
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| North Tonawanda NY Evening News. June 19, 1937 via: fultonhistory.com/ |
“Indian Community Asks Divorce Law
Srnagar, India, June 18 (U.P.) – The Kashmiri Pandit community is up in arms for a divorce act, the first Hindu community to declare in favor of divorce. It took an act of savagery to bring this about.
A resident of the community, graduate of an Indian university became so enraged at his wife when she refused him money that he destroyed her eyes. The act so enraged the populace that a demonstration of more than 4,000 persons was organized in protest and to urge a divorce act.”
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