A PARADISE IN EARTH

Kashmir, officially referred to as Jammu and Kashmir, is an 86,000-square-mile region, in northwest India and northeast Pakistan.

The region has been violently disputed by India and Pakistan since their 1947 partition.

The Indian portion of Kashmir is called Jammu and Kashmir and its capital is Srinagar. The Pakistani- controlled part of the region is called Azad Kashmir and its capital is Muzaffarabad.

THE CULTURE AND TRADITIONS OF KASHMIR INCLUDES:

BELIEF SYSTEM CUSTOMS LANGUAGE FESTIVALS FOODS DRESSING FAMOUS LANDMARKS FAMOUS GOODS

To understand the cultural basis of a particular community, the study of its religious beliefs is very important.

Kashmir is inhabited by believers of Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism. A few Christians and Buddhis ts also live there. Islam is the dominant religion in Kashmir Valley.

Hinduism forms the second major religion of Kashmir. It is the oldest religion of the valley.

Sikhism forms the third major religion of Kashmir valley. However, in comparison to Muslims and Hindus, Sikhs are fewer in number.

Birth The birth ceremony of a Hindu is an elaborate one, with

mystic figures chalked on the floor, fire, pots and pestle being worshipped.

The exact time and date of birth is carefully noted by the family astrologer. On the fourth day of the child’s birth, a special feast composed of sesame, walnuts and sugar fried in oil, is prepared and sent to relatives and friends. It is called teil Panjiri.

On the same day mother’s parents send some special food to their daughters house. On the 7th day, the ceremony

On the 7th day, the ceremony of bathing the mother and the child (Sundar Sran) is performed . on this same day the naming

on this same day the naming ceremony takes place.

Marriage In hindus culture ,On the wedding day the groom wears a

colorful dress with a saffron – colored turban on his head. And they also made beautifull Rangoli (vyug) in the

compound of the house. During these ceremonies, the bride is supported by her

maternal uncle. The two families recite mantras and make the bride, groom

and their parents Perform a number of rituals with fire (agni) as the witness.

But in muslims, nikkah ceremony has great importance . And mehar is paid by the groom to the bride which is fixed

.

Death

When a person breathes his / her last, his/her mortal remains are washed in water. and cotton

And cotton buds are put into his / her ears and nostrils. A coin is placed at its lips.

The whole body is covered in a white shroud and tied with a thread (neeryvan).

Muslims believe in the life after death. After death, the corpse is bathed and wrapped in white cloth (Kafan).

The body is then carried in a coffin (Tabut) to the graveyard where it is buried in the grave.

All major festivals celebrated by the Kashmiri people are

mixed between Islamic, Hindu, and Sikh people from the

region.

A popular Hindu festival is Navaratra (New Years Day),which is celebrated on the first day of the New Moon in March/April.

The Urs is another popular Kashmiri festival that is held annually at the shrines of Muslim saints on the anniversaries of their death.

The most widely spoken language is Kashmiri, an Indo-Aryan language.

However, the predominant language differs according to region. Speakers of Kashmiri also speak Hindi, English, and Urdu as a second language.

The predominant language of Azad Kashmir include Pahari, Urdu, Dogri, Pahari, Balti, Ladakhi, Gojri, Shina and Pashto.

Poguli is the second most prominent regional dialect of the

language and is spoken in the Pogul and Paristan valleys.

Other key dialects are Rambani and Siraji.

Kashmiri people eat variations of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.

Kashmiri food normally consists of a few signature dishes such as: boiled potatoes with heavy amounts of spice (dum aloo), solid cottage cheese (tzaman), spicy lamb curry (rogan josh), and rice.

Kashmiri‟s are not heavy drinkers of alcohol but are drinkers of tea.

Some popular tea drinks are Nun Chai and Kahwah.

Many people of Kashmir participate in the formal meal called Wazwan. It is a ritual serving of food that turns out to be

more like a ceremony for weddings and parties. The ceremony takes days of planning and hours are spent

cooking. As many courses of food are given to guests. Table settings are placed on the floor for groups of 4 where

the main dishes are served. First the Tash-t-Nari is passed around for guests to wash

their hands. The last meal is the Gushtaba and one that is never refused by guests.

A dessert Phirni and a cup of Kahwah tea is also served during Wazwan.

Three different cultural backgrounds influence the clothing and costume styles of Jammu and Kashmir.

There is not much difference in clothing being men and women.

They both wear what is called phiran, which is a gown that is made of wool during the winter months and cotton during the summer months.

Muslim and Pandit men wear the gowns differently.

Ruf Dance

Bachha Nagma Dance

Dandaras Dance

Kashmiris are known to enjoy their music in its various local forms; The Dumhal is a famous dance in Kashmir, performed by men of the Wattal region.

Kashmir is the home of handicrafts like wood carving, papier-mâché, carpet, gabba and shawl making and embroidery on clothes.

India Meeting Etiquette: Religion, education and social class all influence greetings India. Greet the eldest or most senior person first. When leaving a group, each person must be bid farewell

individually. Shaking hands is common. Men shake hands with men and

women shake hands with women. Gift Giving: People of India entertain in their homes, restaurants, private clubs,

etc. Indians are not always punctual but expect foreigners to arrive on

time. Take off shoes before entering the house. Dress modestly and conservatively Politely turn down the first offer of tea, coffee, or snacks.

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