By Z.G.Muhammad
Sitting in the glittering lobby of the House of Commons sipping coffee and chipping at cream cake overlooking the Thames River flowing at snails pace a couple of months back I felt quite nostalgic.
The Thames River with huge motorboats moving on it was as vibrant at night as the Jhelum is dead during the day. I started yearning for the return of the days when the Jhelum used to be agog, with swimming competitions, hilarious youth jumping into the river from Zaina Kadal and Fatha Kadal Bridges, crowds cheering students participating in boat races and river processions.
Looking at sparkling waters of the Thames was like looking through the magnifying glass of manually operated bioscope during Badamwari festival with one scene after another filling my heart with thrill and excitement. I was reminded of the massive barges loaded with grains to dangerous level of sinking pushed up the river with long poles by brawny men and with beautiful damsels clad in pherans on the keel. I was reminded of the rafts and chained logs of wood steered down the stream by Herculean men. I was reminded of the sonorous solos by fishermen throwing their nets at sunrise and dusk to get a good catch. I was reminded of the chorus by hanjis propelling barges and huge boats loaded with bricks, stones, sand and lime. Some of the choruses were born on the spur of the moment and spoke of the agony and pain that people had been enduring for centuries. There were choruses that contained hymns in praise of Prophet and other saints of Kashmir. In many of the choruses they would invoke blessings of Allah for making their journey easier and redeeming them of poverty. These barges would be anchored at ghats, where from the building material was carried to construction sites on tumbrels and man-driven-carts.
The banks of river Jhelum in our childhood were vibrant, pulsating with life and centers of attraction. There were scores of “Dhobighats” (Washing booths) on both the sides of the river. I remember on way to my tuition, in Bulbul lanker, I would often stop on the Ali Kadal bridge and would watch scores of washer-men on the stairs leading to the shrine of Hazrat Bul Bul Shah, beating clothes and shawls on huge stones and then artfully sinking them in the river, with washerwomen rinsing them and putting them on ropes for drying them under sun.
Many a Kashmir poets have waxed lyrical at the sights on river books. The beauty of boatwomen and washerwomen have not only inspired the bards and poetasters to versify but some legendry Kashmir poets have created master pieces about them.
The banks of river Jhelum in our childhood were vibrant, pulsating with life and centers of attraction. The biggest riverside market in our childhood was on the bank starting from Zaina Kadal Bridge leading to Khanqah Moulvi (hospice of Mir Syed Ali Hamadani founder of Islam in Kashmir). Those days some dongas used to be permanently anchored on both the banks, while men would work as woodchoppers, laborers, vegetable vendors the women would create artifacts out of the riverbed clay- that was known for its dexterity, malleability and softness. The market had a distinction for its clay made by these boat women. Many women would visit this market for buying “wauthakhchour” portable hearths, wouer (T-shape earthen bridge used in traditional hearths), Man’nun (Kangari of clay) and white clay used for daubing homes and hearths. The portable hearth was used in summers in open for cooking food when it used to be hot insides low roofed kitchens. In my childhood there was hardly house that had more the six feet high kitchen. The low height would keep the Kitchens warm during winters.
There were Krals(potters) almost in all localities, some village potters would arrive to these riverbank-markets with their potteries. The pottery would include earthen pots which included pitchers, rice cooking pots, vegetable cooking pots and eating pots which include Kanz ( bowl with pedestal meant for women) and Khous (bowl for men). Despite copper utensils having replaced the earthen pots, some pottery continued to be in fashion.
Small boats known as Daemnav filled with vegetables would be anchored all along the bank. Those days vegetables were not imported from Punjab or Delhi into Kashmir. There were lots of varieties of vegetables some having great medicinal value that were sold on these boats. Many traditional Kashmiri vegetables have now gone out of fashion and have been replaced by vegetables grown in plains. The common vegetables that would be sold through boats were hanz-hak (sag grown in Dal lake), turnip, radish, cabbages, lettuces, spinach, tomatoes, lotus reeds,(Nadroo), brinjals, and gourds. Other than the cultivated vegetables many other wild vegetables were also popular. Some vegetables which have been part of our folklore and are associated with many of our towering mystics and saints were also sold on the banks of rivers by villagers who arrived in city on boats. These vegetables included, aibji (Rumex),Wapalhak, (Dipsaeus merimis), Pambahak, wanpran (wild onions) and hund. Of all these hund was seen as most potent and was given to women during and after pregnancy. The people from Harwan used to travel to these markets with baskets full of hedur (Agricus sp), and Kanaguchi (Morchella). Some vegetables like Charihak(campanula) perhaps for their rich protein content were known as hot vegetables.
Some vendors would sell all sorts of sun-dried vegetables and fishes. The market would buzz activities in summers and was silent during winters.
Z.G.Muhammad is a noted writer and columnist