Kashmir, nature's ethereal canvas

Sakeena Banday, Gulf Today

Few places on earth are as magnificent and mind-blowing in their beauty as Kashmir. The gorgeous snow-capped peaks, endless stretches of lush greenery that dot the picture-postcard landscape, the placid waters of Dal Lake with their trademark houseboats – for years Kashmir has been the go-to destination for tourists, lovey-dovey couples and even Bollywood stars.

However, it is also known for its art, music, poetry, and of course, food. 

Cultivation is a rich cultural heritage of the Kashmir Valley. Rice is a staple food in Kashmir as its cultivation has immensely contributed to the economy of the state for centuries. The golden and red hues of September, when green turns to gold and then russet and red, mark the paddy harvesting period. Thousands of tonnes of rice are produced annually in the region. Rice is extensively cultivated in all the districts of the valley and is grown in the warm months of summer.

Manual harvesting is common across Kashmir. Farmers use hand tools like sickles and knives or scythes and then transport them elsewhere to be laid out and dried for two or three days. Manual harvesting is very effective, however, it is labour-intensive as it requires more steps than you might think would be necessary for such tiny, little grains.

Saqib Majeed, a photographer from the Kashmir Valley, said, "I had a conversation with many of the farmers and it was unbelievable to know that they belonged to literate families. Many farmers themselves were engineers, doctors, and professors and they're glad to do their job." 

In the hilly areas or higher altitudes, where the temperature is usually low or even mild even in summer, the growing period is more prolonged, and the ripening and harvesting get delayed.

Apart from rice cultivation, tourism and handicrafts which are the backbone of the region’s economy, Kashmir is the world’s largest apple-growing region. Apples are the lifeblood of Kashmir’s economy, involving 3.5 million people, around half the population of the state.

Dry fruits like almonds and walnuts, fresh fruit like apples and cherries besides plums, peaches, pears, apricots, and mulberries grow in abundance.

A sprinkling of spices grows here too. A variety of cumin seeds known as ‘Shah Zeera’ grows in higher altitudes. Gurez Valley is famous throughout Kashmir for having the most fragrant black cumin.

But saffron is the provenance of Kashmir. Approximately one-tenth of the world’s supply of spices is grown in Kashmir.

Saffron embodies the romance of Kashmir like nothing else does. You only have to visit the rolling plateau where saffron seeds are planted in September, and its beautiful purplish flowers bloom in October to sense its whimsical beauty. Because the translucent flowers that glow in the moonlight are mere inches from the earth, harvesting saffron is a back-breaking task.

However, this does not dim the fact that the place holds a magnetic appeal for the visitor. Known for its natural beauty, the ‘Switzerland of Asia’ is said to be heaven on earth. Not for nothing does this refrain come to mind whenever one talks about Kashmir: ‘Gar firdaus bar-rue zamin ast, hami asto, hamin asto, hamin ast’. “If there is a paradise on earth, it is this, it is this, it is this…”

Saqib Majeed is a photographer based in Srinagar. He usually covers socio-economic issues in the valley.
Saqib can contacted through social channels: saqibmajeed/ Instagram and Saqib_Majeed/Twitter