ByAin Wani
Beauty
Kashmiri
women are beyond beautiful. Almost every woman in Kashmir
is above average when it comes to beauty. There is beauty in their simplicity
and in their sophistication.
Maazrath
Our women
are the most hospitable creatures ever born on the face of this planet. They
are very friendly and generous when it comes to serving food to friends, guests
and even strangers. You can feel their warmth in their wide open smiles while
they feed you food. Na na myoni marun chui,byaakh piece pae khyon) Whenever we
Kashmiris have guests come over, there are mini wars going on over food in the
guestroom. Our mothers make sure they win the war and that your plate is clean
and mouth full.
Wohwu
Kashmiri
women have a very unique way of offending people and venting out their anger.
Kashmiri women don’t even exactly spout obscenities.Their word abuse is
extremely funny. They would call you a phatwangun (a burst out Brinjal/Eggplant
) and you could still get offended to unimaginable levels. Another one of the
many is ‘Pae buth wasith’ (May your face fall).
The
‘Mubarkas’ tradition
Women in Kashmir follow this tradition very religiously. Whenever
there is any good news in the family or in the neighborhood, they rush to their
houses to congratulate them with three to four bags of goodies. It might
contain fresh fruits,fresh pastries from the famous confectionaries in town or
packets of almonds and candy.
The Rain of
Almonds
Whether the
good news is someone getting married or passing matriculation exams or cracking
a professional entrance examination, Kashmiri women will shower you with
almonds, candies and the signature ten rupee notes, pleated in a fancy fashion.
Burning the
Persian rue popularly called Isband or
Isphand
Kashmiri
women burn the Harmal seeds or the Persian Rue in their kangris (earthen pots
full of burning coal,used to keep one warm in winters) and make loved ones
sniff its fumes to save them from the evil eye. They consider it as folk
medicine for all ailments and use it in spiritual practices.
Vartaav
On
weddings, Kashmiri women carry colorful envelopes and load it with cash money
as a token of love for the bride or the bridegroom. Do not be surprised if it
is an odd number of notes.Their favorite numbers are 1,11 and 21.
Wanwun
The Wanwun
is a unique way of singing on weddings.They joyfully make two singing groups,
divide the verses of a song amongst the two groups and each group sings them
alternately.They include the mother,the father,the uncle,the aunt and almost
everyone in the song. They’ve mastered the art of playing ‘tumbakhnaaris’ which
are one form of desi earthen drums, open on one side and sing to its loud beats.
Lovely
Expressions
Kashmiri
mothers will take all the misfortune of their children upon them.They say
things like ‘Laegsai balaai’ (May all your misfortune be upon me instead of
you) and ‘Vondmai zu’. If you are a Kashmiri, you sure are well acquainted with
these loving expressions.
Wazwan
The Wazwan
is so loaded with different varieties of food,mutton in particular, that it
gets too much to eat just for one meal. Earlier Kashmiri women used to carry
plastic bags with them and sneak in the extra food, and try not to be seen, to
avoid the embarrassment. Now they are provided with fancy resealable zap bags
to take the extra food home and relish it with the uninvited members of the
family (Like a boss !)
Their love,
simplicity,chastity and hospitality is irreplaceable.
They are
all about love and sacrifice.
And you
don’t even have to be a Kashmiri to notice how warm they are, it reflects in
their selfless smiles and on their innocent faces.
There
definitely cannot be anyone like a mother, specially a Kashmiri mother.
And I am
sure you all agree.
(Courtesy:
Gyawun)