Faces of Kashmir
The Kashmiri people are a Dardic ethnic group living in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir and parts of the Pakistani territory of Azad Kashmir who speak the Kashmiri language. Kashmiri is “a Northwestern Dardic language of the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-Iranian subfamily of the Indo-European language family.” which is also known as Koshur and hence are classified as a Dardic people.
Originally, the Kashmiris were mostly Hindu or Buddhist. Islam was introduced by Sufi saints from Central Asia, Hazrat Bulbul Shah of Anatolia and Hazrat Shah Hamadan of Hamadan,being the most prominent of them. Prince Rinchin of Ladakh, a Buddhist who was living in Jammu & Kashmir at the time came under the influence of Saint Bulbul Shah and converted to Islam. Since 1947, the number of hindus living in these areas have diminished drastically due to the continued tensions between India and Pakistan. However, there are still communities of Hindus and Sikhs living in the Kashmir Valley, the former being known as Kashmiri Pandits. Due to the large Kashmiri diaspora during The 1947 War, at least 6% of Pakistanis claim Kashmiri ancestry.
The shikara is a type of wooden boat found on Dal Lake and other water bodies of Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India. Shikaras are of varied sizes and are used for multiple purposes, including transportation of people. Drivers use oars having a unique spade-shaped bottom to row the shikara.
This homeless family lives in the hills for many years, and the only source of living for them is taking people around on horses.
i wonder what they discuss over hookah and warm buns in the cold crystal air of kashmir. The air laced with God's bounty and human destructiveness alike.
