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Culture |
| » Festivals |
» Navreh
Navreh literally means nine nights in spring. Kashmiris have, from time immemorial, adopted the saptarishi samvat, establishing the fact that the culture of Kashmir is five millennia old. According to this calendar, the New Year of Kashmiris begins on Chaitra Shuklapaksha Prathma. A legend, attributed to the Brahma Purana, mentions that Brahma created the world on the sunrise of this lunar date. That is supposed to be the origin of the festival of Navreh.
Another legend has it that the goddess Durga appears on the earth for nine days ( Navratra) and takes nine different forms. The first day is Navreh. On the second day, Brahma realized the tremendous responsibility he had assumed by creating the world and became somewhat pensive.
The third day is Zangtrai. On this day, Shankar blessed Parvati with matrimonial bliss and Parvati blessed all married women with suhagan status. On this day, women along with their children go to their parental homes, seek blessings from their elders, visit parks for picnics, eat delicacies and generally have fun. In the evening they are sent back to their in-laws with some bread, a packet of salt and atagat ( return fare ).
An important feature of navratra rituals is to sow barley in pots and water it with milk for eight days. Prayers are offered to Durga and devotees observe purity in person and austerity in diet.
On the eighth day, small girls, considered the epitome of purity and innocence, are treated as Durgas and offered worship.
The ninth day is Ram Navami, the birthday of Rama and is celebrated with joy, devotion and prayers.
An interesting part of the Navreh ritual is that a big thali is filled with auspicious objects on the preceding evening. These are: rice, curd, flowers, gold ornaments, pen, inkpot, the new Panchang, bread, a small mirror, other items of everyday use and so on. Early in the morning of the New Year , when each member of the family opens his eyes , he is shown this thali by a young female member of the family. They offer namaskars to the thali and bless the little one.
( with thanks to PRWA Newsletter April 2002) |
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| » Art |
» Pahari Kalam
It is not so widely known that all the schools of Pahari Kalam, which flourished at the different centers in J&K, Himachal and Uttaranchal, namely, Jasrota, Basohli, Guler, Jammu, Chamba, Nurpur, Kangra, Kulu, Mandi, Sujanpur Tihra and Tehri Garhwal were the creation of Kashmiri artists who had migrated to these places. In fact, a single family of Pandit Seu Raina produced as many as 46 artists who fertilized this entire region of the Outer Himalayas with their genius. This family led the movement from 1658 to the end of the 19th century in almost all the centers of art activity. More on Pahari Kalam and its Exponents |
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