warvet

  DAL - NEVER DULL BY WARVET It’s the time of year when mornings get that faint bit of chill. The tourists have taken a break and the valley is so calm and welcoming. We decided to make the best of Sunday morning by cycling on the Srinagar Boulevard that runs along the Dal. In Kashmiri ‘Dal’ itself means ‘lake’ and thus ‘Dal lake’ means ‘lake – lake’ and that’s funny isn’t it? The lake is the Go – To place in Srinagar at any point of time and it never lets you down. This beautiful water body comprising of lake, marshes, canals, rivers and holding innumerable springs in her bosom is the jewel of the valley. We pedalled past Amar Singh Club, TRC and the iconic Krishna Dhaba to hit Dal Gate that controls water level of the Dal. Once on Boulevard I noticed my favourite houseboats – San Souci, Little pinafore, Beusite at their respective place. People were enjoying their morning walks, cycling - kids were skating. Many old ladies were also in force, in their hijabs and Burqas. Opp...

  THE GREAT KASHMIRI TAMASHA BY WARVET   ‘These politicians can go to any lengeth to destabilise the precarious peace’ opined Happy the Kashmiri Sikh amongst us. Sikhs are a miniscule minority in Kashmir since the time of arrival of Guru Nanak in the valley when some natives adopted Sikhism. Their numbers grew slowly. They are well educated and good businessmen. Many also reside in villages and are agriculturists. In spite of some brutal attacks by militants, they have refused to quit and have stood their ground.   Lengeth… lengeth    It kept hammering me  till it finally hit me. Happy, the true Kashmiri meant ‘length’ – I realised. As I mentioned earlier, Kashmiri language I believe doesn’t have any half syllable leading to hilarious words like sikkis (six), Gentus (Gents) and wattus ep (Wattsapp). We were in the bar of the historic Maharaja Amar Singh Club in Munshi Bagh, Srinagar. The club has been the go to watering hole of who’s who of the city a...

   ENIGMATIC RAJPUTANA BY WARVET   “Did you notice the Jaipur flag flying atop the fort tower”? Asked Thakur Ajeet Singh Peelwa, my friend and host who hails from an old feudal family of Jaipur. “Yes. It’s a peculiar multi-coloured   one. I wonder what those colors stand for”. I had asked the manager, Jai Garh fort, Devraj Banna, to whom I was referred by my another friend Col Sukhdev Rathore AKA Pappu Rathore who had recommended the fort that’s located above the Amber (AKA Amer) fort to check out its unique water harvesting system and canon foundry. Devraj wasn’t convincing when he had told me that green in the flag stood for peace, red for valour, rest .. err...he wasn’t sure. “Raja Man Singh, the ruler of Amber was a trusted General of Akbar. After the killing of Birbal by Afghans, he was sent to quell the tribes and extract revenge. For 10 years he campaigned successfully and it culminated in 1585 in decisive defeat of combined Army of five fiercest tribes ...

  PAPIER MACHE – A UNIQUE GIFT OF KASHMIR BY WARVET   Nature has bestowed its bounties upon Kashmir like no other place. Majestic Himalayas, virgin lakes, pristine valleys and rich flora and fauna give Kashmir the sobriquet of ‘Heaven on Earth’. Surrounded by such beautiful environment, it was but natural for the people of this land to develop an exalted sense of beauty leading to development of exquisite arts and crafts. The valley is a treasure trove of articles of rare beauty and craftsmanship and dominates the export market in Indian handicrafts. Papier Mache is one of the most sought after art of Kashmir.   It is believed that the art came to Kashmir from Central Asia. Two individuals are credited for its introduction in the valley in 15 th century CE. The most influential sufi preacher – Mir Syed Ali Hamadani who came from Hamadan, Iran invited accomplished craftsmen from his native place. His tomb – ‘Khankah - e - Maula’ in downtown Srinagar is the best pl...