Culture of Kashmir


The culture of Kashmir is a diverse blend and highly influenced by Indian, Persian as well as Central Asian cultures. Kashmiri culture is heavily influenced by Hinduism, Buddhism and later by Islam. Dominant by Hindu-Buddhist culture in the past, Kashmir was heavily influenced by Islam after Muslim influx in the Valley.

Early History

The Vedic art and culture grew in Kashmir, and some early Vedic hymns were composed in Kashmir. The Bharata Natya Shastra is notable as an ancient encyclopedic treatise on the arts one which has influenced dance, music and literary traditions in India, originated in Kashmir. Patanjali of 2nd century BC compiled his compendium on Yoga in Kashmir. The Panchatantra is also said to be originated in Kashmir. At the time when Pali was primary language for Buddhist literature in rest of India, all the Buddhist literature produced in Kashmir was in Sanskrit. Kashmiri women hold high status in society as Bilhana records that Kashmiri women were fluent both in Sanskrit and Pali. Kosh Shastra, a work on science of sex, second to Kamasutra was developed in Kashmir. Some of the major texts that originated in Kashmir were Vigyan Bharaiv Tantra, Yoga Sutras, Sapndi Karkika, Tantra Loka Para-Trisika-Vivarana and many more.

Cuisine

Rice is the staple food of Kashmiris and has been so since ancient times. Meat, along with rice, is the most popular food item in Kashmir. Kashmiris consume meat voraciously. Despite being Brahmins, most Kashmiri Hindus are meat eaters. Kashmiri beverages include Noon Chai or Sheer Chai and Kahwah or Kehew.
The Kashmir Valley is noted for its bakery tradition. Bakers sell various kinds of breads with golden brown crusts topped with sesame and poppy seeds. Tsot and tsochvor are small round breads topped with poppy and sesame seeds, which are crisp and flaky, sheermal, baqerkhayn, lavas and kulcha are also popular. Girdas and lavas are served with butter. Kashmiri bakerkhani has a special place in Kashmiri cuisine. It is similar to a round naan in appearance, but crisp and layered, and sprinkled with sesame seeds. It is typically consumed hot during breakfast.

Festivals

Kashmiri Hindus

Primary festivals of Kashmiri Hindus include:
Primary festivals of Kashmiri Muslims include:
Kashmiri or Koshur, is a language from the Dardic subgroup of Indo-Aryan languages, spoken by around 7 million Kashmiris, primarily in the Indian territory of Jammu and Kashmir. There are also speakers in parts of the neighbouring Pakistani territory of Azad Kashmir.
Although the official language of Jammu and Kashmir is Urdu, Kashmiri is recognised as a regional language in the state and is also among the 22 scheduled languages of India.
Kashmiri has split ergativity and the unusual verb-second word order.
Although Kashmiri was traditionally written in the Sharda script, it is not in common use today, except for religious ceremonies of the Kashmiri Pandits.
Today it is written in Perso-Arabic and Devanagari scripts.
The Perso-Arabic script is recognised as the official script of Kashmiri language by the Jammu and Kashmir governement and the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages.
Nowadays, the Perso-Arabic script has come to be associated with Kashmiri Muslims, while the Devanagari script has come to be associated with the Kashmiri Hindu community.

Music

Early History

The Bharata Natya Shastra is notable as an ancient encyclopedic treatise on the arts one which has influenced dance, music and literary traditions in India, originated in Kashmir.

Present day

Kashmiri Music primarily includes: