Kashmiri Kahwa

Flying to Kashmir from Dehli last year we were seated next to a man from Srinagar who urged us to taste their special tea known as Kawah. A small single cup of Kawah is said to lift the spirits, create a sense of wellbeing, energise, and dispel headaches. Kahwa is an anti-oxidant - some Kashmiris consider it to have magical properties.

Our first experience of Kawah was made for us by our lovely houseboy. We imbibed the tea whilst relaxing on our houseboat's veranda, and enjoying the views across Dal Lake towards the snow capped foothills of the Himalayas. It was indeed magical, but whether it was the view or the tea I could not say.

It is possible to make yourself some Kawah, all of the ingredients are readily available. I still have a small stash of Kawah which travelled back home in my suitcase. In Kashmir they obviously use green tea and saffron grown in their mountain valleys, but whatever you have to hand will suffice.

2 teaspoons of green tea leaves

2 cardamon pods slightly crushed

1 inch piece of cinnamon bark slightly crushed,

a little honey or sugar,
two or three threads of saffron, the colour and flavour is dissolved separately in a little water by crushing gently with a teaspoon,
4/5 almonds shredded or ground (optional)  

when in season Kashmiri rose petals are used

Boil 2 cups of water add cinnamon, cardamom and tea, boil for 3 minutes and then allow to infuse over low heat,

strain, then add the saffron liguid together with the threads 
a little sugar or honey

Top with almonds, serve hot 

The result is a delicate, spicey, fragrant flavour.

Mughals' Gardens in Srinagar & Tulips

Four Mughal Emperor gardens situated on the lower slopes of the Himalayan foothills, Kashmir

Shalimar was built by Emperor Jahangir for his wife Nur Jahan in 1619 - it is considered a high point in Mughal horticulture

A garden of waterways, fountains and marble pavilions with a Himalayan snow capped backdrop 

Nishat is a terraced garden built in 1633 by ruler Asif Khan with descending water courses running down to Dal Lake. The garden originally had 12 water terraces representing 12 zodiacal signs in keeping with the concepts of a Persian garden. Due to road building around Dal Lake the garden has now lost 3 of its original water terraces.

This garden with its wonderful water cascades enjoys  the Zabarwan Mountains as a backdrop

and views down to Dal Lake

Two million tulips adorn the Kashmiri landscape at an altitude of 5600 feet for two weeks each April - Asia's largest tulip festival

Chashma Shahi is the smallest of the Mughal gardens and was commissioned by Emperor Shah Jahan for his eldest son, Dara Sikoh. If you have read my other posts you may recall that Shah Jahan was the Emperor who built the Taj Mahal, and was detained by one of his sons in the Red Fort at Agra

This garden is higher up in the Zabarwan Mountains

via

This little pavilion sits over a spring which supplies all of the water to the garden and is the source of its name - Chashma Shahi translates as Royal Spring

Pari Mahal meaning 'Fairies Abode' is the highest mountain garden with terraces and magnificent views. It was commissioned by the Emperor's eldest son Dara Sikoh in 1650, the owner of the previous garden. He followed the Qadiri order of Sufi Islam and had this garden made for his tutor who used it as an observatory for teaching astronomy.

Being so high up on the slopes of the Zabarwan Mountains my little camera could not cope with the views across Dal Lake to the snowcapped Himalayas - I definitely need a new camera

I took few photographs in this garden as I was waylaid by this lovely lady and her family.  We spent time talking, and ended up photographing each other.

It is in this garden that I finally discovered the story surrounding Emperor Shah Jahan's detention by his son at the Red Fort in Agra.

The Emperor's eldest son, Dara Sikoh, was an intellectual who patronised the fine arts, music and dancing. He was seen as a heretic in the eyes of his younger orthodox brother Aurangzeb who detained his father, the Emperor Shah Jahan, in the Red Fort. Aurangzeb had his brother Dara murdered leaving the way clear for him to ascend the throne following his father's death.  It is now widely acknowledged that Aurangzeb was responsible for the eventual downfall of the Mughal Empire.

It is time to shut the door on India, not completely, I'm leaving it ajar in case I return one day! I do regret that I did not purchase myself one of the exquisite handwoven Kashmir shawls. Given another opportunity, a shawl will definitely return home with me! 

I have just been reading The Kashmir Shawl which features Dal Lake, Srinagar, and a houseboat similar to the one we stayed on - it is a good read  

Since writing this post I have treated myself to a new camera 

Srinagar and its Traditional Crafts

Hand embroidered Kashmiri Crewel work is a very long standing traditional craft in Srinagar. It is very similar to that seen in England commonly used during the Jacobean period for bed and wall hangings, and on the clothing worn by the rich. The Bayeux Tapestry was also made using hand embroidered crewel work. Crewel work was reintroduced in England by Wm Morris during the Arts and Crafts period, and it experienced another revival during the 1960s. The Crewel embroidery style and designs are thought to have travelled from Persia (Iran) to Kashmir then to Egypt, Greece and Rome, before travelling to England during the Roman conquest. 

I wrote a post here about the actual origins of the generic term 'Paisley' in connection with Kashmiri shawls and stoles but never imaged that one day I would visit Kashmir.

For 20 years, until 2012, Srinagar and Jammu have been closed areas to British visitors. Srinagar is Kashmir's summer capital, their winter capital being Jammu. Travel was not permitted by the British Foreign Office due to Kashmirs position next to several borders of unrest and conflict - Pakistan, China/Tibet and Afghanistan. Although others can travel up into the mountains, for us, it is still not permitted by our government.

Shah Hamdan is a richly coloured beautiful old Srinagar Mosque made of wood, built in 1400 with a distinctly Nepalese feel to it. Non Muslims are not allowed inside but we were permitted to take photographs through the grills 

An old lithograph of Shah Hamdan Mosque dated 1847

via

via

Mosque Chowkidars (watchmen)

The Mughal emperors who ruled India for nearly 300 years arrived in 1346 from Samarkand, Uzbekistan and Central Asia. They greatly favoured the Persian art of Papier-mâché and introduced the craft to Kashmir - a rich tradition of craftsmanship which continues today

I have looked up the history of Papier-mâché and believe that Shah Hamdan Mosque in Srinagar is unique. It is possibly the only building in the world to be covered with Papier-mâché both inside and out. 

The entrance porch ceiling

In Kashmir they decorate with designs of small flowers and foliage favouring what we know as the 'Florentine' style

Carved wooden entrance door

The Papier-mâché inside the mosque has far brighter colours than my photos indicate

The weaving of pure silk and fine pure wool carpets is another long standing tradition in Kashmir also introduced from Persia (Iran). Only Kashmiri men weave the rugs and carpets in contrast to Turkey where all the weaving is done by women

Srinagar stands on the Jhelum River and has a distinctly Central Asian flavour; when heading south from Srinagar it is often referred to as 'returning to India'. Two weeks before we arrived they had severe flooding and you can still see the debris caught up around the bridge

 Time to return back along the waterways to our houseboat