Weddings in Gurez – modern and summerish this time
Ishret Munawar is Gurez’s new-age teen; she loves Kashmiri rapper Babar on YouTube and is also fond of artists featuring in tit-tok reels. However, what makes her heart is about Kashmiri girls wearing stylish Bollywood type of Gowns and a dancing bride. The video she sent me is of a Kashmiri bride wearing a white embroidered wedding gown on her ‘Mahendiraat’ or the night of the Henna, western in cut and style. the fashionable western gown concept is being replicated by brides, in neighboring Punjab, although white in Punjabi weddings is a big no, no.
This white gown in Kashmir has become a rage and is a huge departure from the Tilla Pheran suit or Sarees or Lehangas, or Garara, Shararas, traditionally worn by Kashmiri brides. The flouncy white gown reminiscent of Christian weddings, a ditto western copy with Victorian cancan below, is accessorized with a traditional red Dupatta stuck on a back-bun as the bride dances gracefully on the song – “Abb hum toh pardesi ho gaye..” . Ishrat says it’s a Gurezi bride, but after much research, she seems Kashmiri, not Gurezi. Several videos of Kashmiri brides dancing on “Palki mein hoke tayaar chali reh …”on their wedding functions is the fashionable trend in Srinagar, Kashmir and now in the remote pockets of Kashmir too; Gurezi girls are infected.
Ishret tells me, previously bride dancing was unheard of and looked down upon, now it’s changing. The opportunity of learning dance for boys-girls comes from preparing for the Army and Tourism sponsored Jashn-e-Gurez Festival, where children dance to traditional folk songs, besides Bollywood numbers which are a big attraction. These learnings manifest themselves during weddings as the trend of dance is catching on even in conservative Kashmiri societies. With easy access to mobiles, videos are created and many find their way to YouTube for public viewing.
Ishret who is studying science articulates – “Gurezi girls in earlier times were married in the same village with a near relative. The groom rode horseback and the bride was taken in a Doli. Now Doli is sometimes replaced by a car. Only a rich man’s daughter is adorned with silver jewelry worn by Kashmiris in traditional wear. In earlier times, Gurezi parents gave knitted socks, sweaters, cardigans, innerwear, coats, gloves cloth, sheep or goats in dowry. A bookkeeper aunt instantly noted details of gifts or money each invitee gifted to the mother of the groom or the bride. The money envelope or gift is swiftly opened, counted, and entered in a register by a cashier aunt, who sits behind the mother at the entrance of wedding Shamyana”.
While in fashionable Srinagar, a bride is laden with gold jewelry, many wearing gold rings on all ten fingers, unlike silver jewelry in Gurez. Another trend that has rebelled against tradition is weddings taking place in summer months, instead of winter’.
The reason for winter weddings in Gurez was practical -since outdoor work was not possible, precious time in long chilly, dreary months with almost 15-20 feet of snow, could be utilized in wedding preparations. “Households would keep busy as village wedding meant each home became contributory and tasked for something. Some merriment trotted in the otherwise cold, dull, immobile months”. Also, high-speed knitting competitions of sweaters, socks, caps, leggings, gloves, mufflers for dowry, plus entire paraphernalia of woolies for relatives were in full flow. The clickety-click music of handlooms weaving Pattu cloth flowed through the snow, adding exercise warmth, and vigor to the mundane life cooped up indoors.
Summer weddings are now attractive for youngsters, as the landscape is endearing and the charm of a wedding is manifold, a bit of silver jewelry has also been added to the dowry. The wedding feast consists of simple mutton or chicken curry or kofta, rice, potatoes, Rajma, Turnip, besides typical ‘Trumba ki roti’ and ‘Kalari’ or the sheep cheese of Gurez. Few prosperous ones also serve the Guchchi palav or Morchella rice. Winters however are left vague, mostly unexciting, leaving elders distressed as summer times mean workloads of agriculture, home repairs, firewood collections, wool shearing, sheep-goat-cow grazing, milking, vegetable plantation, harvest, drying vegs, and tons of other chores.
The army assists in every possible way for weddings in Gurez, including shamyana, snow clearance, heating, power and diesel generators, and providing facilities for wedding arrangements. Col Abhinav Goel the commandant here talks about a shooting of a wedding song in Gurez wherein the troupe had very little knowledge about the logistics of Gurez. the army assisted them to complete their schedule that otherwise would have been lost owing to the non-availability of several things including heaters, electricity generators, diesel, high-intensity focus lights, and wind cutters. We are well equipped as local weddings are assisted by us.
As Gurez gravitates towards modernism, weaving handloom Pattu is passé; it has given way to Tik-Tok videos. “A Pattu Chaddar used to take months to weave after the whole process of wool shearing, cleaning, beading, and finally wool balls, loading, and weaving “Javed Khan of Achoora, the only guy who “admitted” possessing a handloom, said. “Pattu or weaving Pattu wasn’t fashionable anymore; rather it labeled one as backward”, while showing a handloom packed for storage in winter. Javed and Amin of the same village told me with pride- “‘Pattu’ fetches a handsome sum than the normal wool cloth in Srinagar’s wholesale Koker Bazaar. Whereas normal wool ‘Pheran’ cloth lasts two or three years, Pattu’s Pheran could last upto 20-years, its warmth too was incomparable”.
Ishret voices me about a bygone era- “Older women reminiscence about times, not long back before internet infected Gurez when people sat together and genuine affection flowed. Gurez had no culture of jobs and no monetary payment. A barter system worked, wherein people were given grain, food, or study for their children, in lieu of odd jobs at home or some such compensation. As Gurez spread its wings and macadamized roads were laid, “Gurez looked out the world window. Only, then do monetary payments for work become the norm. “Trends are rapidly changing with the world of the internet a click away”, Ishret says with a glitter in her eye. Let’s hope it doesn’t wipe the quaint and unique culture of our tiny Gurez”, she prays with her hands raised in Dua, but soon enough puts on ‘clubhouse’ a Music Room 24×7 Bollywood Hollywood Lo-fi.
Himalayas Morchella or Morel Mushroom
Encircled by Gurez’s protective snowcapped mountains, abundant with a diverse flora-fauna wealth of herbs, sits a rare mushroom – Morel or Morchella mushrooms (Guchhi or Haedar, Kangich, Kangesh, Kan Kuchii in Kashmiri, Kuchuli in Shina language ). Gurez protects it fiercely. Her locals reveal to me, that the Morel grows in mysterious spaces; and is kept a closely guarded secret. Tracks are covered with an eagle eye; and secret locations are passed down through generations, in an oath of secrecy as a divine gift. No wonder the exquisite morsel fetches a whopping Rs 30,000 a Kg, and in foreign markets, it could fetch upto 400$ a Kg, depending on size and quality, and place of origin. Locals tell me it is collected at midnight where legend says ‘the Guchchi signals with a sparkle, a song, and beckons the harvester to collect them when ripe’. The sign of thunderstorms and lightning are signals in early spring, for a call by the Guchchi. During the 1960-70s I recall Punjab’s rich and famous weddings had a signature dish called the “Guchchi Pulav” or the Morel Rice that makes the family status stand above the riff-raff.
A family member stands guard while the delicacy is cooked keeping count of Guchchis. Incidentally, Guchchi is relished even in French cuisine.
“It would be surprising if the bride is not given Guchchis in her dowry!” Mohammed Muzzafar Lone of Badoab, Tulail, laughs loudly at his own joke. Along with Morel mushroom, Gurez also sources edible such as Fiddleheads and wild leeks, from the woods. These fetch a good price in bigger cities including Srinagar.
Gurez’s Log Hut Café
As Gurez comes into peeping view from my vantage point of descent, I see a crisscrossed yellow-white striped metal bridge stand. Moving closer, a signboard reads- “Log Hut Café- Best coffee in Gurez 3.2 km –Go! Go!”
‘Log Hut Café’ is dedicated to the people of Gurez by the Indian Army and as Area Commander Col Abhinav Goel would say “Log Hut café is a place you could go “an extra mile for”. ‘Surely!’- ‘It’s like a Jungle mein Mangal’, to find a café in a remote mountainous area. Overlooking the standout land feature of Habba Khatoon peak, the café certainly is a ‘Sangam’ – a confluence of Rivers where -ancient meets modern, ‘Desi’ meets ‘Pardesi’, or where ‘Kehwa’ meets Koffee. Travelers, explorers, mountaineers, trekkers, writers, army guys, and locals all throng the hotspot for its lighthearted showbiz and culinary delights. If Desi is your taste then dhabas in the Dawar bazaar close-by should satiate you with Kashmiri food, kebabs, Rogan Josh, Gustaba- mutton dumplings, and the quintessential rice or roti. Nurani or Noorani is a small restaurant-dhaba, that churns out delicious food. Interestingly in Gurez, the charges of a dish are according to the pieces of mutton /chicken and no extra cost is there was a piece left uneaten in the dish. Local ‘thelas’, selling fried chicken and kebabs, especially Tuji and Seekh kebab with yogurt chutney is true yum.
An outstanding feature of Log Hut café is dedicated wifi plus 24×7 electricity. I met Asha, a chartered accountant with a famed MNC, a compulsive traveler, vlogger, & planner. The smart youngistan told me “I wish I could thank someone else but I am forced to thank ‘Covid’ for getting a work-from-home, that gave me an opportunity to fulfill my passion for traveling,” Asha, uses Log Hut’s Wi-Fi and in exchange, takes video bytes of visitors and uploads on social networking sites to attract tourists to Gurez, highlighting the café. I mention a near failing battery bank and she brightens up and takes me to a shop a few steps away lo and behold it has pen drives and a ‘C’ type charger-pin cable, and more and more. The shop is stocked with the latest mobile accessories, sim cards, and mobiles. Owner of Dawar’s Iqbal Electronics smiles and speaks “Ask me anything mobile related and either I will produce it, or tell you about it”. I don’t fall for his challenge as I am somewhat tech-challenged, but it leaves me impressed.
We rush to the café as I am yet to explore it. Presenting a platter of national & international food, Log Hut is gleefully reasonable. Rolls and wraps, pizzas and pasta, coffee and shakes, idlis and wadas, walk with sandwiches and bread, samosas and jalebis, smilies and halwa, it had almost everything. Army guys are privileged with a 25% off which certainly is their deserving treat.
With LED lights shadowing the rough wood reception counter, a glowing bowl, glow-light glasses, rope lights, and LED neon strips, the place is hip-hop cheerful and fun, compared to the utter romance of moon-nights bathing the Habba Khatoon peak silvery in dark Gurez, where electricity is severely rationed. Below the chairs and tables, my footrests on pure compressed mountain soil with some sand as flooring, making me completely enjoined with the earthiness. The café is unique and completely in congruence with ecology. And as Turkish lamps hang outside to add sparkle, tossing glints of multi-colors, on river waters through stained glasses; it generates a magical vibrancy in the valley. Nights of local melodies, campfire, and music are especially enthralling. Sometimes the café sees a light jolly jostle for front seats when a large screen is put on for a live show of IPLs and international matches. For tourists to catch the live cricketing broadcast in remote Gurez holding a hot Kehwa or Kaffee in hand, is nothing short of enchanting! For bikers, trekkers, and locals, the Café is a get-together oasis, to enjoy a mini-meal with a mesmerizing view of the Habba Khatoon peak.
“The response and feedback are very encouraging, not just tourists, locals also throng the Cafe. We have people coming in from breakfast to dinner. We serve fresh organic vegetables,” Hawaldaar Balwant Singh, Manager, Log Hut Café was seen telling a customer. The café, a role model for other young Gurezi entrepreneurs to emulate café business to stimulate tourism in Gurez, is indeed its outstanding factor,” expressed an army official. Log Hut throbs with local artists’ the majority of whom are repeated. Locals of course are keenly awaiting their own Aadil Gurezi- now a popular Bollywood singer, to perform here, Amin a local says, ‘Bolo na aap usko!’ he smiles endearingly. I laugh.
Pics and text by author who can be contacted at: rashmitalwarno1@gmail.com
