Cashmirart

Chrysanthemums are the most prominent blooms during autumn in Kashmir. However, a visit to sprawling karewas of Pampore provides a mesmerizing scene of Saffron flowers emerging almost straight from the soil making a vibrant, colourful painting on a rugged canvas. Anyone gets hooked to fascinating Saffron colouration with an aura of joie de vivre. Saffron, the king of spices, is not only pride of Kashmir, but it depicts the rich history and heritage of Kashmir and its people. With reddish-purple flowers, crimson floral threads (stigmas and styles) it governs our colour sense, and through unique fragrance and pigment our cuisine culture. Anyways, the decreasing pro-duce of Saffron in Kashmir for the last many years is a matter of concern. In 2010 authorities through federal governments, all-out assistance started ambitious 'National Saffron Mission' (NSM) with a huge investment. The mission was a multi-pronged strategy of rejuvenation and restore congenial cultivation condition...

This is the season of great beauty. We call it harud in Kashmiri. Leaves are on fire and life presents a different look. But there is something missing which we would taste in the good old days of the past. it's autumn (harud). The season when it looks everywhere yellow. Days of fall but of beauty too. The days when Chinar  trees are on fire, when winds shake trees and leaves bow to the ground. These are the days of harvest (rather the days of result) of what we have done whole year. In these harud days the above mentioned things are in common experience everywhere, but there are some colours of this autumn which seem to be missing in this advanced world. The missing flovour of those things haunts the nature lovers like me. Gone are the days, when we used to dry (sundry) vegetables like brinjals, tomatoes, bottle guards, red chillies etc. These vegetables were dried in open sun for few days, then stored for harsh winter days. When it was difficult to venture out because of ...