Art of buying winter accessories at Flea Market, Srinagar, Kashmir, India

 

If you are going to Kashmir, these flea markets located in Sri Nagar would be the best place to buy your winter accessories. It is way cheaper and good quality of products you can opt for. First, we went to the Sunday Flea Market and stumbled across the endangered heritage of royal trees of Kashmir - Chinar trees (Plane tree, Platanus orientalis, or Buen and Booyn in the Kashmiri language). 

 

 

From the twigs and barks which have extensive uses in making fabric dyes, timber which is also known as lacewood to make furniture, the leaves, and bark used for the preparation of medicines for several diseases. Right now, Kashmir adapting the Go Green concept by planting as many trees to preserve another type of trees too.  We were searching for good bargains for leather winter gloves, jackets, and shoes and headed to the Sunday Flea Market. Unfortunately, while we were doing our roundings, the sellers need to close their stalls due to instruction from the militaries at that moment in time. 

 

 

We managed to capture some shots of Kashmiri people's daily activities and headed to the regular flea market. There, we managed to get some good items, and honestly speaking, you need to learn some words of Kashmiri to learn the art of bargaining. We tried hard to lower down the price as much as we can but the sellers were really strong-headed! We managed to explore the "thee sathi/firepot/kangri" that is a must during winter. 

 

Most Kashmiri sellers carry it under their robes to heat up while running their business. You can see Selvi trying her new shoes. Our tour guide asks us to have a peek at the Clock Tower at Lal Chowk street (House of the Bell) before heading to the next destination. This clock tower was constructed by Bajaj Electricals in 1980 and gained political significance in 1992, when the then Bharatiya Janata Party president, Murli Manohar Joshi, hoisted the Indian flag on top of the tower on Republic Day.

Kashmiri Food - Wazwan Feast

 

From wedding celebrations to memorials commemorating the 40th day after a family member’s death, Wazwan feast represent an integral part of family gatherings in Kashmir. While it is a part of Kashmiri culture, the dishes’ names and their bountiful, spice-rich sauces tell of a long history of Persian, Arabic, and Central Asian influences.

 

With more than three dozen dishes, many of which feature mutton (sheep or lamb), having a professional is essential. The wusta waza leads a team of men who tenderize, cut, spice, and blend the meat before cooking the dishes The meal is served upon heaps of rice and accompanied by yogurt garnished with Kashmiri saffron and pickles. 

 

Most restaurants in Kashmir served Wazwan varieties as it becomes common for family and friends. In our menu, we tried :

1. Goshtaba : A traditional delicacy of Kashmir, Goshatba is minced mutton cooked in flavorful yogurt gravy and spices. This dish is prepared on royal occasions as popular known as "dish for kings".

2. Tabaak Maaz: Ribs of lamb deepfried and served dry.

3. Rista: saffron flavored Kashmiri dish of mutton (or lamb) meatballs in a thin, non-spicy red curry, and a part of the legendary Wazwaan.

4. Kebab: grilled or roasted pieces of vegetables, fish, or meat. Here we have mutton kebab.

5. Mutton Pulao : delicate combination of spices with lamb and rice.

6. Cheese Kofta : Dumplings made with cottage cheese and then simmered in a creamy gravy.

 

At the end of our meal course, we had a cup of tea to complete our lunch. The food tastes are totally different from Indian cuisine due to herbs and it is not spicy. Curries are made from mild seasoning herbs, nuts, and saffron. The meat and fresh supplements are from villages and it was super tender and quality. Overall, food would be a master class of royal menu. 

 

Also, the restaurant people are friendly and they were attentive every minute. The ambiance was regal with beautiful marble work and lighting. From the utensils to chairs, it has Mughal's elements to represent the culture of Kashmir. 

 

 End of the day, we was thankful to have a great meal after a long flight journey.