Beyond the Pir Panjal; life among the mountains and valleys of Kashmir . he people live for the greater part of theyear, and at one end of which is a little kitchen with clayfireplace. The inner rooms, chiefly used in winter, are darkand almost unventilated. The ground floor is often setapart entirely for cattle and sheep. If this arrangementsecures warmth for the dwellers above, it is at some sacrificeof sweetness. Every village has several granaries, smallsquare wooden buildings, the floor of which is raised a fewfeet above the ground. And not far away is sure to be avillage shrine (Astan) o
Beyond the Pir Panjal; life among the mountains and valleys of Kashmir . he people live for the greater part of theyear, and at one end of which is a little kitchen with clayfireplace. The inner rooms, chiefly used in winter, are darkand almost unventilated. The ground floor is often setapart entirely for cattle and sheep. If this arrangementsecures warmth for the dwellers above, it is at some sacrificeof sweetness. Every village has several granaries, smallsquare wooden buildings, the floor of which is raised a fewfeet above the ground. And not far away is sure to be avillage shrine (Astan) often on an eminence and usuallywith fine old trees in the vicinity. The Mosque is probablynear by, and in its roof may be seen the wooden bier in whichthe dead are carried to the graveyard to be interred withouta coffin. At daybreak and at sunset the voice of the muezzinsounds out, calling the faithful to prayer, and soon a smallcongregation gathers and the Imam conducts the some mosques the congregation chant their prayersalmost in Gregorian style (Plate 9).. - : I : 1 t VILLAGE LIFE 59 Often the sides of the houses are festooned with brightrows of red chillies or split turnips, golden maize cobs anddried apples. In the courtyard in front of a house we see two womenbusily engaged in pounding the unhusked rice in a largewooden mortar with pestles 5 feet long. First one straightensherself, lifts the pestle as high as she can, and then bendingsuddenly brings it down with a crash. Then the otherwoman facing her does the same. This is perhaps one ofthe commonest sights in the village. On a stretch of green,there is a row of upright sticks at intervals of 2 feet. Theseare for weaving purposes. One of the villagers may be seenwalking up and down rapidly winding from a spindle a threadof cotton in and out of these stakes. In the verandah anold woman is seated with masses of snow-white cotton-woolin front of her, from which, with the aid of a curious oldwheel, she is spinning
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectmountai, bookyear1912
