It’s Autumn (Harud). The season when it looks like everywhere is yellow. Days of fall, but of beauty too. Rice cultivation is an integral part of the rich cultural heritage of the valley of Kashmir.
Rice (locally in Kashmir called Tomul) has been the staple food of larger sections of the Kashmir valley since times immemorial. It is one of the chief crops that ripens In autumn, locally known as Harud, Harud in Kashmir begins in the middle of September with green leaves turning slowly into golden brown. The rice harvest sets off the Harud spirit. Being a staple food of the valley, it is a primary source of calories in people’s diets compared to wheat and maize.
The autumn season marks the paddy harvesting period in Kashmir, and around a thousand tonnes of rice are produced annually in the region. This crop has the distinction of being the most extensively cultivated in Jammu and Kashmir State. Rice has an extensive range of cultivation and can be grown in the warm months of summer.
It is an occasion of joy for kids and of community cooperation and joint venture for adult villagers. A group of workers, including men, women, and children, harvest rice manually. Harvested rice is also transported manually to the thrashing floor, and the thrashing is done by beating the harvest over wooden logs followed by winnowing.
The entire process of harvesting rice (tamul) is a picturesque sight to witness. In yesteryears, social interdependence was quite prevalent during the Harud season. The carpenters, barbers, tailors, and other artisans of the village visited the farmers during the harvest season to claim a fixed quantity of rice in return for the services rendered by them during the previous year.
Street singers, beggers, and folk singers also used to get their fair share by entertaining workers. All in all, Harud used to uphold the essence of brotherhood among occupationally diverse groups of Kashmiris.
(All the photographs added in the above article are taken by Aasif Shafi for The Chenab Times)
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Aasif Shafi is multimedia journalist based In Kashmir.
