‘Navreh Mubarak to all Kashmiri Pandits! Today is the first new moon day around the Spring Equinox in the northern hemisphere and this day marks the first day of the Kashmiri Pandit New Year.
Traditionally, on this day, first thing in the morning, Pandits celebrate it by looking into a thaal (a large bronze bowl shaped plate), filled with rice. Various items, including a pen (the sword of Kashmiri Pandits), a janthri (Kashmiri Pandit calendar), almonds and walnuts (both grow in Kashmir), yoghurt (staple food of Pandits), flower (yemberzal – narcissi) sugar, salt, cooked rice, bread and a currency note would decorate the thaal, amongst other items.
Later in day, people would wear new clothes and eat rich traditional Kashmiri food, including taher (yellow rice – with saffron / turmeric). Families would visit their favourite places of worship in the morning and, thereafter, enjoy garden picnics through the day in Kashmir. One such place was badaam vaer (almond orchard) at Hari Parbhat, in Srinagar, which was not far from the place where I was born, Alikadal. Vendors selling smoked water chestnuts, water-filled balloons, whistles, sweets, pakooras and many other paper and plastic toys would attract children. I would play cricket with beera (wooden ball) with my fellow mates. Kashmiri Muslims would warmly greet their Pandit brothers through the day. Those were the good old days of my childhood and I feel sickly nostalgic!
We do still celebrate the day with equal zeal and fervour but home (Kashmir) is home, it will never be the same, as will our other important festivals, such as Herath!
On a positive note, I just returned from Kashmir, where I felt a sense of belonging. Three young men, Adil Shah (23), an engineering graduate but helping his family with business, Manzoor Ahmad (39) and his younger brother, won my heart with their warmth, politeness, mannerism, a reminder of what is means to be a Kashmiri. God bless them and their families!
Navereh Mubarak to all Kashmiris!’ …Bill K Koul