Maria (00:00.52)
Hello everybody, welcome to another episode of Kashmir Exist Podcast. Today I have with me a very special guest, he's gonna be my co-host, delivering you new information about Kashmir Valley. Hi Ray, welcome, thank you for joining me.

Ray (00:18.21)
Hi Maria, thanks for having me today. I'm really excited and I'm honored to be part of this podcast. We're going to go through some very interesting information and I call it a journey, an adventure to be honest. So let's get going.

Maria (00:35.612)
It is, I hope that listeners also take it as an adventure because very little people know about the Kashmir Valley, let alone all the different regions around it. The Kashmir region is geographically and culturally significant area located in South Asia. However, its boundaries and political control are

tested by several countries like India, Pakistan, and China. We're going to explain and categorize these areas.

Ray (01:17.666)
Yeah, that's correct. So interestingly, we have different and multiple regions and they are basically controlled by different governments. So we'd start with the main and then known the Jammu and Kashmir Valley. This region now recognized into two separate union territories out of 2019. It is under the Indian administration.

So those territories are the Jammu, which is a predominantly Hindu region. And the other one is Kashmir Valley that is predominantly Muslim and considered the cultural heart of Kashmir region. There's another area that's called Ladakh, a region with a mix of Buddhist and Muslim populations located to the east of Jammu and Kashmir. Now, the second region that we are going to talk about today is Azad Jammu.

and Kashmir. And it has an interesting name. It's called Azad. has the Azad, which we are going to touch about in a second. Azad, Jammu and Kashmir is a self-governing administrative region under the Pakistan's control, which it has its own government and military presence. It is located to the west of the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir region. And again, as I said, if we would touch on the Azad,

part, Azad actually is a Persian word that has the meaning of independent or free. And that's how we can find that that's why it has a self-governing administrative system.

Maria (03:00.528)
Now also there is the Pakistan Administrative Area in Kashmir. It is called Jyotjinn, Baltistan. They are bordering both India and China. It is strategically significant located and it also has very rich and natural resources. Now we have the China Administrative Region that is called Aksai Chin.

is located in the other side of the Latkan region. Now, we gonna... Asad Kashmiri and Kashmiri Valley shares many similarities to the geographically proximity, common heritage and historical ties. But they are also notable, very unique difference, shaped by political, social and religious factors. Like we gonna touching all these areas together.

Ray (04:00.796)
Yeah, that's true. of course, you know, every region and every part of the world, you know, they have their significance in terms of, in terms of some areas of their lifestyle and values and culture. Now, I think we're to start talking about the religious influence, the religious influence in both areas. First in Kashmir Valley, the Kashmir Valley is predominantly Muslim.

mainly Sunni Islam with minority of Shia Muslims and Hindus as well. The cultural practices in the valley are heavily influenced by Islamic traditions such as the celebrations of Islamic festivals like the Ramadan and the Eids, the Eids that you know Eid al-Fitr that comes after Ramadan and Eid al-Adha that comes two months after that during the pilgrimage season.

And also some of the significant and well-known celebrations or ceremonies are the Shia morning rituals, especially in Srinagar, the capital. On the other hand, Azad Kashmir, the population is also predominantly Muslim, and again, mostly Muslim, Sunnis, and some Shia. Unlike the Kashmir Valley, religious practices are central to the cultural life.

However, ... Azad Kashmir Kashmir, you know, the Muslims there, their culture is influenced more by the Pakistani traditions, especially in the way religious events are celebrated and the role of Sufism, which is the Islamic mysticism, which we touched on in a previous podcast with Tashi. This has a more prominent place in the region.

Maria (05:52.579)
You know what else I learned in a podcast? I learned about the Kashmiri language. Do you know that it's 5,000 years old? We still, we say a lot about how long ago this Kashmiri valley has been around. So the primary language spoken is Kashmiri, which is a dardic language, influenced by Persian and Sanskrit. The region has a rich literature tradition.

particularly in the Kashmiri poetry includes world poet like Akka Saheed Ali and Shamans Fakir Kashmiri literature has strong ties with the Persians and Sufi traditions Now, Azad Kashmiri also doesn't speak Kashmiri but also Urdu and Punjabi

so those are more in the southern area of the near to Pakistan. The literary tradition is similar rich but has more influence by the Urdu literature, which is the major cultural component of Pakistan. The region's poetry and prose are often reflect the culture of the historical ties to Pakistan.

Ray (07:18.168)
Wow, know, whenever we talk about languages, it's really interesting. And here's a fun fact about even the Urdu language. Urdu is influenced by Arabic and Persian and Sanskrit. So, you know, we can see some commonality here between the languages and the ties between the two areas. Of course, when we talk about languages and religions, so...

Of course, we cannot really forget about the other cultural aspects. One of them is the music, the music and the dance, right? Kashmir Valley, it has traditional Kashmiri music that includes the use of instruments like the Santor. Santor, if we want to imagine that one or we want to think of something equivalent, it is the dulcima in the Western culture.

We have also the rabab. Rabab is a chord instrument. Again, we could say it's pretty much equivalent to the guitar or the oud in the Arabic culture or the wuzuk in the Turkish culture. And the dol, the dol is the percussion instrument, which is basically the drums. Folk music in the Kashmir Valley includes the band pater, which is

traditional folk theatre. Now if we want to talk about band pater, what does it actually mean? Band means the jester or the clown. Pater means drama. So if we put these together, we'd imagine that it's actually a musical and a dance with plays in the middle. So basically, you know, when you're watching it, it's going to be similar to watching a musical on a stage. But the difference here is that it's performed

in open air, in courtyards, under trees. But actually, it is a musical. And that has its own roots in Islamic and Hindu traditions. Also, traditionally, Kashmiri dance forms include the ruf, which is a folk dance performed by women, and the wuchun, a dance that accompanies festivals.

Ray (09:42.017)
On the other side, which is the Azad Kashmiri side, music in Azad Kashmir is also deeply tied to Kashmiri traditions. But it is more influenced by Pakistani music culture, including the Sufi part, which would include the styles of Qawwali and Nashid. Qawwali and Nashid, actually, both words are derived from the Arabic words qawl.

And nasheed is actually an Arabic word. So qawl is saying or words. And nasheed is actually meaning chance. So these are Islamic devotional songs. If we want to think about them, they are songs that are sang, but they are without any instruments. They might really have some, some, some percussions with them, but that's all. The rest would be depending on the voice and the vocals of the person who's performing them. Right?

There's also the Punjabi, Punjabi music influences there. They are more pronounced in the southern parts of Azad Kashmir. And there's also the traditional Bangra dance is common in these areas.

Maria (10:55.524)
Yeah, now that sounds very beautiful and unique. Basically, we want to talk about culture identified. It's important to talk about clothing. Kashmiri Valley, the traditional attire for men is the berand. That is a long woolen robe, which is often worn with a cap called karaku. For women, it's the Kashmiri dubata or berand. They're very common. Now the Kashmiri showa.

is like a pashmina is very famous worldwide for his quality now the asad kashmir the attire is similar especially in the mountain region but with a pakistani style like such as a Shalwar kameez that also common particularly in urban areas the traditional clothes may also vary depending on

whatever is how you are in Rugo or the urban area in the Qasad, Kashmir

Ray (12:00.095)
It is interesting to talk about clothing and the fabric when it comes to Kashmir. The Pashmina itself, I've been around so many places around the world and this is one of the most expensive types of fabrics. It is actually luxurious. But also when we talk about the Shalwar Kameez, it's actually...

I don't know if you know what it's formed of. It's a shalwar and kameez. Shalwar is actually the pants. It's a wide pants that would be worn. the kameez is just like, know, in Arabic, it's kameez or even in Spanish, the kameezah. It's a shirt. It's a long shirt that would be worn above that shalwar. And it is long, let's say, above the knee level. And it's very comfortable, by the way. I would love that to try that.

by the way. Now, the other aspect that we could talk about, which is the festivals and the celebrations. You know, in Kashmir Valley, the major festivals, they include, you know, the religious ones, which is Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha. Again, these are the ones, you Eid al-Fitr, the one that comes after Ramadan, and Eid al-Adha is the one that comes two months later.

during the Hajj and the pilgrimage season. And also there is the Shia observance of Ashura. That is a very interesting and significant event as well. And there's also the traditional Kashmiri New Year, which is known as Navreh It is celebrated in spring with rituals, feasts and prayers.

cannot also miss the Shikara rides on the Dal Lake during the spring and autumn. They are also symbolic of the Kashmiri cultural life. On the Azad Kashmiri side, similar to the Kashmir Valley, we have the Eid celebrations as well. They are central. But there is a stronger influence of Pakistani's national holidays, like the Independence Day on the...

Ray (14:17.743)
October, on August the 14th, and Pakistan Day on the 23rd of March. The Sufi shrines in Azad Kashmir are significant centers for religious gatherings, especially for Mela, or the Sufi festivals. Now, Mela, interestingly, is also derived from an Arabic word, and these also exist in this Arabic Sufi's culture that is called Melawi.

It's some type of a dance, but it's interesting. Where the men would be actually wearing like a long dress, long and loose dress where they would start spinning, rotating. They would pivot one foot and they would rotate. And as they rotate, the dress would actually lift and it would look like a flower blossoming while they rotate. And you can imagine, I spin,

for a couple of minutes, it would take me an hour to wake up from my dizziness. But those people would be really spinning for an hour or so. And once they are done, they can just walk away. Simple as that. So it's interesting to watch, actually. I really recommend that. And these are often also, these traditions, they're often tied to the Pakistani religious traditions.

Maria (15:41.285)
definitely gonna look it up that sounds fun and very entertaining to watch. Now I'm gonna talk about one of my favorite things in all cultures the cuacín the food. In cashmere valley the cuacín is famous for his rich aromatic dishes particularly the wasan, wasuan sorry. A traditional feast they included roganjos, jack

zucchini, a gustaba and one and k1 and the green tea flavor with saffron. Saffron is very expensive as we all know it's very rich and we had a Kashmiri pandit. This cuisine is from the Hindu community includes dishes like Kashmiri pulao and lotus steamed with curry so they are delicious and

and very unique flavors and textures. Now in the Azad Kashmir, the cuisine is an influence for both the Kashmir and the Punjabi traditions. Kashmiri Wazwan is also a significant part in the food and culture but has a strong influence by the Punjabi dishes such as a saheed, dais rosmid, Chapli kebab,

a karahani, roti and sahi. They are the most common in the southern region compared to the traditional race-based dishes in the Kashmir valley.

Ray (17:24.512)
I can never stop talking about eating. And can never stop eating, by the way. I love that subject. But look, there's another interesting aspect that we need to touch on. And it's one of the aspects that form the culture and the history of a country or a region, which is the architectural influence, the architectural part.

You know, every country in every region would be recognized and identified by their unique architectural style. And Kashmir Valley is one of them. The valley is famous for its distinct Kashmiri architecture, which includes traditional wooden houseboats. You can find them on Dal Lake. There's also the Shahmir style mosques. These ones have got

the nicest and the finest artwork that you could find ever. There's also the mall gardens and the temples with intricate woodwork and craftsmanship. One of the significant architectural bases would be the Jami'ah masjid in Srinagar and other historical sites. They are examples of the Kashmiri Islamic architecture.

And by the way, Jami'ah, Masjid, the Jami'ah, it's also an Arabic word. Jami'ah means the big mosque, which is the one that everyone gathers in. And the Masjid is the prayer place. And Azad Kashmir, the architecture of Azad Kashmir is more influenced by Pakistani styles, particularly in Muzaffar Abad, the capital. While traditional Kashmiri wooden houses, they still exist, right? But there is also a blend of modern

and Punjabi architecture. And when we say modern, of course, we're talking about the concrete structure and the contemporary styles of buildings and urban houses.

Maria (19:37.573)
Well, that sounds beautiful. And we need to talk about the social lives and value in these both regions. In Kashmiri Valley, family is central in the lifestyle and in any social life revolve around community. The Sufi influence in the social culture life led to a strong cultural hospitality and spirituality.

They are also rich in Kashmiri handicraft. In Azad Kashmir, there is a similar importance placed in family and community hospitality. However, due to the connections with Pakistan, there are also noticeable influence in the Pakistanis' social values, particularly when it comes to dress code, gender roles, and influence in the Islamic nationalism.

Ray (20:36.392)
You know, when we talk about the social life and values, I feel like, you know, the Eastern, the East in general and the the Oriental part, it's always it has always had more social and family centred tides in the community. This is this is significant, actually. And you know, you can you can imagine that, you know, people there, they know each other, they know each other's families.

They're always connected to each other. This is fantastic, in my opinion. Of course, there's also a significant aspect that we haven't really spoken about, which is the art, the art and the handcrafts. Kashmir Valley is famous for its Kashmiri shells. We spoke about that before. And the Kashmiri carpets, yes, one of the most expensive artworks around the world.

There's also the paper mage art, the intricate woodwork and weaving traditions such as the Kashmiri embroidery. Again, this is one of the most expensive ones around the world. They are all significant parts of the cultural heritage of Kashmir. In Azad Kashmir, the handcrafts are similar, but again, more influenced by the broader Pakistani craft scene.

you know, the carpet weaving, the pottery and embroidery are common. And Peshmeena shells are also produced there, but again, with some regional variations due to their close knits with Pakistan.

Maria (22:19.385)
Now I need to talk about the political influence in our culture. The political instability and the conflicts between India and Pakistan have significantly affected the cultural landscape of Kashmir Valley. The region has faced for a long period of tensions, conflicted cultural expression, public celebration, and freedom of expression. Azad Kashmir and the other side,

The political and cultural identity is closely tied to Pakistan. So the region has embraced the Pakistani identity and his influence is seen in the culture, social norms, media and education system.

Ray (23:08.239)
Yeah, I can imagine how they would embrace the Pakistani identity. look, it's a natural flow. But again, when political aspects get into the act, then yes, you would see some more discomfort when we start talking or we start looking at the differences here.

But honestly, you know, while Kashmir Valley and Azad Kashmir, they share a deep cultural heritage rooted in Kashmiri traditions, Azad Kashmir is more influenced by Pakistan's culture, especially in language, cuisine and religious observances. Kashmir Valley, on the other hand, is still retaining a unique blend of the Islamic

Persian and Kashmiri cultural elements, which makes both regions rich in diversity, yet deeply interconnected. And honestly, if you have a closer look, you will find that the similarities are more than the differences. You would feel that they are connected and they are almost one.

Maria (24:32.393)
definitely Kashmir Valley is very unique it has been a sister for a long long time and survived a lot of changes and from the language to the culture to everything is very unique from the food from the clothing so we have brought a lot of information to our listeners so that I hope

They feel encouraged to do resource and read more about Kashmir Valley, the region, the culture, and the occupation days they're going through right now. Thank you, Ray. Thank you for helping me with this project and educate our listeners.

Ray (25:24.202)
Thanks for having me today, Maria. I'm really excited and I can't wait for our next episode. I would love to be part of it as well.

Maria (25:31.924)
For sure, most definitely we're gonna have you again talking more about Kashmir Valley and the different subjects that we want to educate people out there because like I said in the beginning, it's very little known and it deserves a lot of attention. So thank you for joining me. Thank you for listening to another episode and I hope that you tune in again.

when we bring you more information. Thank you. I hope everybody is safe. Bye bye.

Ray (26:09.834)
Bye.