Jewellery and Dress of Kashmiris

"The jewellery of Kashmir is unique in design and very minutely worked. The various types of jewellery such as earrings, necklaces, bracelets, anklets, amulets (ta'wiz), rings, rosary (tasbah), tin or silver charm-cases and head-bands are all delicately worked, even though the base is sometimes solid. The Kashmiri jewellers seem to have had Nature as their model in most ornaments".
-Sufi

We have to take into cognizance the history and geographical position of a place when considering its jewellery. The influence of Central Asia, no doubt, on Kashmir has been great and the influence on the jewellery of the Valley has also been tremendous. The influence of Mughals, too, can also be easily traced. In fact, Queen Noor Jehan introduced delicate varieties of jewellery in Kashmir. However, Surgeon Major John Ince says in 1876, "The Kashmiri are very ingenious and though their work has not that brightness so charming as that of Delhi, it has a peculiar style of its own".

Moreover, Zain-ul-Abidin, the Sultan of Kashmir invited and encouraged the artists of Samarkand and Persia to come to Kashmir. There is no doubt that Kashmir has been connected in the past with Afghan and Persia as well so that art of ornament-making, like other arts of Kashmir, has come to bear a stamp of these countries. The names of many Kashmiri jewellery is derived from Persian, Sanskrit and other languages, e.g., of ornaments like Halqu-band, Baz-band, Tulsi, Kanthi and Tikka, etc.

The jewellery of Kashmiri women do not look grotesque nor do the women wear them in profusion as to cause bodily pain or inconvenience. Hence they have discarded many ornaments in the nose and anklets and the number of large ear-rings have been reduced and even in each arm Kashmiri women wear a couple of bangles only.

The technique of making jewellery is still old and traditional but it has a unique and beautiful style of its own which is hard to imitate. Ornaments in Kashmir are generally made of gold and silver but, says Sufi, "sometimes beautiful colours of flowers and leaves and fruits are reproduced by studding jewellery with precious and semi-precious stones, shades such as jade, agate, turquoise, rubies and the gold-stone. There are necklaces made in yellow base metal, set with imitation emeralds and sapphires".

The notable thing about Kashmiri jewellery is that their designs are unlike those of other places, that is, kaleidoscopic arrangement of geometric figures. On the other hand, they carry the forms of products like almond, grapes, cherries and birds like myna, sparrows and bulbul. On these ornaments are not engraved horrifying =figures of snakes, dragons and wild animals.

The Kashmiri jeweller carries out the whole operation of making the ornaments himself and their different portions are not assigned to different craftsmen. The work is done in metal moulds. The goldsmith loves his job and works far into the night and makes the piece a thing of beauty. He can well be proud of the fine workmanship which has come down to him from the distant past. One notable thing about most of the ornaments is that those ornaments worn by the Hindu and Muslims are, to a great extent, alike. Some of the principal ornaments worn by Kashmiri women are as follows:

i. Ornaments of the Head. Jiggni and Tikka, worn on the forehead, are generally triangular, semi-circular and circular in shape. These are made of gold and silver and are fringed with hanging pearls and gold leaves.

ii. Ornaments of the Ear. These are Bala, Dor-hor, Alcahor, Kanadoor, Jumaka, Deji-hor, Kana-vaji. Bala is studded with turquoise with a fringe of hanging gold leaves and balls. Kana-vaji is an ornament studded with a fringe of small pearls and Jumaka is a bell-shaped earring. Deji-hor and Talraj are indispensable ornaments for Kashmiri Hindu married women. They wear them day and night as it is for them a symbol of wedlock. Alka-hor lays over the ear on either side of the head and is connected by a chain running over the head. Kana-door is especially liked by young girls. These are made of gold and silver and are studded with red and green stones and pearls. In Kashmiri poetry a beloved is often called kana-door, as in the following couplet:

Goora goora kar yo kana ke dooro, kan ke doro;
Nal cai khalemal hati hanzooro, hati hanzooro.

meaning,

I will rock thee, my kana-dooro, O my kana dooro,
Thou wearest khali mal and hanzoor round thy neck.

iii. Ornaments for the Neck. Halqa-band, kanthi, sagalar, necklace, tulsi, raz. Halqa-band is sometimes studded with mirror pieces. Necklace in Kashmir is generally triangular pendants of silver and gold suspended on a black cord which matches the long raven black hair of Kashmiri women.

iv. Ornaments for Wrists. These are hangar, gunus and dula. They are made of solid gold and silver. Bangar is often studded with coloured stones while gunus and dula generally are not. These ornaments find a special place in Kashmiri poetry, as in the following verse:

Shroni dar bangra nare lola gandi navi
Shoka chani dilbaro pan parum.

meaning,

Gold necklaces studded with stone I got made
For love of thee, my beloved, I decorated my person.

The goldsmiths of Kashmir have now begun to imitate other designs in order to cater to the needs of many visitors who visit Kashmir. Visitors often like necklaces manufactured in Kashmir which consist of strings of almond-shaped gold interspersed with lump of lapis-luzuli, agates and turquoise. Filigree-setting in silver and gold too are alluring and quite in demand among the tourists.