KITCHEN | LEH

by sayali goyal

During our two-week stay in the region, we were invited to many Ladakhi kitchens called Chantsa for cha and snacks. A Ladakhi kitchen is more like a community room where one entertains guests, and  families mingle and eat together. A low-floor seating arrangement padded with cushions with wooden tables across, makes the Chantsa a kind of lounge with utensils on display and an open stove that doubles as a fireplace to keep the room warm in winters. I could spot a handmade basket in every household that is  used to pluck apricot and apples from the fields. Traditionally, Ladakh was an agricultural economy until tourism became the mainstay. The foods eaten by the locals are amalgamation of various cultures and regions, as Ladakh was the centre of the trade route. However, of these, the Kashmiri and Tibetan lineage are the most apparent.

One of our hosts  wore a traditional Ladakhi dress called ‘Konchas’,which is a version of a kaftan, and an amulet called Kagu. She sat down with some fried Meat Dumplings, Butter tea ( made of yak milk and pink tea leaves) , Sheermal Kashmiri bread to be eaten with kahwa or cha) dried apricots, walnuts and almonds. I was intrigued with the  big cha pots and metalware on display. I wanted to know more.   She proudly revealed that in the Ladakhi tradition, when a woman gets married, she brings along utensils to set up her own house. It could be a form of dowry, but locally it is seen as something out of respect.  There are no inter communal marriages between Islamic and Buddhist families, and an unclassified caste system does exist. I was curious about the wedding ceremonies, and rituals. She then went on to explain that  winters are a season for weddings and they can last upto a week sometimes. Big cha pots are then taken out to serve guests, and Kashmiri Wazwan  - upto 72 dishes including meat, breads, vegetables and sweets.  Three to four people share food out of one big plate. A silk white scarf is offered to guests as a sign of respect. This silk scarf can also be seen in monasteries as offerings to Buddha. When a man wants to marry a woman, he sends a proposal with a pot of Chang(local barley beer) with yak butter, this white silk scarf laid upon it. Traditional folk songs called’ Daman Surma’ are played on such special occasions, and ‘Sulma’ a traditional beaded cap with ‘dangshil and ‘lhocha’ ornaments are worn by women.

ADORNMENT | DHA

BY SAYALI GOYAL

The idea of adornment is diverse and holds different meanings in various cultures. It has probably existed since the beginning of time. People feel a sense of belonging to the society if they dress a certain way or adorn themselves and one identifies with a community based on the way its members dress. Most people find it a way of expressing themselves too. Adornment in  the brokpa community in Dha Hanu is particularly interesting. The elaborate floral headdresses held my attention the most. Apparently the women wear them even when they work in the fields.The headdress includes rows of coins stitched together for orna­mentation, with some dating as far back as 1890, and bright ribbons. Even the men sport flowers. A man from the community looks sturdy, tall and fair with distinct European features: high cheekbones, deep almond shaped blue-green eyes, and light brown hair. The Indo-ryan features compliment the extravagant outfit. On top of their Kaftan, there are shells, coins, threads, animal fur, silver jewellery hanging from their necks and arms. Some of the jewellery has existed in their families for many generations and there are no new ornaments that are made or sold outside the community.

Women love flowers, and wear their perennial flowers called Monthu Tho or Shoklo throughout the year. The older Brokpa wear pearly button ear decorations, and the women tie their hair in interlocked multi-stranded braids similar to knotted dreadlocks. One of the members told us that  each prop on the head gear has some medicinal purpose. The seven colored ribbon wards any ailment caused by the Sun or eclipse. The silver brooches ward off planetary influences, the peacock feather wards off paralysis. Mountains, trees, water and flowers are considered very pure. Thus every Brokpa household grows flowers. The flowers are considered auspicious. Flowers also signify love and prosperity in the community. There is a tradi­tion of singing and dancing within the community, which also becomes an occasion to adorn themselves. During the festival of Bono–na, that takes place every three years to celebrate the fertility of crops and women, the womenfolk sing songs to attract men for copulation, and to ask for their hand in marriage.

One can see close resemblance of traditions and style to the Kalash people in Chitral Pakistan. It is said that Alexander's army stayed back and nestled in these regions. Folklore says they came from gilgit in pakistan. These 1800 people now live in villages of Dha, Hanu, Darchi, Garkon and are primarily Buddhist with a minority of Islam. Inter-mixing with outsiders by way of marriage and kinship is  forbidden to maintain their racial purity. It is fascinating that brokpas are preserving their culture and identity of 5000 years through adornment.

The new generation of this tribe goes to the city and is also educated to work as engineers and doctors. The big questions is how will one then preserve the tradition if these few start to mingle with the city people. It is fascinating to see that this tribe can survive with just local products and really live harmoniously in a community. Something that modern societies are trying to do through campaigns of local produce and community living.

Metalworks

Lamchung Tsering Jigmet, a metal craftsman in chilling (2 hours from Leh) lives in a village in a family house that is now a private museum. Jigmet shared that his ancestors came from Nepal when the King of Shey Palace invited them to make a sculpture in the 1700s. After that, they were not sent back and were made to stay in Ladakh to work on copper and silverware. Jigmet is probably the 10th generation metalworker and his son is training himself with the skills. In his humble workshop, I see small objects and mostly Chang and cha cups that are orders from the city shops. He says he gets his metal from Leh, and then makes about 2 pieces per day. His youngest daughter who could speak Urdu, Ladakhi and some English and Hindi showed us around the rest of the space, while his wife made us some mint tea. Metal crafts are popular in the south of the country, and very rarely do people know that ladakh has it’s own style of making cups and pots.

Textiles

Thirdly we explored Pashmina, the most luxurious craft celebrated around the world.  Pashmina comes from Pashm, an animal fiber from the goats of changthang region in Ladakh. These are reared in tough living conditions in the northern plains that are 12000 ft high by the Changpa tribes. Spinners, weavers, designers, and dyers are involved in the process to make pashmina.

We visited the Changthang region to see the procuring of wool, a factory in Leh to understand the cleaning and processing and then a hand wearing center in Leho.Walking around the Textile Museum by Jigmat Couture, we learned about material culture and traditions through a rich archive and insight into the art history of Ladakh. Stacks of woolen running materials in shades of natural, as well as saffron and walnut dyes,  lay in a corner. The designer, Jigmat told us that the museum took 4.5 years to build using traditional methods of architecture with its thick and thin walls that are heat proof and there are elements taken from palaces and monasteries. A vintage kaftan took my attention that resembled ‘Kasi weave’ where a story is woven into the fabric. The trims on these outfits depict the social status of the wearer. Jigmat shared that wool sells in grams like gold. Local designers use these local materials to make clothing, making wool bread for the community. Jigmat shared his vision and ideas on the revival of arts and tradition through textiles and the museum.

There is an immense need to explore and encourage local crafts when travelling. I feel the only way to preserve a culture is through material preservation that includes objects like pots, jewellery, textiles etc. As a conscious traveller, one could be more responsible and encourage local craftsmen by buying from them. Some of the craftsmen we met run a family and earn a living only through these crafts, and travel really could be a richer experience by interacting with these crafts people.

Pottery

Further exploring slow living and process, we reached Likir, a village on the way to Sham Valley from Leh, where the last potter in the region resides. Shyly he showed us some yaks and goats he handmade with clay, while he was working on clay pots used in the monastery during prayers. He explained he was going to bake them the day after. We needed a translator to converse with him, and understood that he was a daily wage worker and this dying craft needed to be preserved. Local organizations were attempting to organize workshops with him, but more effort needs to put into educating the craftsmen about the shifts in market trends and also to understand the value of the craft. Proper distribution channels can lead to a higher demand as well and with the increase in tourism, it was local businesses who could support these craftsmen.

HIGHWAY

BY SAYALI GOYAL

Sham Valley- Tso Moriri

Hot springs and Sulphur fields

songs of longing, songs that make you feel

Cities that are like a countryside

With patches of mustard

And safeda trees

The sound of breeze

creates an echo in the valley

A picnic by the stream

Makes me wonder

It will find its way I am sure

it just needs to be in a flow

Gold and Silver Canyon

Red mountains

Grey sky

Indigo lakes

Burning sun

Nature’s changing colours

Along the Indus

After curves and passes

And some yaks and marmots

A few apricots and walnuts

Through meadows and lakes

And streams that are white, blue and green

And mountains that are jade, emeralds and quartz

We reach.

Let's keep moving

Solo or together

Through lows and highs

Through shaded and sunny slopes

Through colours and tones

Through rocks and stones

Like whispering streams

Let's bloom in the barren fields

Where water meets sand

Let's keep moving

Sarthi from Mahabharat ( in Hindu mythology) was both the driver of the chariot and guide. Shaukat ji, our Sarthi on our road trip on NH3  was the first man to have driven from Manali to Leh in 1979. Like a curious traveller I would wonder in awe, why the mountains were red, and the fields so green, and shaukat ji would tell me it was ‘kudrat ka karishma’ ( a wonder  of nature). We spent 4 days on the road through flat and dry plateaus, textured rocks and taking field notes of the diversity in the landscape of this high desert and enjoying the magical flora and fauna. We would stop at pit shops for momos and kahwa and listen to Ladakhi pop music, spot bikers, yaks, horses, marmots, sheep and magpies and learn about traditions and folklore from our guide. Like the Ladakhi Yak who is believed to never lose his way and have strong intuition, we drove through this wonderful region, with Shaukat Ji’s unwavering hand on the wheel.