Shopping in Jammu-Kashmir
Shawls:
There
are pure wool shawls called raffal which have different counts of wool - 40,
60, 80 etc., and the shawl is progressively more expensive as the count increases.
Shawls mixed with other fibers like cotton and cotton derivatives are far cheaper.
On the other and, woolen shawls mixed with pashmina will be far more expensive.
Then too, there are shawls that look and feel like pashmina and which are priced
between wool and pashmina.
Naturally a pure pashmina shawl will run into thousands of rupees. Depending
on the count, two similar looking pashmina shawls will differ in price if they
have a different count.
And then there are the embroidered shawls. Embroidery is of two kinds - hook
and needle, and the former is generally less expensive than the latter.
As a general rule, the better the material of the shawl, the better the embroidery,
with pashmina having the tiniest stitches in needlework, and the less expensive
mixed woolen shawls having either hook work or somewhat coarser needlework stitches.
Some shawls have gold zari embroidery worked on them in hook work are highly
prized.
Papier Mache:
Here too, the quality of papier mache differs markedly, depending on two factors.
The first is the papier mache in its raw state. Unless it is smoothened adequately
to be silky to the touch, it is not considered high grade. On the other hand,
inexpensive papier mache, brightly painted and varnished, makes a variety of
gifts and souvenirs that do not cost a fortune. Eggs, eggcups, candle and pen
stands, kum kum boxes and cigarette boxes are just a few options at the low
end.
At the other end of the scale, high grade papier mache is used to make vases,
bowls, trays and a number of other products all painted by expert craftsmen
in lifelike images of kingfishers, chinar leaves and other motifs. Gold used
on these products will be real gold leaf. On lower range products it will poster
paint. The real difference however lies in the skill of painting and not in
the product itself - two trays or vases can appear roughly the same at firs
glance - it is the execution of the painting and the type of gold used that
will determine the price One may be a collector': item, the other an inexpensive
souvenir.
Walnut Wood:
Items
made from walnut wood come from three parts of the tree: the branches, the trunk
and the root. The branches have the pales colour of wood, and the trunk the
darkest Branches have no veins trunks have the strongest marked veins. Objects
made out of the root will be the costliest because of the wood used.
As walnut is a soft wood, it takes carving very well. Chinar leaves, vine leaves
and flowers can be either carved along borders or can fill entire surfaces the
artistry of the carving and its abundance dictates the cost. Trinket boxes and
the larger jewellery boxes shoul have invisible seams. Other walnut wood objects
are salad bowls, nut bowls, photo frames, trays and furniture. This cans Srinagar
from a simple telephone stand or nesting tables to a dining table with six chairs.
In the case of furniture, the price is dictated by the thick-ness of wood used.
Two very similar writing desks can be priced very differently, if one used ¾"
wood and the other ½" wood. The difference is barely discernible
to the untrained eye, but no dealer will sell precious root wood, ¾"
thick for the same price as his competitor who has economized on the quality
and quantity of wood for a cheaper product.
Saris:
Kashmir has extensive mulberry cultivation. Silkworms feeding on this produce
resilient silk. Kashmiri silk may be thin, but it is strong nevertheless, as
is chiffon. Very little silk is actually woven in Kashmir - Kashmiri silk is
the term. Used for silk produced in Kashmir. It is mainly used to make saris.
Basket Weaving:
Surprisingly strong, wicker baskets can be used as picnic hampers, lampshades,
and glass holders for holding hot tea, work baskets, even packing cases which
can be sent unaccompanied by road. The main centre of this craft is at Hazratbal
in Srinagar.
Cricket Bats:
Kashmir's willow is so highly prized, that most of the national team uses cricket
bats from Kashmir.
Other products of Kashmir include saffron, grown in Pampore on the way to Pahalgam.
It is one of the only two places in India where saffron is grown, the other
being
Kishtwar, also in Jammu and Kashmir. This expensive spice, requires only a few
strands to flavor a dish serving ten people and hence you need to buy very little
of it, 5 or 10 grams being enough for several years. Preserved in airtight containers
in a cool dark place, saffron can keep indefinitely and hence is an excellent
buy. Walnuts and almonds are available in the market throughout the year. Being
substantially cheaper in Kashmir than elsewhere, they too make good gifts. Other
food products from Kashmir are shah zira (also called kala zira), Kashmiri chilies
and honey.
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