Century-old festival in south Kashmir village keeps springs clean, offers rare treat
Panzath (Qazigund), May 19: For more than a century, residents of Panzath, a village in southern Kashmir’s Qazigund area of Anantnag district, have upheld an unusual tradition that blends environmental stewardship with community celebration.
Each May, the villagers gather to clean the Panzath Nags — a natural spring that gave the village its name — while enjoying a rare opportunity to catch its fish.
On Sunday, as the sun shone brightly, children, youth and elders carrying trash bags, nets and wicker baskets made their way toward the springs for the annual ritual.
The event coincides with Rohan Posh, a local fruit blossom festival during which children visit cemeteries before dusk, scattering flowers mixed with rice on graves to soothe the departed souls. Elders pray for the deceased and distribute home-baked chapatis to the children.
Muhammad Akbar Rather, 70, has participated in the spring-cleaning ritual since he was 10. “I vividly remember waking up early, carrying a wicker basket and heading to the spring when I was in my teens,” Rather said. “I grew up seeing this, and the practice continues to this day.”
Locally known as Panzath Nag — derived from Paanch Hath, or “five hundred” in Kashmiri, referring to the many small springs it once fed — the water source supplies around 45 villages in the Qazigund area. It also irrigates paddy fields and supports a government-run trout hatchery and sales center.
During late summer, aquatic weeds choke the spring as water levels fall. But each year, the community event revives the spring through collective weeding and cleaning. “Villagers do get to relish the fish that day, but the main goal is cleaning the spring to secure water for drinking and irrigation,” Rather said. Fishing is allowed only on this day, and only within a one-kilometer radius of the spring. The rest of the year, it is strictly prohibited. Participants use only wicker baskets and pieces of mosquito netting — no rods or commercial fishing gear — to scoop fish from the nutrient-rich waters.
Many residents who choose not to wade into the muddy spring join the festivities from the banks, cheering and calling out to those in the water, eager to share in the day’s catch.
Imran Khan, 35, from nearby Sonsu village has taken part in the tradition for more than a decade.
“Two decades ago, these springs were breathtaking, with fresh, sparkling water,” he said. “But now they’ve shrunk and lost their luster. No regular de-weeding is done, and the water level is dropping.” He blamed pollution and encroachments for the deterioration. “This festival is a rare occasion to restore the beauty of the spring,” he said. “The effects are immediate — the water level rises once we clean it.” Environmental experts share their concerns. “Many springs in the region have vanished due to pollution and unchecked development,” said one environmentalist.
