The Mystic Season of Kashmir

Harud in Kashmiri means autumn, a period between end of September and November. This year it seems to have been delayed because of a prolonged and very hot summer which is just showing signs of abatement. 

The season has its mystic charm of changing colours of leaves on trees. When green turns to golden and then reddish-orange before turning brown and finally falling on the ground.

The parks and gardens and especially the countryside with Chinar trees, known as “buen” in Kashmiri shedding leaves during this period creates a magical golden aura that lasts till the winter sets in. The weather is fabulous with misty mornings and evenings having a nip, reminding of the coming winter. But days are sunny and warm.

Going to the countryside one can see paddy being cut and then stacked in huge piles to dry. This stacked paddy is then thrashed for segregating the grain.

This is a typical site of Kashmiri autumn. If you move out of Srinagar and go towards South Kashmir during this period and reach Pampore, a part of Pulwama district, an amazing purple-colour over large areas will greet you. These are the saffron fields in full bloom with flowers. Similar fields can be seen in parts of districts of Budgam, and also Kishtwar regions of Jammu area.

Saffron: It is golden coloured part of the flower called stigma (pollen bearing structures) of the autumn crocus (Crocus Sativus) which is dried and has a strong aroma but bitter taste, used to colour and flavour many Mediterranean and Asian special dishes like Kashmiri kahwa, biryani, mutton kaliya (a distinct preparation without red chillies or yogurt, also called Kaung Kailya) and desserts like phirni and kheer. It is called Kong posh in Kashmiri and Kungumapoo in Tamil and Kumkum or Kesar in Sanskrit.

It is also a part of Vermilion/Sindhoor used by married Hindu ladies in the parting of the hairline. It is also applied to the forehead of deities as a part of Pooja.

There is a debate regarding the origin of the word saffron.  It seems to be a modification from the Persian word zarparan ( gold strung) after the golden colour it imparts when used as a flavour. The Arabic word za’faran and the Latin word safranum and the French word safran seem to be modifications since Persia (Iran) is associated with this plant historically.

Although Persia (Iran) is the highest producer of saffron but it is believed to be a native to the mediterranean area, in areas close to present day Turkey and also Persia where its presence can be traced back to the Achaemenid period (550-330 BC), the ancient first empire of Persia empire led by Cyrus the great. It reached Kashmir like many other things from Iran much later. As per a legend, in 11^th or 12^th century AD, two wandering selfless Sufis Khwaja Masood and Hazrat Sharifuddin wandered into Kashmir. They presented a local tribal chief with a bulb of saffron after he cured them of an illness. But according to Rajatarangini written by Kalhana in the 12^th century saffron was present in the valley even before the reign of King Lalitaditya in 750AD.

It reached North China in around 1555 through Mongol invasion and it is mentioned in the Chinese literature. However, China is largely an importer of saffron from Iran rather than a producer.

Saffron Production in Kashmir:

Its cultivation is done in more than 5500 hectares of land in Kashmir. Most of it is in Pampore tehsil in Pulwama district of South Kashmir while the rest is in districts of Budgam and Srinagar districts. Kishtwar in Jammu Province also produces the most premium and high quality saffron. According to experts it is superior to other varieties grown in the world, owing to its long and dark red hues. It is often mixed with the Iranian variety by the local whole sale dealers to reduce the cost of selling but compromising its quality. An expert can however always recognize it by the unique aroma and the features of the long stigma it contains. It is also described as the “Crop of Gold”, being the most expensive spice in the world. Poetess Habba Khatoon the nightingale of Kashmir who belonged to Pampore area had many lyrics about Kong posh (Saffron). 

The planting of the bulbs of saffron (stamens etc are sterile and there are no seeds) is preceded by preparing the soil which should be having more sand than clay (Loamy) and should be well drained without water logging. While growing the Saffron crocuses need bright sunlight which is usually available in plenty in the months of July to September. The harvesting is done in the periods between end of October and November. The red saffron threads of this flower are carefully handpicked by harvesters after picking the saffron threads from the flowers by the delicate fingers of women and girls. They separate the delicate saffron threads from the flowers. These threads are then dried in Sunlight after spreading evenly at a certain thickness on white sheets. These are then preserved in a cotton cloth so that air can continuously pass through to avoid its decomposition. These are then marketed by the traders. Traditionally on the first day of the harvest, farmers go to the shrine of Hazrat Sheikh Sharifudin at Nambalbal and offer some fresh Saffron as a token of respect.

Challenges Facing the Saffron Cultivation:

The escalating prices of the land is prompting the growers to sell their land for construction of buildings despite the law banning it. They try to find some loop holes and take advantage of the less stringent vigilance by the authorities. In addition, the global warming leading to prolonged dry and very hot weather is deleterious for a good crop. Competition from other bulk producing countries especially Iran is another factor. The increasing pollution due to traffic and dust from the highways surrounding these fields also results in lower yields. A recent interview in Greater Kashmir with Mr Khurshid Ahmad Ganai, a distinguished retired IAS officer and a good friend has detailed on this aspect and has proposed some practical remedies.

Tailpiece: Kashmiri Saffron is one of the best Saffrons produced anywhere in the world. It has become a part of our civilization over the years and also has been providing a living to thousands of cultivators. Its wonderful aroma, colour and medicinal properties in the form of a spice has made it a part of well-known Kashmiri delicacies from Kahwa to Wazwan. We need to make all the efforts to preserve it and improve its cultivation.

Prof Upendra Kaul, awarded Padmashiri and Dr B C Roy Award, Chairman Cardiology and Dean Academics and Research Batra Hospital and Medical Research Center. He is Founder Director, Gauri Kaul Foundation.