Author: Nasir Yousufi
Kargil’s apricot “miracle drink” – phatxingu
People in Ladakh’s Kargil region believe phatxingu, a beverage made from apricots, is not just a drink that gives them a healthy, long life but is a “cure-all” for health problems too.
Famed Kashmiri carpets knotted for new parliament
Renowned Kashmiri carpets are being specially made for India's new parliament building, giving a boost to the region's famous crafts industry.
Got apricots? Make Kargil’s xsamik chutney
Made from the kernels of sweet apricots, xsamik is Kargil’s little-known apricot chutney - eaten on its own or with any dish - the making of which sends neighbourhoods into a festive spirit.
World’s highest railway bridge brings Kashmiri villagers hope
As the arch of world’s highest rail bridge over the Chenab River in Kashmir gets completed in time for Independence Day, people in the valley look forward to a better economy when trains start plying.
Gasoo – the strawberry bowl of Kashmir
Farmers who once grew paddy are tasting commercial success after switching to strawberry cultivation, making Gasoo village a hub that supplies strawberries to almost the entire valley.
Green thumb gives Kashmiri woman financial freedom
Seeing the drudgery women go through, a young Kashmiri woman decided to start a nursery business in her backyard to become financially independent. Polytechnic student Saika Nisar’s success is now inspiring other women.
Boom in Kashmir’s bloom business
Stuck at home in the pandemic, many Kashmiris became avid gardeners and are now turning their passion into a business by transforming their backyard patches into plant nurseries.
Leech therapy – alive and sucking in Kashmir
Despite being long abandoned as a medical cure by modern science, many people in the Kashmir Valley still let leeches suck their blood in hopes of curing everything from swollen joints and headaches to frostbite and acne.
Srinagar’s Lake Khushal Sar springs back to life
Thanks to a team of nature-lovers, decades of garbage is cleared from Lake Khushal Sar, spurring on more restoration of Srinagar's famous lakes and buoying the revival of lake-based livelihoods.
“I decided to glamorise pottery”
When Kashmiri engineer Saima Shafi Mir took to pottery to overcome depression, she discovered the plight of local potters producing an age-old craft few care about. So Saima decided to bring pottery into the limelight again. Read her journey in her own words.
A young woman engineer spurs hope for pottery in Kashmir
Traditional potters struggling to survive are confident of better business again after a young woman who found hope through pottery is bringing it back into the limelight.
Sun-dried vegetables find “flavour” in Kashmiri kitchens
Sun-drying summer vegetables, an ancient Kashmiri practice to make up for lack of fresh produce in the harsh winters, are still in demand thanks to their distinct flavour and the increasingly early onset of winters.
Making paneer – the light at the end of her tunnel
Shakeela Jaffar struggled to make ends meet selling milk from her two cows. When her husband’s illness deepened her misery, an order for paneer became a ray of hope that has turned into a successful cheese-making business. Here is her story.
Appetite for organic dairy spurs cottage industry
The growing demand for organic, homemade dairy products gives a boost to Kashmiri villagers who once tried to make ends meet by selling unprocessed milk. Now business is booming for curd, butter and paneer.
Early snowfall destroys apple orchards
Untimely snowfall causes extensive damage to apple orchards in southern Kashmir.
Kashmiri girls pedal out of taboos
Kashmiri women who cycled were once ridiculed. But the pandemic-induced lockdown spurred them to cycle their way to better health and fitness, breaking patriarchal shackles along the way.
Walnut market a hard nut to crack
Urban India loves walnuts. But growing the tasty “super food” is labor intensive and Kashmiri walnut farmers are losing out to cheap foreign imports.
Kashmir’s plum no longer a plum crop for farmers
With increasing production costs and constant selling price over the years, farmers find growing plums economically unviable. They hope to explore new markets for better returns
Kashmir’s cherry farmers face the impact of pandemic
Tangmarg’s cherry farmers, who find selling directly to tourists more lucrative, are in a fix as the popular tourist spots have been closed because of the pandemic