The wrung dhobi ghats of Kashmir
In the Old City of Srinagar, amidst numerous Dhobi Ghats on the Jhelum's banks, a few resilient ghats still bear the legacy of centuries. Meet Kashmir's dhobis who carry on their trade against societal odds.
Among the numerous Dhobi Ghats lining the banks of the Jhelum in the Old City of Srinagar, only a handful remain with active laundrymen. These few functional ghats have carried on this legacy for centuries, including Kadleh Yarbal, Bhatteh Yaar Ghat, Owasi Sahab Ghat, Vidya Bhawan Ghat, Kokar Yarbal Ghat, and Safa Kadal Ghat.
Bilal Ahmed, despite receiving plenty of work from local small-scale handicraft industries, finds his passion for the job slowly fading away. He also faces challenges in finding a life partner due to societal disapproval of his chosen profession.
This once-desolate ghat, famous for its bustling washermen, regained its vibrancy in 2017 when Bilal and Raqib revived the sounds of tossing and washing clothes.
Farooq Ahmed (R) is the sole remaining member of his family who has worked on the Owasi Sahab Ghat for generations. Throughout his 40-year career as a dhobi, he witnessed his brothers and cousins abandon this profession due to social stigma.
Although there is a high demand for the first wash of Kashmiri pashmina, romals, and ruffals, Farooq struggles to engage and persuade the younger generation to join him in this trade.
Bhatteh Yaar Ghat, the oldest functioning ghat, is run by Farooq Ah Shanani. He is the son of the last living octogenarian Dhobi, Ghulam Nabi Shahani, who is now 82 years old.
Ghulam Nabi Shahani continues to wash clothes, just as he did in 1964. However, he no longer strikes shawls on the stones of the ghats. He remains dedicated to washing clothes for his long-standing clients. Ghulam Nabi cherishes the job that has been passed down through generations.
Ghulam Nabi Shahani reminisces, “In my youth, these ghats were popular recreational spots with boys swimming in the Jhelum. Local houseboat owners used to send their men with laundry, transported by small boats. The Jhelum was once bustling with water transportation, but that is no longer the case.”
Vidya Bhawan Ghat is now solely occupied by Nazir Ah Dhobi, the last laundryman washing and sun-drying Kashmiri Pashmina stoles all day. Nazir Ah inherited this profession from his uncle, who worked on this ghat from 1952 to 1962.
Nazir’s deep passion for his work keeps him determined to continue until a machine capable of washing these delicate pashmina handicrafts is invented. The sight of the Pashmina garments, remarkably beautiful and incredibly delicate to touch, when he retrieves them after they are dried in the sun, captivates him.
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Nisar Ah Dhobi single-handedly maintains the quietness of Kokar Yarbal Ghat. In 2015, Nisar Ah briefly left the ghat behind to seek a future by selling shawls on the streets of Delhi. However, after facing challenges in the city, he eventually returned to his lifelong occupation of vigorously striking pashmina handicrafts against the dewer kanneh (foundation stones) of the ghats.
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The lead image at the top shows Bilal Ahmed Dar (R) and Raqib Ah Dar (L) can be seen tossing the freshly arrived Pashmina shawls for their first wash at Kadleh Yarbal Ghat, located beneath Alai Kadal in the Old City of Srinagar (Photo by Aakash Gulzar)
Aakash and Zubair are both pursuing Master’s in Mass communication and journalism from Kashmir University.