The region known as Paradise on Earth, the Kashmir Valley, is rightly famous for its beauty, but it also has a rich agricultural and horticultural legacy. The Valley’s varied climates and fertile soil produce an abundance of foods throughout the year, with each season bringing forth its own special treats. In autumn, the joy of apple picking, walnut gathering and paddy cutting binds us to tradition and to our land.
As the sun warms the earth and gently touches the trees, summer kisses autumn in the crisp morning air. The orchards of the Kashmir Valley are filled with delicious secrets which mature through long summer days to bring forth a harvest of abundance that reaches its crescendo from late August through September. Apples blush like porcelain; crimson rubies heralding autumn’s arrival, while gold and green apples sit like emerald scepters in ancient mossy groves. For the orchards of the Valley to become this abundant requires months of patience, love, and care by devoted farmers and their families. As one poignant season transitions into another they ready their lands for seeding early in spring before sowing thousands of tiny saplings with great anticipation. Watered, mulched, pruned and fertilized through the long hot summer, by fall come here to pick apple; you will witness that patience rewarded in an apple like you have never tasted.
Apples are harvested through hand-picked selection and gentle placement to prevent any harm or damage to the fruit. Families spend days in the orchard, harvesting together, children plucking apples from low on the tree, whilst their elders reach up high to grasp every bounty the tree has to offer. Laughter is heard throughout the orchard as they talk story, remembering harvests of years past and enjoying a harvest that seems more bountiful than ever. The fresh fragrance of apples drifts upon autumn’s sweet breeze, mingled with the sound of happiness.
Alongside apples, walnuts are also a major player in the autumnal harvests. The limbs of the walnut trees bow under the weight of the nuts, fallen apples and walnuts are collected. It’s a process that often takes more than one step; shaking and raking in contemporary times, for instance. But it’s a practice that seems to have always been true in this valley. For walnuts are not only a dietary staple but an economic one as well.
Gathering walnuts is one more occasion for family and community. Neighbors come to help each other. It is work, but fulfilling work, and the common experience binds neighbors together.
While apple picking and walnut harvesting are prominent, the cutting of paddy is equally important during this season. As the fields turn golden, one can see farmers working tirelessly to reap their harvest. Paddy cutting is a skill. The rhythmic sound of sickles in the fields, resonates in every corner of the valley.The old times in the fields often sit down with members of the younger generation to share their experiences. These tales of harvest time and its struggles and pleasure are so full of nostalgia. Taking a break amidst the fields, enjoying a meal together under the open sky, suggests a communal working system. Families prepare traditional meals to share, making each lunch break a celebration of both sustenance and togetherness.
There is a mix of seriousness and beauty in the typical autumn harvest day. The day starts early when, as a family, the tools for the day and the provisions are gathered. The air is cool and crisp, refreshing whoever steps out into the fields. Gradually the sun rises, casting a warm glow on the landscape. As they make their way through the orchards or fields, the beauty of the valley reminds them of the fruits of their labor.
Lunch breaks are an institution in themselves. The family usually spreads out and has a sort of picnic in the fields. Homemade bread, fresh veggies, and fruits soon nourish both body and spirit. Relaxation over laughter brings one to appreciate the real hard work it takes into each harvest.
But as the dust of sunset gets painted in gold, families return exhausted but contented, hearts full of satisfaction as they have spent the day well. Soon fatigue at physical labor overtakes the mild pull of sleep and deep restorational slumber. Tied up by labor and tradition memories form a rich tapestry that the population carries about in their minds.
Agricultural practices of the Kashmir Valley are far more than just putting bread on the table. It is a way of life generation after generation. Every season with its unique rituals and celebrations marks a festive time. Autumn, which is characterized by harvests, is a thanksgiving season and a time to ponder over the past. Elders pass on wisdom to the younger generation in order that the ages-old traditions of apple picking, walnut harvesting, and paddy cutting did not fade.
And changes around them, the people of the Kashmir Valley stand firm as any rock when it comes to dedication to agriculture and heritage. Harvest time experiences help in the social development of identity and belonging; a connection that goes beyond the individual to history and to other individuals. This tradition continuity is important in a world often dominated by their modernity than any cultural activity. The seasons in the Kashmir Valley mirror the rhythm of life, but autumn is steeped in symbolism for communalism and traditions and hard work. Different practices of apple picking, walnut harvesting, and paddy cutting sustain the livelihoods of a lot of people, while enriching their lives with shared experiences and an attachment to the land. When such families gather to celebrate the harvest, they create memories that would remind generations coming down that the essence of the valley’s agricultural heritage remains alive and vibrant.
The writer is pursuing BALLB, student activist besides this I’m an author of two books.
