Kashmir is a vast Himalayan valley on the border of India and Pakistan, separated from the plains of India by the Pir Panjal mountain range. It has a mild climate, fertile soil and breathtaking landscapes. The expansive green valley is now inhabited mainly by Muslims; the songs of muezzins can be heard above the villages and towns.
The heart of Kashmir is the city of Srinagar, a large part of which lies on Dal Lake: elegant houseboats, homes on islands, floating gardens and a morning vegetable market on the water will be seen during a boat trip. We will hike to the Mughal gardens and walk through the old town with its wooden buildings, visiting mosques along the way. We will see Kashmiri artisans weaving delicate woollen shawls, embroidering, tying carpets and carving furniture from walnut wood.
We will also visit workshops where cricket bats are made—the most popular sport in India. We will observe the painstaking harvesting of crocuses to obtain precious saffron.
We will hike into the mountains with shepherds tending sheep and goats, observing their difficult lives. We will also join thousands of Hindus on a pilgrimage to the Amarnath Cave, where a Shiva lingam in the form of an ice stalagmite is worshipped.
Because of its beauty, Kashmir is often compared to paradise, but life here is not easy. The division of Kashmir between India and Pakistan in 1947, three Indo-Pakistani wars over Kashmir, the border formed by the demarcation line, and separatist movements make the political situation here unstable. In September 2014, Kashmir was subjected to another severe trial: a huge flood whose consequences are still difficult to assess…
Kashmir will be discussed by: Katarzyna and Andrzej Mazurkiewiczowie, travellers and authors of photographic exhibitions and books about the Himalayas, pioneers of professional travel slide shows in Poland. Their passion for travel has become their way of life. In 1988, they first set out for the Indian and Nepalese Himalayas. Then came Siberia, the Russian Far East, Mongolia, Central Asia, Iran, Pakistan, Tibet, Turkey and Georgia, as well as Venezuela and Tanzania. They are especially eager to return to the Indian Himalayas. They are fascinated by the ethnic diversity and hospitality of the people who live there. Since 1994, they have run the Terra Incognita Travel Agency, led trekking expeditions to the Himalayas, presented slide shows from their journeys and organised the TERRA festival.
Organisers: “Problem” Mountaineering Club, CK “Muza”. 15 March, 12:00 p.m., chamber hall, admission free.
CK Muza/ii