The Kashmiris

Inhabitants of the Kashmir region of India are known as the Kashmiris. They belong to the Indo-Aryan race of people. They are fair complexioned and beautiful people. They are of average height. They appear tall because they are usually slim. They have long noses and deep Set eyes. Their walk is slow and they appear to shuffle. This is so because most of the time they have to walk through ankle-deep snow. This makes their walk slow and acquires a wading motion. They live in houses made of wood. These houses have low roofs and very small windows. This is to keep the cold outside the house. They wear long and loose woolen gowns which are known as ‘Pherins in the local language Inside these Joose gowns they carry burning coals in a small wicker basket which is known as “Kangri’. This keeps them warm. They eat roots of the lotus plants, cabbage, and rice. They are also fish and meat-eaters. They are very talented people. They do beautiful embroidery on woolen garments and shawls. They also make wooden handicrafts which are elaborately crafted with wooden filigree work. They grow apples pears, saffron, strawberries, flowers, almonds, and walnuts, in their orchards. Mostly rice and vegetables grow in their fields. They are very soft-spoken people who can be easily intimidated. However, they can also be very business-minded.

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