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COVER JAN 31ST 2009
REGULARBACK COVER
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CULTURE HERATAGE
Saffron of Kishtwar 
BY AK KHANNA The Kishtwar district in Jammu and Kashmir is situated on the alternate route to Himachal Pradesh via Botote – Kishtwar–Paddar road, along the Chandrabagha or River Chenab utilized in the winter season to approach Chamba district. The road well off the Jammu– Srinagar road (HN1A) right turns from Batote along the River leading to Kishwar –Padder to Himachal Pradesh. There is another road via Kishtwar to Kashmir valley as well as to Zanskar (Ladakh) though a difficult track. Kishtwar district is bounded on the north by Kashmir and Zanskar valley, on the south by Bhanderwah and Doda tehsil, on the east by Himachal Pradesh and the west by Anantnag and Ramban district. It is located on a plateau 5,360 ft above the sea level and almost ten km long and three km broad, on the left bank of the Chandrabhaga river and 232 km from Jammu. Nearly 150 hectares of the land utilized for cultivation of cash crop yield about 9 quintals of saffron annually. The town of Kishtwar is located on an oval plateau on the high bank of River Chenab and famous for two “S” -Saffron cultivation and Sapphire mines. Out of 156 revenue villages of Kishtwar, only Hiryal, Matta, Pochhal and Lachha Daya Ram are famous for the cultivation of saffron. The exotic spice saffron is a little piece of the straw with red colour 2 cm to 5 cm long. The height of the plant of saffron that grows out of corm (not from seed) is 40 to 50 cm; the violet colour flower with six petals, three yellow stamens surrounded by three red stigmas. The stamens are used as the final product as saffron. The scientific name of saffron is “Crous sativus” which suggests that first it was grown or cultivated in Croycus, now Kolghos in Syria. The Arab took it to Spain in 10th century AD. Saffron is chiefly cultivated in Spain, France, Sicily (Italy) Iran and India in some parts of Kashmir Valley and Kishtwar in Jammu region also. Its Sanskrit name is ‘Kum kum’ or Lohit, ‘Kong’ in Kashmiri whereas in Kishtwari it is pronounced as ‘Kung’. The Persians called it ‘Zafran’. The ‘Kesar’ is most popular name among India, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari (southern top of India). Pampore in Kashmir and Mandal in Kishtwar provide favorable climate for cultivating good quality of saffron. The cultivation of the saffron dates back to the Mahabharata period in Kishwar town.There is a reference of Lohit Mandal in saloka or verse in the 27th chapter of Sabha Para in the Mahabharata Part I along with other Manuals. The area in which saffron is cultivated even today is called as ‘mandal’. The quality of Kishtwari saffron is superior to that of Kashmiri in fragrance and colour due to the dry technique used by the people of Kishtwar. In Tuzak-i-Jahangiri translated by Alexander Roger (page 140), the author states “in Kishtwar there are produce such as wheat, barley, lentils millets and pulses. Differing from Kashmir it produces little rice. Its saffron is finer than that of Kashmir– all the saffron is assigned as pay to a body of Rajputs and to 700 musketeers or top chi or gunners who are old retainers”. The Mughal kings preferred to have the saffron from Kishtwar knowing that it was better in quality than that produced in Kashmir. During Lord Buddha’s time, saffron colour was officially introduced for dying the robes of Bikshus or Buddhist Monks under the Buddhist Sangha or institution of preaching Buddhist religion. According the Khalhan’s, Raja-thangani ( historical book in Sanskrit) saffron had been one of the five things for which Kashmir was famous. In ancient times, Greek halls, royal courts, theaters and specifically the Roman baths would be strewn with the saffron perfume. The streets of Rome used to be sprinkled with saffron whenever Nero, the Roman Emperor of 1st century BC entered the city. Saffron is also used in medicines, in various recipes and applied on the foreheads as an auspicious mark called by Hindus throughout the world. Saffron colour has been adopted in our National flag also believing it to be a symbol of peace. It tastes bitter. Its fragrance, special flavor and colour add special taste to various dishes like meat, pudding, sweet rice, biryani etc. The saffron is mostly used in qehwa, a sort of black tea to make it a refreshing healthy drink. Qehwa’s aromatic quality and its medicinal value is enhanced when cardamom, dalchini and almond pieces are added to it. It is digestive, sedative, curative and saffron’s exhilarant quality makes the Qhewa as a way of life of the high strata of society in Jammu and Kashmir. Saffron happens to be the costliest condiment that is afforded by only the rich people. The saffron corms produce saffron flower once in a year. The bulbs once planted in quality land give crop for four to five years. After 4rth and 5th year, the corms or bulbs are extracted from the soil as the bulb multiply if every thing goes well. These bulbs are then cleaned, their outer layer removed, boiled in water and then dried in Sun. Healthy bulbs are again sowed. The dried bulbs are also sold in the market for use in the preparation of medicines. The saffron bulbs are planted in the months of July, August and September. The saffron requires a well–drained, light loamy Karewa soil. The Karewa denotes a flat mound, plateau or terrace in local language and a typical natural geographical feature. In India the suitable land for saffron cultivation is available only in Mandal area of Kishtwar and Pampore in Kashmir valley. The saffron flowers bloom in the month of October and November every year. These are plucked early in the morning and then stored properly for two or three days. The three red carpel flowers are called saffron, where as three yellow carpel flowers are called safranin or Patti in local language. After storing for two or three days the red and yellow carpel are removed from the flowers and dried in the autumn sunshine. The saffron is then separated in three varieties–mongra, turla and lachha. While as mongra is the red part trimmed from the white stem, turla forms the white stem and lacha is the whole stem along with red carpel dried together without arranging them is called lachha. Mongra is the best type of saffron. But it can easily be adulterated with turmeric (haldi powder), marigold or gadha and sunflower petals or bit of wax and molasses mixed in the Patti to give it saffron colour. The plucking of saffron flower requires skill. In the early morning before sunrise, the flowers are delicately plucked from the plant, which is not more than 9 to 12 inches in height. Geographical factors like slope, gradient and altitude are very significant in the cultivation of saffron. Saffron requires a well–drained light loamy Karewa soil. The rising cost of saffron has thrown in the market its various substitutes like bright saffron colour mixed with red lead and pounded with a piece of deodar wood. The genuine saffron is a loosely marked mass of dark reddish brown flattened little pieces of straw. The author is Dy.Superintending Archaeologist Archaeological Survey of India. akk_1954@yahho.com |
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