Srinagar: Her chance interaction with a Kashmiri youth in New Delhi was Bata’s first introduction to the Valley. The acquaintance gradually grew into friendship. Years later, when Owais Ahmad from uptown Hyderpora in the summer capital, Srinagar, invited her to a cousin’s wedding, she couldn’t resist the temptation.
Citing a business trip as an excuse at home, Bata travelled thousands of miles from Poland, alone, on her maiden trip to Kashmir to attend the wedding. Once she landed in the Valley, Bata found its culture “unique” and people “hospitable like nowhere on Earth”.
At the wedding, the intriguing cuisine, locally known as ‘wazwaan‘, kept her tastebuds wanting for more. The arrival of the bride and groom, dazzling in tasteful traditional attire and glittering gold jewellery under the moonlight, felt magical to her. And the traditional Kashmiri songs sung by women all through the night felt like a fairytale.
The experience mesmerised the Polish woman so much that she vowed to return to the Valley to host her own wedding reception. “That will never happen,” Owais remarked to his family when Bata left Kashmir after attending the wedding. “She is just excited to see a Kashmiri wedding.”
But the Polish businesswoman surprised her Kashmiri friends when she flew to city, along with her husband, Wlodek, on July 19 this year to live her dream. The couple booked a local hotel on the banks of the Jhelum river, with mountain peaks in the background, to throw a grand reception, typical of a Kashmiri wedding.
A view of the restaurant in the middle of the Jhelum river where the Polish couple hosted their wedding reception. Credit: Mudasir Ahmad
Local women, joined by young girls, sat in groups to sing Kashmiri songs in praise of the bride and her groom. Some of them played the tumbakhnari, a traditional Kashmiri percussion instrument made of clay and sheepskin. In Kashmir, a wedding ceremony is incomplete without the tumbakhnari.
As the clock struck two in afternoon, repeated honks on the road beyond the river embankment signalled the arrival of the couple.
Guests arriving at the wedding reception. Credit: Mudasir Ahmad
“Kashmiri weddings are things to behold, a celebration of tradition and beauty. I waited all these years to live this moment, own it and cherish it for my entire life,” an excited Bata told The Wire as she stepped out of the car in traditional Kashmiri bride attire.
The groom, wearing a Khan-dress and a turban, followed her, smiling shyly. “Oh God! This is so real,” he whispered, then hurried to hold his bride’s hand. “I am too excited.”
The couple hadn’t flown all the way from Poland alone. They were joined by their relatives Tomash and Elizabeth, who mingled with groups of women, rehearsing Kashmiri songs. At times, they even tried their hands at the tumbakhnari.
The couple’s relatives, Tomash and Elizabeth. Credit: Mudasir Ahmad
“This is my first visit to Kashmir. This [function] is like a dream – so different from ours,” said Tomash. “The people here are so hospitable – a Kashmiri man offered us accommodation at his home while we were travelling.”
Elizabeth was eager to taste the wazwaan – rista and goshtaba (meat balls), seekh kebab and tabakhmaaz (pieces of lamb ribs fried in butter) in particular. “The smell of these dishes is so irresistible,” she spoke softly, pointing towards a corner in the lawns were the food was being cooked.
But it would be some time before the meal was finally ready to be served by the local chef, ‘waza’, in a traem (a large circular copper plate). The preparation of wazwaan, a multi-course meal, is an art and a part of Kashmiri culture and identity that people take pride in. Almost all the dishes are meat-based, using lamb or chicken.
‘Wazwaan’ being cooked for the guests. Credit: Mudasir Ahmad
Inside the hall, the bride was surrounded by local women. They didn’t speak, but exchanged smiles and a few nods. Some young girls were admiring Bata’s beautiful dress and make-up. “Where is my groom? Please bring him here and sing for us,” Bata burst into laughter.
At which point, 43-year-old Wlodek rushed in, one of his hands on his turban, lest it should fall. The couple sat on specially designed chairs draped with festive maroon covers. Beneath their feet, the floor was decorated with Kashmiri carpets. “My groom doesn’t talk much, he is very shy,” Bata said jokingly, as the rhythm of the song grew steadily.
The bride trying her hand at the tumbakhnari. Credit: Mudasir Ahmad
Then, she talked about her love for Kashmir, its culture and wazwaan. “I have fallen in love with Kashmir and that brought us here all the way from Poland,” the bride responded to a question from media persons who had waited to photograph the couple. “We so wanted to look like Kashmiris at our reception…that is why we dressed ourselves in traditional Kashmiri attire.”
The couple had made it a point that all the dishes that make wazwaan are prepared. “It [wazwaan] has become my weakness. Tabakhmaaz is my favorite,” said a thrilled Bata.
A gentle breeze swept across the lawns and suddenly, the conversation shifted to the breathtaking beauty of the Valley, its glacial-fed streams and snow-capped mountains. “Have you ever let your fingers glide through the ice-cold water of Dal Lake while on a ‘shikara’ ride?” Bata asked. “Try it once. There can be nothing more soothing.”
Inside the hall, the melodious singing stopped. It was a signal that the long wait for the grand lunch was over. Both Bata and Wlodek joined the guests to taste the wazwaan. “Delicious,” Wlodek said after the feast was over, standing in the lawn with Bata, and enjoying the breeze and ripples created on the water surface. “This is heavenly,” he added, describing the ambience.
Bata and Wlodek in the lawns of the restaurant. Credit: Mudasir Ahmad
And what about the situation in Kashmir? “No need to worry as long as you have such good people around,” Bata responded. “And mouth-watering wazwaan too.”
Mudasir Ahmad is a Srinagar-based reporter.
