The Indigenous People of Jammu and Kashmir
The erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir was one of the most diverse State in the country in Ethnic, Religious and Lingual dimensions. The main "People" of Jammu and Kashmir and its different regions are briefly described in this Article.
The Indigenous People of Erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir.
This is a graphical representation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir made by Arsalan Khan and Rajja Sourav Singh Sarmal. A brief description of each by me to help in better understanding (Clockwise from top) :
Hunza (Burusho) Ladies. Pic credit Wikipedia
The Hunza : The Hunza or the Burusho people inhabit the Hunza Valley and neighboring Valleys in the extreme North of the state. They speak the Burushaski language which as a language has not been identified with any language Group. The Hunzai now mostly follow different schools of Islam.
Balti Ladies. Pic Courtesy : https://www.behance.net/gallery/12289037/The-Balti-People-of-India
The Baltis : The Baltis are the inhabitants of the Baltistan and are of Tibetan origin with Dardic admix. Their language is Balti, which is a part of the Tibetan language Group. Infact it has the greatest similarity to old Tibetan. The Baltis follow Islam.
A :Ladakhi Lady in traditional Dress. Pic Courtesy Jimmy Nelson
The Ladakhis : The Ladakhis are the inhabitants of the Ladakh region and are of Tibetan descent. The Ladakhi language is from the Tibetan family. Ladakhis are Buddhists as well as Muslim.
Ladies in Kargil. Pic Courtesy Roots Ladakh
The Kargilis : The Kargilis or the Purigpas as they are called inhabit the Western part of Ladakh at the crossroads with Baltistan and Kashmir. Their language Purigi is a dialect of Balti and as such they are also a part of the Tibetan family. Purigis are mostly Muslim.
Bakarwal Men
The Bakarwals : The Bakarwals and their close cousins the Gujjars are traditionally nomadic pastoral people who inhabited the foothills of the Himalayas and moved to the Mountains in the Summers with their livestock. They (Gujjars/ Bakarwals) form the majority in the Poonch Rajouri region and spread among the Jammu Division and in Kashmir as well. They follow Islam.
Maharaja Ranbir Singh, the Dogra Ruler of Jammu and Kashmir state during who’s Rule the Dogra Kingdom reached it largest extent and also included Chitral
The Dogras : The traditional dwellers of the Jammu region or the “Duggar” as the region was known. They live in the foothills of Jammu and are spread into Himachal Pradesh as well. The Dogras speak the Dogri language which is from the Western Pahari Group of languages. The Dogras are mostly Hindu though a significant number converted to Islam and were referred to as Chibalis.
The Potohari : The Potohari/ Pahari are the most Punjabic people of Jammu and Kashmir and live across the Potohar Plateau which stretches well beyond Rawalpindi. They are in sizeable numbers in Poonch. Their language Pahari-Pothwari belongs to the Lhanda Family of Punjabi. They are majorly Muslim but there is a strong Hindu minority as well.
The Kashmiri : The people of the Kashmir area found mostly in the Kashmir Valley. They are the biggest Indegenous Group of people in the state. They speak Kashmiri language which belongs to the Dardic family of languages. Kashmiris are mostly Muslim though a small minority of Kashmiri Hindus also exists.
Dard - Shina People in Kargil
The Gilgiti : The Gilgiti or the Dards are the inhabitants of the vast Gilgit Valley in the North West of the state. They speak the Shina language. They (Dards) are also found in other areas of the state like Gurez and Drass where they have said to have migrated from Gilgit. They follow Islam though a few follow Buddhism as well in Ladakh.
Kalash People during the Chillam Joshi Festiva. Pic Courtesy Wikipedia
The Kalash : The Kalash inhabit three Valleys in the Chitral Region now in KPK though at one time the Chitral Kingdom paid tribute to the Kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir. The Kalsha speak the Kalasha language which is a part of the Dardic family of languages. They have a distinct culture which has been under threat. Most Kalasha have converted to islam though a small number (3000 app) still follow traditional Animist beliefs.
Hi Res of Graphic can be downloaded from the link in the first comment.
Bulbulik Music School, Gojal Valley, Gilgit
The Bulbulik Music School in Gojal Valley, Gilgit is making efforts to revive musical traditions that are on the verge of extinction. Run by Gulmit Educational and Social Welfare Society, Bubulik is named after nightingales which are frequently mentioned in Persian and Urdu poetry. The school takes its name from Wakhi folk culture known as Bulbulik. Shepherds of lowland areas sing while they travel to the highlands to send messages back home. Taken from the Dawn
Bulbulik Music School, Gojal Valley, Gilgit
Impeccably dressed in crisp white garb, black waistcoats and neatly-polished black shoes, the students of the indigenous music school Bulbulik in Gojal Valley, Gilgit is making efforts to revive musical traditions that are on the verge of extinction.
There may be little support but that has not discouraged the institution from doing what it loves: playing freestyle/Pamiri music with conventional instruments like Ghazxek, Surnaye, Tutek, Gabi and Sitar. The musicians feel happy when onlookers cheer for them; when they play their soothing lullabies, the native Parmiri find a voice.
“Bulbulik is the first folk music school in the area and have even given opportunities to female students to come and learn alongside their male counterparts,” said Didar Ali, the culture development officer of Bubulik. “In the past, music was neither widely accepted nor were women allowed to play musical instruments.” He added that so far, some 35 female artists have been trained in various folk instruments.
Run by Gulmit Educational and Social Welfare Society, Bubulik is named after nightingales which are frequently mentioned in Persian and Urdu poetry. The school takes its name from Wakhi folk culture known as Bulbulik. Shepherds of lowland areas sing while they travel to the highlands to send messages back home. Its roots can be traced back to 1985, when a small school was set up by Muzafaruddin Shah to create awareness about protecting one’s own melodies. The present initiative, however, is hardly a year old.
Article and Photos from :
https://tribune.com.pk/…/music-school-chitral-keeping-indi…/
Kiki’s Blog
Stories from the Himalayas
Five years ago the Galwan Valley was in the News for the wrong reasons after a deadly clash between the Indian and Chinese Armies in the Valley located in Ladakh lead to many deaths on the contentious Border between the two countries in wake of continued Chinese intrusions into Indian territory.
This area along the Shyok River, of which the Galwan Nallah or the Galwan River which forms the Galwan Valley has been off limits to Civilians since long but now the Indian Government has decided to open up the area for Civilians and we were amongst the First Civilians to venture into this beautifully desolate part of the Eastern Karakorams in Ladakh. Earlier Civilians could only venture upto the Village of Shyok from where the Shyok River takes a U turn and flows in a Northerly direction.