Artlexicons

  A serviceman cleans the air-conditioner in scorching heat The Winter capital of J&K is used to the Kitni Garmi hai season and celebrates it on the Tawi-river’s shore during Bijli gul weekdays and Light kab ayegi weekends. With a heart full of hope and a couple dozen calls to the lineman and 1912 (toll-free number), every family has at least one tradition they follow during summers. Calling the serviceman to get their air-conditioned ready for the impending heat wave. These unsung heroes are so booked during the month of April and June that by the time they arrive to their 7 th customer of the day, they are usually showered with curses while already being drenched in sweat. As I see Mr Rakesh squeezing his cloth mask till sweat dripped from it to the floor, I realise their tale is one that needs to be told. Cleaning out wasp nests, pigeon nests and sparrow nests from air-conditioners is a routine matter for these well-stung heroes. “ Har season mei tamoodi toh katti hi hai,...

Pallavi Sareen   In the lush green village of Kalihand, residents commemorate their deceased by planting trees, the fruits of which are meant for friends, neighbours and travellers. Jammu: “When someone dies in our family, we plant a tree,” said Nath Ram (75), a resident of Kalihand village in Doda, a remote district in Jammu and Kashmir. Spread over 572 hectares, the village is located 25 km away from Doda town. Surrounded by lush green trees and rugged mountain slopes, villagers in Kalihand have a unique culture of commemorating the dead by planting a fruit tree and watering it for at least a year or longer till it bears fruit. Nearly a third of the population in the village are Hindus who follow this tradition.  “ Shastron mei likha hai ” (it is written in the scriptures) and “ punya ka kaam ” (it is virtuous work) are two phrases repeated by the priest and locals alike while explaining the origins of this practice and its link to funerals. Pandit Daya Ram, the village prie...