When people recall the times when India was under Mughal rule, the first thought that comes to mind is of rapacious marauders travelling the length and breadth of the land subjugating the people and enforcing a socio-economic system that was contrastingly well oiled as well as debilitating.
When it comes to Kashmir of those times, we remember the Mughal kings and nobility for their innovation and exotic approach to being one with nature. For example, Kashmir’s gardens built by them attract tens of thousands of tourists every year today.
Another great Mughal innovation every Kashmiri is thankful for today, especially when it comes to the harsh winter season is the “hamam”. Most will know that this word is popularly associated with the exotically designed public baths of medieval Turkey, but in Kashmir, it is different.
Here, it translates into a room made of thick, hand-made and hewn rectangular slabs of limestone placed over a dug up floor. The limestone slabs are supported by bricks at the joints and sealed with cement.
The hamam’s interior walls are made of bricks and sealed with lime mortar. The floor has a combination of sand, bits of glass and boulders to absorb and retain heat. Firewood is placed within the hamam through a small iron door, while the smoke coming from the slabs escapes through a roof-top chimney through all levels of homes made of timber, mud plaster, mud, baked brick (traditional ones), or brick and concrete (modern ones).
In the recent past, these limestone slabs were extracted from quarries located outside Srinagar and Baramulla before a government ban on stone quarrying was imposed.
The months of December and January are times when hamams are needed the most, as temperatures dip several degrees below zero, making central heating an absolute necessity.
Brighter Kashmir met and spoke with Farooq Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Pampore, who has been involved in the hamam-making and selling business for years.
Bhat said the hamam has been a feature of Kashmiri society since the Mughal times, and there is information of it being prevalent during the times of the Pandava brothers of Mahabharata fame.
He said a good hamam can be identified by its carving and polish, and lamented the fact that the government’s ban on stone quarrying is causing a shortage of stones, forcing Hamam shopkeepers to get their stones from Rajasthan.
“The main disadvantage of stones from Rajasthan is that it does not come with any guarantee. Hamams made from Kashmiri stones are most valued. Anyone can recognize a stone that is from Kashmir as it is quarried and carved by hand. The stones are huge and sometimes need to be cut by machines into smaller pieces. They also have a longer shelf life, so much so that even after being stored for ten years, their quality stays the same,” said Bhat.
“People complain of Kashmiri stones being too expensive. This is true, but if you desire quality, then you have to pay. A majority of Kashmiris prefer hamams made from stones brought from Rajasthan. Sixty percent of Kashmir’s population buys stones from Rajasthan,” he said.
Bhat also spoke of a new emerging trend of Kashmiris buying electric hamams. “But there is a disadvantage in the sense that smart meters installed to monitor electricity usage often go haywire, resulting in prohibitive costs which the people can’t afford.”
“Kashmiris are reluctant to use room heaters. So, the question of them using electric hamams remains that only? Nevertheless, the hamam industry in Kashmir is flourishing. The demand is high as this is one way to tackle the winter chill. There are no side effects,” Bhat said.
A Kashmiri Hamam costs Rs.7000/- per yard whereas a Rajasthani-designed hamam can be bought for Rs.3000/- per yard.
“Our appeal to the government is to restore stone quarrying rights in Kashmir. Stone quarrying provides a livelihood to many local people here. There are different activities involved and specialists are required for quarrying, cutting and loading. It is an income generating and sustainable industry in Kashmir, but not in Rajasthan,” Bhat said.
This improvisation of a medieval Turkish public bath is unique indeed, he said.