One Day Out. Cycling along at a gentle pace it was easy to stop at any time. We happily responded when a carpet salesman beckoned us over. He invited us into his workshop where a beautiful silk carpet was being woven on a grand old motorized machine. He then directed us to climb the exterior stairway that led onto a balcony that stretched the full length of the house. The first open door we passed led into the kitchen where his wife was attending to her morning chores. Pots, pans, ladles and spoons hung on a wooden frame that was attached to the wall. Our host spoke to his wife as we went by. We were directed to go into the next room along the balcony. A simple room with mud plastered walls. There was rush matting on the floor with a cotton sheet spread over one half. In one corner was a pile of bedding and a few items of clothing hung on wooden hooks on the wall. We removed our shoes and sat on the mat as instructed by the friendly man. We were each given a blanket and a kangri to keep warm, even though it was a mild day. A kangri is every Kashmiri’s companion during cold weather. Red, hot glowing charcoal, smoulders inside an earthen clay pot that is encased within a willow basket. This is placed under the holder’s wool coat or blanket. Cosy! Soon after, our host’s wife entered the room and set a tray before us. It was laden with a white china tea set, slices of bread and crunchy Ritz crackers to nibble on. Their generous hospitality was humbling and it was not even a ploy for us to buy a carpet, in fact no sales talk at all.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Jul 2013 14:14:50 +0000
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