Photojournalism : Cricket Bat Industry in Kashmir

Ooo snap. We invite a guess writer and he wrote far more melancholic and tell his side of stories like nobody business. Like other guess writer, the appearance he made is quite strong if not bold. I'm sure in no time, he will get his own niche of followers. Nevertheless, we would like to thanks him for his superb portraiture and very artistic view of human gesture. Thank you Ariffin.

Thanks you Ariffin. Willow wood for cricket bat making. Two sizes. One for handle and one for plate.

 Well, trigger by this event (he posting very strong blog post), my inner ultra kiasu attitude cannot sit calm. Me and Kaz being senior writer felt disturbed (in a good way) especially me since I write the less. I cannot just sit down and admiring our own blog doing nothing, so here's my third post (ya ya ya, i know, Kaz posting most of the entry). To make thing more interesting and bringing the blog to more upper par, I'm doing this in photojournalism style (Phew, try to top this, writers).

This small lot selling very high quality cricket bat for even India's national player

The dusty windy road from Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir, to the town of Sangam, enroute to the tourist haven of Pahalgam (I shared in previous post), takes you from the 70s feeling to the striking. Winter is on their way hence the dusty and very dry air. Wood dust with very woody smell make you feel very uncomfortable. One have to cover their nose to adapt.

Sales nowadays is slightly decreased compare to 15 years back when cricket in India was like football in Latin Amarica

The road is flanked by sadly two-story brick structures, dusty stone factories and an army garrison surrounded by poorly camouflaged bunkers, stray dogs and dirty footpaths. Stray dogs cant cover their nose. I'm sure their lung is full of wood dust. Very small particle yet very damaging. Yeah, its wood and its biodegradable but you don't want it to be inside you.

partially ready bat. They still need to smooth this up and do few adjustment. You will be surprise when you can actually stand on this bat and it will swing you without broke.

But the muck is a prelude to a green corridor of hanging trees, soggy poppy fields, freshly tilled saffron gardens and towering snowcapped mountains beyond the horizon of the Pampor highway to Kashmir's south. This is paradise. Engine rattling and you know it need oil. I'm not sure if its ever grinded  a human hand before. I bet it was.

Abbas, already work here since he was 12 years old

Traditional Indian cricket bats are made from wood. In Kashmir it is made out of willow found in northern India. Some bats made in Kashmir are of international standards and  used by many national players in India.

Rounded shape handle before they merge with the plate

Kashmiri bats require constant knocking and oiling to make the bat good enough to use in a cricket match. Knocking makes the fibres of the willow blade compress together, which helps the bat bear the impact of the ball. Shaping the bad is done manually by knocking them for six hours.

The small smelly dusty handkerchief on Abbas face shows that what he need is balaclava

It has been some time since I entered this factory unannounced, interrupting him as he filed the shoulders of a newly cut bat, and he gestures that he needs to go back to work.

Read more →

Pahalgam, India : Dingin, Tenang dan Asyik

Penggunaan kayu api masih menjadi rutin lantaran sumber gas asli yang mahal

 Pahalgam merupakan satu pekan kecil di Kashmir. Selain Srinigar yang menjadi tarikan utama kerana bersejarah dan terkenal dengan Tasik Dal, Pahalgam pula terkenal dengan Lembah Kashmir. Ia terletak kira-kira 4 jam perjalanan menggunakan kenderaan 4WD dari Bandar Srinigar. Sepanjang perjalanan, pengunjung akan disajikan dengan pemandangan yang begitu cantik dan berbeza-beza antara setiap pekan. 

Pekan Pahalgam hanyalah pekan kecil yang langsung tidak sibuk. Seperti biasa, berada di Kashmir, kawalan keselamatan sedikit ketat berbanding di kawasan lain di India. Seperti juga Srinigar dan Gulmarg, Pahalgam juga punya kawalan keselamatan sendiri. Namun apa yang membezakan  Pahalgam ialah, kawalan keselamatan di pekan ini berada hanya di pintu masuk pekan sahaja. Ini menyebabkan tiada kelibat anggota keselamatan di sekitar pekan Pahalgam berbanding pekan lain. Ditambah dengan ketenangan pekan itu sendiri, ketiadaan anggota keselamatan memberikan perasaan aman dan damai sekali.

Gadis Kashmir menggunakan sumber air bersih dari pergunungan untuk tujuan membasuh dan minum

 Tarikan pelancongan di sana ialah Lembah Kashmir yang begitu luas. Ia meliputi kawasan pergunungan dan hutan yang perlu diterokai jika sampai ke sini. Berbeza dengan Gulmarg yang hanya menyajikan kawasan gunung bersalji, Pahalgam mempunyai denai, lembah, pekan kecil, hutan, bukit bukau, kuda, lembu, kambing biri-biri dan penduduk Kaum Nomad yang pemalu. 

Majoriti penduduk di sini beragama Islam dan sepertinya mereka ini lebih berminat untuk menyertai Pakistan berbanding dengan berada dalam India (this is purely my observation). Makanan di sini juga lebih mahal berbanding di Srinigar. Kashmir yang terkenal dengan Nasi Briyani resepi tinggalan Empayar Mongul sebenarnya begitu berbeza diantara sesebuah pekan. Di Pahalgam sendiri, Nasi Briyani adalah amat pedas namun di Srinigar masakan Nasi Briyani bukan merupakan satu pilihan popular penduduk di sana.

Kaum Nomad yang berada di pergunungan Pahalgam sedang membasuh pakaian

Selain penduduk asal, bangsa Kashmiri yang bertutur dalam bahasa mereka tersendiri, terdapat juga golongan Nomad. Mereka ini sebenarnya penduduk yang lebih asal dari kaum Kashmiri sendiri. Malahan, ketika Empayar Mongul menakluk jajahan ini, penduduk nomad sudah mula menetap di kawasan pergunungan sekitar Kashmir. Mereka ini tidak lagi berpindah dari satu tempat ke satu tempat sebaliknya menetap di satu penempatan khas yang diperbuat dari tanah liat. Rumah mereka jauh di tengah hutan dan hanya sesekali kaum lelaki akan keluar ke pekan bagi mendapatkan sumber keperluan. Mereka hidup dengan menternak kuda, lembu dan kambing biri-biri.

Kuda merupakan pengangkutan utama di Pahalgam. Ia juga merupakan tarikan pelancong

Cuaca di Pahalgam lebih sejuk berbanding tempat lain di Kashmir. At least lagi sejuk dari Srinigar. Suhu pada waktu malam sungguhpun pada musim panas tetap sejuk. Jika winter, seluruh Pahalgam akan membeku dengan salji termasuk anak-anak sungai. Tak dapat dibayangkan seluruh kawasan bukit bukau hutan pokok pain akan membeku dan memutih.

Lembah Kashmir, satu kawasan hutan pokok pine yang bersih dan menyegarkan

Yeah, penulisan blog kali ini nampak lebih kepada ulasan rencana berbanding penceritaan pengalaman. Well, untuk makluman, trip ke Pahalgam oleh saya dan Isteri was in 2012. Too bad waktu tu tak ada sebarang rekod penceritaan kecuali gambar dan kenangan manis kami berdua di sana. Lesson learned. Jangan dirisau, from now onwards, kalau ada event menarik, I'll try to record and shared. More me style instead of Astro Awani style. But, I'm sure you guys enjoy the photo.

 

Pekan Pahalgam sendiri hanya terdiri dari dua barisan pendek kedai di kiri dan kanan jalan

WIRA

13 Dis 2013

Read more →