Kashmiriyat is the collective consciousness of the Kashmiri people and reflects the concept of religious and communal harmony that was a part of Kashmiri culture for hundreds of years. The concept originated in the rein of Zain-ul-Abidin (known as 'Badshah' the great king) who was the sultan of Kashmir in the 15th century. The land of Kashmir was already geographically isolated and distinct, nestled among the Himalayan mountains, and the people historically have always held strong together as one. Even among all of the turmoil and violence of the past six decades, the people of Kashmir still hold strong together.
Music and Dance in Kashmir
Kashmir has had a rich musical tradition going back centuries. The early Brahman communities played music very similar to Indian classical music such as the sitar. The advent of Sufism brought a new musical tradition, that of sufiana kalam, which involves the instruments santoor and saz. With this music, there are many dance forms in Kashmir, the most popular of which is the rouf. This dance heralds the arrival of the spring, performed by girls, and is usually performed at Eid festivals.
Cuisine of Kashmir
The wazwan feast as seen above is one of main culinary traditions of Kashmiri Muslim tradition. This is a good analogy to the Thanksgiving tradition in America, as up to 36 courses can be served. The dishes are usually lamb based (but can also consist of chicken, beef, and fish) and can consist of the following: tabak maaz (fried lamb ribs), rogan josh (lamb curry), and gushtaba (main Kashmiri delicacy which consists of minced mutton). All meals end with tea such as kahwah (green tea). The Kashmiri Pandit tradition also has its own cuisine is which is more focused on vegetable dishes. The emphasis is on turmeric and yogurt and not garlic and onion. This cuisine is very similar to nearby Punjab and North India. There is one Kashmiri restaurant in the United States, Wazwan Restaurant, which is located in New Jersey. The owners are from Srinagar and serve various vegetarian and non-vegetarian Kashmiri dishes.
Selected Books on Kashmir
 Demystifying Kashmir by Navnita Behra is an excellent introduction to the history of the Kashmir conflict and provides a very balanced perspective. There is also an excellent chapter on the insurgency movement of the late 1990s and how they were unable to succeed. The content of the book is largely political and assumes the reader is well versed in South Asian politics. That said, it frames the conflict as more of a political struggle between India and Pakistan to claim land that is rightfully theirs as opposed to an ideological struggle.
 Tiger Ladies by Sudha Koul is an autobiographical memoir told by a Kashmiri woman who grew up in pre-partition Kashmir and her relationship with her grandmother and mother. The focus of the book is on Kashmiri culture in a changing world and the coming of age of womanhood. The author brings an interesting perspective to this issue as both a Kashmiri Hindu and now an Indian American.
There are many books on Kashmir in print. While the vast majority deal with the Kashmiri conflict there are other books that deal more with culture. To see an excellent list on Amazon.com click here.
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