Located to the east of river Jhelum on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in Jammu and Kashmir, there is an old town in the Pulwama district. It is called Pampore. How is it related to the saffron heritage of Kashmir? Let’s find out.
Originally called Padampur, Pampore is also known by its Kashmiri names Pampar and Panpar. It consists of different localities, with most localities having a suffix ‘bal’. Three lakes, which are classified as wetlands, are a part of Pampore. As of 2011, the population of this town was just over 60,000 with 52% males and 48% females.
While crossing the Srinagar Jammu National Highway, even before Pampore arrives, one can smell the saffron flowers. Fields covered with violet-coloured flowers and their mild fragrance that fills the air, add to the beauty of Pampore. This saffron town of Kashmir can be visited on the way to Pahalgam, and it is a good day-trip destination. This town can be reached using a car and it is best-visited in October if one wants to see the saffron flowers in full bloom. These violet flowers are a sight to behold and the process of harvesting saffron is worth seeing. So, Pampore is a must-visit on your trip to Jammu and Kashmir.
Renowned for its saffron, Pampore is dubbed as the Saffron town of Kashmir. It is one of the few places where saffron grows. About 13 kms away from Srinagar, this town is famous for cultivating the best-quality saffron. Saffron from Kashmir is mainly harvested from the fields in Pampore. It is extracted from crocus flowers. For 1 kilogram of saffron, 440,000 hand-picked saffron stigmas are required, which means 150,000 crocus flowers are required for each kilogram of saffron.
Around October each year, when autumn begins, most people in Pampore start working on saffron fields to pluck crocus flowers and collect them in baskets. Then starts the sorting process wherein saffron is pulled from the flowers. After the saffron is extracted, it has to be stored in cool, airtight containers. The stigmas are tied into small bunches, and then sun or press-dried. After drying, the stigmas shrink and acquire a deeper colour. The base of each dried stigma is cut, thus leaving the purest red Kashmiri saffron in bunches. The harvesting of saffron is labour-intensive, which is the prime reason why this spice is highly priced.
How was saffron brought to Pampore, Kashmir? There’s a story which says that in about 500 BC, Persian rulers brought saffron to India and started cultivating this spice in Kashmir. It is said that two Sufi saints, Sheikh Sharif-u-d-din Wali and Khwaja Masood Wali brought saffron to India between 11th and 12th centuries. During the harvesting time of saffron in the fall season every year, Kashmiris express their gratitude towards these saints. In Pampore, there is a tomb and a shrine dedicated to these Sufis. While some believe in this legend, there are others who claim that saffron is endemic. According to Mohammed Yusuf Teng, a notable Kashmiri poet and scholar, saffron has been cultivated in the Kashmir valley since two millennia. In some written texts of the olden times, mentions of saffron can be found.
90% of the saffron from Jammu and Kashmir comes from Pampore. However, for the last few years, the crop yield has been low as a result of less rainfall and also because the land under saffron cultivation has reduced owing to construction and industrial activities. Efforts are being taken to restore this land and increase the saffron yield so that this highly valued spice, ‘kesar of Kashmir’, gets back its lost glory.
