Generations of Women Sustain a Village Through Water Chestnut Craft

Suhail Khan

Pattan, Dec 19 : In a Gohal-Chaku village of Pattan tehsil in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, a centuries-old tradition thrives on the dedication of its women. Here, nearly seventy percent of the female population is engaged in the meticulous processing of water chestnuts, a trade that forms the economic backbone of countless households.

Daybreak to dusk, the women are occupied with harvesting, cleaning, and preparing the nuts—known locally as Gaer, botanically as Trapa, and historically in Kashmir as Singhara. The final product is supplied to traders across the valley, providing a vital stream of income for families.

Despite the physical rigor and often harsh working conditions including exposure to the elements and limited access to modern tools the women express a deep-seated pride in their craft. More than mere labor, it is a cultural inheritance, preserved and passed down through generations.

“This knowledge comes from our elders, it is both our duty and our sustenance,” said Ruqsana (24) in conversation with Kashmir Convener who has worked alongside her mother for the past three years.

The process is methodical and demanding. After being gathered from the river Jhelum and Wular lake,  the chestnuts are boiled for up to an hour over traditional Dambur wood stoves. The outer husk is then skillfully removed before drying. As the women work late into the evening preparing stock, men of the village travel to markets to sell the previous day’s yield.

For Mehti Begum, 66, this routine has defined her life. “We dry them by the fire, test their moisture, and carefully separate the kernels,” she described, illustrating the rhythmic striking of the nuts with broad bamboo paddles.

Shabnam, a young college student, told Kashmir Convener, “My hands learned this rhythm before my mind could remember. It is the heartbeat of our home this sound of shell against shell.”

She added, “People see the white kernel in the market. They don’t see the cold dawn, the steam that wrinkles our skin, or the fire that dances in our eyes all night.” For her, this work is more than mere survival; it is a source of deep fulfillment and happiness.

Haseena, another woman from the village, explained to Kashmir Convener, “A good kernel is whole, clean, and dry. To produce it, you need patience sharper than any knife.” She described the women’s expertise with pride: “We are mathematicians of moisture, chemists of the boil. Our laboratory is this riverbank.”

“Alhamdulillah, this work allows us to earn and survive,” Haseena reflected. “It has sustained our families for generations.” She also made an appeal: “We urge the administration to recognize our efforts and provide some technological support. With it, we could secure our livelihood more easily and preserve this vital tradition for the future.”

Speaking to Kashmir Convener, social activist Sajad Ahmad urged authorities to support women in the traditional water chestnut industry, who grapple with physical hardship, weather exposure, and financial insecurity.

He proposed targeted measures providing mechanized processing equipment, building sanitary covered facilities, and forming a cooperative to stabilize market access.

This intervention of authorities Sajad stressed, would ease their labor, improve safety and productivity, and guarantee fair prices enabling the artisans to secure dignified, sustainable futures and safeguard a key cultural heritage.

Gohal-Chaku’s chestnuts are prized for their rich nutrient profile and distinct quality, with some consumers favoring them fresh. Yet producers contend with growing competition and fluctuating market prices, challenges that threaten the viability of this age-old practice.

The trade extends beyond this village. In Bandipora district, settlements along the Wular Lake shoreline including Baniyar, Lankreshpora, and Ashtangoo constitute Kashmir’s primary chestnut-producing belt. Official figures indicate that licensed harvesters across the belt yield close to four metric tonnes annually, accounting for roughly ninety percent of Kashmir’s total production.

For many communities living near water bodies, chestnut gathering remains a key source of livelihood. Through unwavering effort, the women of Gohal-Chaku embody a resilient link between heritage and survival, safeguarding a legacy one chestnut at a time.