Portraits from High in the Kashmiri Mountains: Bugham, India

Outdoor portrait of a Gujar elder with a red hennas beard, Doodhpathri, Budgam India.

Portrait of a Gujar Elder
A semi-nomadic agricultural community of Gujar (Gurjar, Gujjar, or Gurjara) people make their home in the lush green meadows of Budgam District, high in the Pir Panjal mountains in India’s Western Himalayas.

Even today, scattered pockets of ethnic communities manage to live much as they have done for hundreds of years.

I was on a small-group photo-tour in India’s union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. We were staying in traditional wooden houseboats – albeit with hot water, electricity, and wifi – in the middle of Dal Lake in Srinagar. After days of enjoying life on the water (see: Water, Dreams, and Woodwork) and exploring the local markets and mosques on foot (see: Street Markets, Mosques, and Crafts), we headed into nearby hill station of Doodhpathri, situated at 2,730 metres (8,960 ft) above sea level.

There, above the Shaliganga River which flows out of the Pir Panjal mountains in the Western Himalayas, we met families of Gujar shepherds.

Traditionally, the Gujar (Gurjar,Gujjar, or Gurjara) people were semi-nomadic herdsmen moving between mountain pastures and lowlands of India and Pakistan. The Gurjara kingdom (Gurjaradesha) thrived in present-day Rajasthan and northern Gujarat from around 570 CE. The empire fell into decline in 1018, but by then, the Gujar had migrated to different parts of the Indian Subcontinent. Today, they can be found in India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

Gujars are linguistically and religiously diverse. In Jammu and Kashmir, most – like the families we met – are Muslim. They welcomed us into their modest single-room houses, where whole families stay during the growing months. As seasonal nomads, they follow their animals to grazing pastures in winter.

We then visited a shopkeeper and his family in the nearby town of Budgam (‘Big Village’ in Kashmiri), the headquarters of this district.

This whole region is known for its scenic beauty and historic sites (see: Directorate of Tourism Kashmir), but this visit was focused on the people. Come meet them:

Hut and horses on a hill, Doodhpathri, India

Hut and Horses on the Hill
Doodhpathri (Valley of Milk) is a scenic alpine hill station in the Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Three young women in white hijabs looking at a phone, Doodhpathri, India

College Girls Visiting
Doodhpathri attracts visitors from all over India and beyond. These young women were on an excursion from a neighbouring district.

Young Woman in a Hijab
We spent some time chatting and taking photos of each other.

Gujar Hut
The Gujar people in Doodhpathri live in simple, low, one-room huts.

A Gujar Kitchen
The only light inside the hut comes from the open door and the cooking fire.

Gujar Mum
At first, Mum was a bit shy – but smiling behind her hijab.

In the Smoke
As she looked after the fire, the light caught her elegant face.

Man in a Topi
Like this Gujar patriarch, the shepherds in this region are predominantly Muslim.

Forests and Meadows
This is a landscape of lush green grasses over vast meadows interspersed with tall stands of pine, fir, and deodar trees.

Collecting Water
Doodhpathri means “Valley of Milk” which is a reference to the milky appearance of the fast-flowing streams that run through it.

Smiling Woman
The Gujars are a proud and elegant people.

Young Gujar Woman in Doodhpathri
Traditional dress is predominant, everywhere we look.

Young Woman

Gujar Girl

Gujar Boys

A Gujar Girl

A Woman in Gojari Dress
The traditional clothing worn by the Gujar people is an expression of their identity. The hat, known as a laska, lachka, or lashki, is a handcrafted, brimless skullcap with a flat or rounded top and vibrant multi-colored thread embroidery.

Mohammed Iqbal
The elder of our host family, like other men in Gujar Bakerwal communities, has grown his beard long and dyed it with henna.