Srinagar, a former heaven on earth.

For centuries, Srinagar was a holiday destination for Maharajas, who, during the monsoon season, was leaving the stifling heat from the Indian plains to experience the moderate climate from the foothills of the Himalayas. Nowadays, Srinagar enjoys a multiple heritage, its old mosques and its moguls’ gardens are the symbols. The Dal lake, surrounded by mountains, offers an idyllic setting, which was highlighted in various Bollywood productions. It makes this « heaven on earth » the quintessence of romanticism in the imagination of many Indians.

This image contrasts with a much shady reality. On the 15 of August 2017, India celebrated 70 years of its independence, whereas Kashmir celebrated 70 years of occupation and disillusion. Since 1947, Kashmiris observe the chess game between India and Pakistan. For India, the independence of Kashmir could give ideas to other independentist Indian regions. Also, its geostrategic position is vital in the conflict with Pakistan and China for the control of the Himalayans territories. For Pakistan, destabilizing Kashmir, by supporting groups considered terrorists by New Delhi, is the extension of the fratricidal war, started in 1947. It is also a way to appear as the protector of Muslims, as the Modi government, through Hindutva (Hindu nationalism), is more and more perceived as communitarian and anti-muslim.

In this historic city, which preserves the Kashmir culture, the line between « heaven on earth » and « conflict zone » is very thin.

Kashmir, Cachemire, Srinagar, Inde, India, documentaire, Documentary, Reportage

The Kashmir and its Dal lake, its mountains and its mild climate was one very touristic area, for foreign tourists as well as Indian tourists, and was dubbed « the paradise on earth ». However, between 2013 and 2016, the number of tourists was divided by 3, and the year 2017 will be catastrophic whereas tourism is an essential resource of the Kashmiri valley.

Three ladies are leaving the Dargah market with their boat. Wooden boats were traditionally used to circulate on the banks of the Dal lake, and on its canals.

In Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir, the whole touristic activities are running slow, whereas this sector represents 8% of the economic activities of the region. People used to come to Srinagar to stay on a house-boats, nowadays, most of them are empty.

Young Kashmiris are taking pictures of themselves in the alley of the Shalimar Mughal garden. On the bank of the Dal lake, there are plenty of “Mughals gardens”, which were built from the 16th century, when the Kashmir was part of the Mughal empire. These gardens, built in Persian style, with straight lines, and fountains, canals and ponds.

In one of Srinagar historic areas two hairdressers are taking a rest between two haircuts. In a few days, the eid will take place, and many clients are coming to their hair salon.

A young man is posing for a picture in a perilous position, in a small waterfall. Like in other places in the sub-Indian continent, smartphone pictures and social networks are highly integrated into the daily life.

During the partition of British India, India and Pakistan both wanted to obtain the Kashmiri territory, whereas the Kashmiris wanted the independence. After an attempt of annexation by Pakistan, India protected the Kashmir and promised a referendum on the independence, once the Kashmir would be cleared of irregulars, but India buried the idea of organizing a referendum for independence. Since, Kashmiris refuse the Indian occupation and claim for its independence, using sometimes armed resistance.

The Jamia Masjid Mosque is situated in the historical heart of the city of Srinagar and his one of the most ancient mosque in town. Its singular architecture is inspired by Buddhist pagoda as well as Persian architecture.

In the Jamia Masjid Mosque, a deaf and dumb believer is about to do his prayers, whereas an Indian family is contemplating the 14th-century structure. Because of the increase of the conflict, there are less and less international tourists in Kashmir, but the amount of Indian tourists is increasing, mostly because of the romantic image some Bollywood movies had given to this place.

In the afternoon, a believer is having a rest in the prayer room of the Jamia Masjid Mosque. During religious celebrations, the main prayer room can fit 33,333 believers.

At the very edge of the Jamia Masjid Mosque, in the old town, ladies are buying goods on the market. On the stalls, manufactured products from China and India. Before, textile and Kashmir used to be produced locally. Nowadays, Chinese factories, with their low-cost Kashmir, compete with the production of traditional Kashmir, and they have become in the last year world leader in Kashmir production.

Close to the Hari Parbat hill, which overlooks the old town, and from the mosque Ziyarat Makhdoom, people are selling sweets and other sweet bread on their stalls, which are a food speciality from Kashmir.

In the peaceful Hazratbal Dargah Sharif mosque, a policeman is keeping the place of worship with a Kalashnikov. It’s in this area that violence against occupation can start straight after the Friday prayer. In the Kashmir valley, 95 per cent of the population is Muslim.

The right of information is very relative in Kashmir. The independent press is locked (intimidation of journalists, censorship in local media). It’s hard to get informed for Kashmiris (censorship and internet lock-out and social-network when tensions arise).

A worshipper is doing his ablutions on the shore of the Dal lake, before getting into the Masjid Dargah Sharif. According to many Muslims of Kashmir, this mosque contains a relic, the Moi-e-Muqqadas, which is believed to be a hair of Prophet Muhammad.

It’s an ideal place to spend an afternoon, in the shadow of the trees when the weather is too hot. Behind, there is the Dal lake, and on the other bank, the city of Srinagar.

In the Dargah market, situated on the Dal lake bank, someone is making a sweet fried bread, which is a speciality from Kashmir which can be found next to mosques, whereas another person is smoking on his shisha.

Noor Mohammad, who lives in Srinagar is taking care of sheeps. The Edi celebration is the perfect occasion to make a good profit as every family will slaughter a goat or a muton during this muslim celebration.

In the end of the afternoon, in a butchery abandoned by its owner, a pair of sheep testicles is hanging from a hook. In Kashmir, sheep testicles are considered as a very tasty dish, which is reserved to men, which is eaten during important celebrations.

Mohammad Siddiq and Noor Mohammad are weighting a sheep in order to calculate the selling price to their client.

In the Khanyar neighbourhood, in the old town of Srinagar, Abdul Rasheed, and his brother Noord Mohommad, and Mohammad Siddiq, his employee, came to sell his sheeps. Just before muslim celebration of eid, the demand is very high, as each family will slaughter a muton or goat at home.

In the Khanyar neighbourhood, bikers are slalom between hers of sheeps to go through in this tiny streets. Here, many herders have settled here to sell there sheeps before the beginning of Eid.

These goats inside the rickshaw are good could be compared to the independent press in Kashmir: locked (intimidation of journalists, censorship in local media). It’s hard to get informed for Kashmiris (censorship and internet lock-out and social-network when tensions arise).

Whereas young independentist and police are confronting eachother, the herd is keeping calm, like if they were used to these permanent tensions.

On the first day of Aïd-al-Kabîr, a crowd of worshippers gathers in the Eidgah parc, which is situated in the old town of Srinagar et do the morning prayers. At this occasion, many sheep farmers also gather to sell their livestock, which will be sacrificed during the Muslim celebration. Within a few moments, the praying area shifted into a confrontation place between independentist, often young, who sang independentist slogans, and the police. While police uses teargas, traders and clients keep their business going, showing how usual is the confrontation between police and Kashmiri.

Once the crowd was dispersed, a massive police operation is taking over the surrounding of the Eidgah parc, and were imposing to the inhabitants to stay home. Kashmir is the most militarized area in the world. There are approximatively 800,000 Indian militaries in the area, here to fight against independentism, and to protect the Indian borders from Pakistan and China.

After the police finally managed to get in the parc, protester, farmers and random by-passers run away to escape teargas and « non-lethal » pellet guns. Pellet guns have already wounded several dozens of people in Kashmir according to a recent report from Amnesty International.

At a few hundreds of meters from the protests between the police and the independentist, young girls, dressed in long dresses, are playing in a park situated down the Hari Parbat mount. Later on, they will celebrate Eid with their families.

In the Zaid garden, goats are getting empty of their blood, whereas the head of the goat is lying in a bucket. Zhera, dressed like a princess, is observing this strange sight.

After cutting the goat in pieces (1/3 will be for the family, another third for the friends and neighbours, and last third for people in need), Tariq Zahid is slicing the testicles of the goat, which will then be fried with spices. This flavourful dish is reserved only for men and is usually eaten during Eid.

While Tariq Mattoo and Tariq Zahid are inflating the goat to make it easy to remove the skin of the goat, the young Fatima, shocked by what she saw, is turning not to see the dead goat anymore. Zain Saleem is contemplating the operation.

The children from the Zahid families are getting ready to celebrate Eid with their family. Girls are dressed like princesses where the boys, well dressed too, are playing with their plastic AK47.

After an intense afternoon, Fatima (in Yellow) and Zerha (in blue) are playing with the toys they received for the Eid.

A old man is selling red balloon at a few corners away from the park where clashes happened between kashmiri protesters and indian police.