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| Chinars turn into blaze; magnificent look un-noticed due to unrest in Kashmir | | | Early Times Report
srinagar, Nov 21: Thousands of Chinar trees across Kashmir, which has turned into a blaze, presenting a magnificient look, went unnoticed this time due to unrest in the valley since July 9.
Dozens of Chinar trees were axed for construction of a fly-over from Jehangir Chowk to Rambagh on Airport road while floods in 2014 uprooted many of these heritage trees.
Late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi used to visit Kashmir valley every year around September to November to watch the fall fire, when the autumn is about to say good-bye. Shortly before her assassination, she had visited Kashmir valley in 1984.
Hundreds of tourists from different states also used to visit Kashmir valley to watch "Chinars on Fire". However, this year due to unrest that has left 90 civilians dead and over 10,000 others injured in security force and police action in the last 134 days, the tourists have stayed away while locals were struggling to survive due to curfew and restrictions imposed by the authorities and strike called by separatists, demanding 'right to self determination" and protests. Tourists this summer stayed away from Kashmir though the season started with heavy flow of guests. Even the locals could not visit the gardens where flowers were everywhere and also missed this season, which is more attractive, due to the unrest.
Former secretary Jammu and Kashmir Cultural Academy Khalid Bashir told UNI that centuries ago, the sight must have inspired some visitor to rechristen it as 'chi nar' (what a fire). The end of the summer in the Kashmir valley is the beginning of the glory of Chinar as crimson tinge appears on the green leaves of the tree that catches up with the entire foliage and, by the end of the month, the tree is at its magnificence best.
The breathtaking beauty has to be seen to be believed. Whether in grooves, as in the Naseem Bagh, adjacent to the holy shrine of Hazratbal, which houses the holy relic of Prophet Mohammad, on the banks of the Dal Lake, or in a solitary posture as on the tip of a rice field in the countryside, the Chinar simply looks gorgeous. But this time the magnificent view went unnoticed as people were struggling to overcome the difficulties in view of the unrest. A number of chinar trees were uprooted, including one on busy Moulana Azad road at Partap Park in the civil lines, where 20 feet flood water played a havoc in 2014, causing extensive damage to traders, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) headquarters and other media and government offices. Experts said that many Chinar trees could have been damaged due to silt which might have blocked air to roots. Widening of many roads in Srinagar and other districts in the valley have also resulted in cutting of Chinars.
However, forest and associate department have distributed and planted thousands of Chinar trees across the Kashmir valley for the past several years.
However, despite ban on axing of Chinar, people in some areas alleged that some greedy people are cutting branches.
Contrary to all other native plant species whose green leaves turn pale in autumn, become dry and, ultimately, wither, the five lobed Chinar leaves change many colours before they fall.
The deep green colour first turns slightly reddish, then crimson red before it finally turns yellow and falls from the branch only to be collected in heaps and transformed into charcoal for use in Kangris (fire pots with which Kashmiris fight the intense winter).
The spectacle of the Chinar-fire ignites the landscape of the Valley as much as the imagination of those who happen to witness it.
The circumference of a Chinar at Bijbihara in south Kashmir measured at 54 feet while another Chinar in the Lolab valley (north Kashmir) had a circumference of 63 feet 5 inches. The thickest living Chinar was discovered at Chhatargam village in central Kashmir with a circumference exceeding 60 feet, Khalid said. |
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