In continuation of keeping our Kashmiri culture and language alive for our future generation; after the wonderful success of Maenzrat and Kasher Khander baeth, I bring you the compilation of our Kashmiri Wanvun in book format in Roman script. Kashmiri wanvun is as unique as Kashmiri wazwaan. Women wearing their festive clothing at weddings, gather in two rows, arms flung over each other’s shoulders, bodies swaying back and forth with the beat and melody in their voices. The pace of wanvun songs is relatively slower than the Khander baeth or Rouf (other forms of Kashmiri songs/dance) and follows a specific pattern. The first row of women sing couple of lines of a song, followed by a pause that sounds like a long Eee’n and then repeat the last line.
This is followed exactly by the women in the opposite row. This back and forth continues on for the bride and groom for each event at the wedding. For example Manzrat, Aab sharun, Mahraz yun etc. The songs mostly include words of wisdom and virtues of marriage. Hardest wanvun to listen to is when women sing goodbye to bride as she leaves for waruev.
Unlike Kashmiri Rauf and Kashmiri music, Kashmiri Wanwun is losing its charm and popularity among the younger generation, perhaps due to the very slow pace of the songs or maybe because most of us no longer know how to read Kashmiri. I am hoping by offering Kashmiri Wanvun in English, I am able to revive the interest in Kashmiri wanvun in our generation and our younger millennial generation. My hope is that they will be the torch bearers of this revival and will pass this on to their kids and grandkids. Let us all hope that one day our collective efforts of reviving our Kashmiri culture and language keeps this flame burning.
Karev Koshur; Parev koshur; Ruziv Kaeshir Much Love
Samina
This Kashmiri (kashur) wanvun book is dedicated to my beloved Kashmir and all the wonderful Kashmiri writers, linguists, poets, musicians and singers who are working hard to keep our Kashmiri language and culture alive.