Photographs by Autar Mota
Today I shall say something about the poplars ( FREST ) of kashmir ........With the widening of srinagar Baramulla road in progress , a large number of these majestic trees have been cut down. They are growing wildly on Srinagar Anantnag Road . The Poplars on Anantnag road present many green tunnels to the joy of a driver on this route. Regular plantation is also being done .Poplars on the Boulevard also look majestic. The poplars in Partap Park Amira Kadal add grace to the garden and the surrounding area.. During spring time , these poplars keep shedding lot of cotton like material all over . It is in your clothes , in your room , in your nostrils and in the air that on breathes. We used to call it FREST PHUMB in our childhood. I always got fever and bad cold with these flying cotton . I would be advised to put a hanker chief on my mouth and Nose .
In our school Pandit Dina Nath Handoo our Head master would beat us with a fresh stick cut from a poplar in the school . POPLARS demand lot of water as such they grow easily near river or canal banks or near what we call DEMB . Poplar wood is not used for Building construction activity but has a commercial use in making Fruit Boxes and Ply Board .
Many old movies would have shots of Tonga rides by the actors on Baramulla srinagar road lined with Poplars on both sides. Tongas are no where to be seen now in srinagar . Yes some tongas still ply in Baramulla Town area. In Pampore we have a locality dedicated to Poplars called FRESTBAL. Yes Padampore or pampore of Lalla Ded. So long so much for the poplars of Kashmir. I end this write up with a poem POPLAR written by noted Kurdish poet Sherko Bekas .
( Poplar )
A poplar asked:
Why has this weeping willow immersed its head in the lap
of this lake
and no longer raises it?
The wave replied:
It always stood upright.
A lark used to come
and settle down on it
and whisper to it
what was happening
on the other side of the lake.
One evening the lark
had joyful news:
but while alighting
an eagle swooped and attacked it.
it tumbled down into the water,
and the weeping willow stooped
to save it.
But its hand could not reach far below
and the lark drowned.
Ever since, the tree's crown
has been King in the lap of the lake,
searching for the bird.
( Sherko Bekas )
Autar Mota
Saturday , September 29 … Time 11.30 PM Good Night
Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.