It is said that people in Kashmir were self reliant in past and would fulfill all their needs themselves. Making of bricks for the construction of houses was one among the activities people in Kashmir were doing themselves.
Mechi kondah, an oven used in ancient times in kashmir for baking of bricks was seen in every village in kashmir and people would make bricks on their own whenever construction was planned.
With the advent of commercialization, the occupation of making bricks at home is now the forgotten traditional practice of Kashmir but it is still trying to make ways for its revival in Malangam village of North Kashmir’s Malangam village.
People in Bandipora’s Malangam village can still be seen making bricks on their own and then baking them in a Kashmir’s ancient traditional oven “Mechi kondah”..
Abdul Lateef, local of the Malangam village and one of the last experts of making ” Mechi kondah” Said that he has been doing this art from fourty years and is trying to transmit this art to younger generation at a time when Kashmir is gripped by modern technology. “I will Keep this art continue till my last breath because it has been my livelihood from decades and any art forwarded to me by my ancestors”, he said..
He said that the Malangam village was once known for making bricks in the Kashmir’s traditional own mechi kondah but currently only few families are associated with this art like me.”Let others follow modern trend but i will keep trying to revive it”, Lateef said
“This art should not die as it was one of the example of a kashmiri being self reliant. How far will we be dependent on others. If one doesn’t have money to buy bricks, he can make bricks at home with knowledge of this art”, he said.
He said that this was not only Kashmir’s tradition but a sign of brotherhood also as whenever someone was planning to construct a house, villagers would come to help without any returns. They would do their turns and would help and support each other in this kondah making.
He said that with the passage of time people of Kashmir have become more dependent now and are afraid of hardwork as they want everything to buy from markets due which they become indebted.
Making of bricks at home in “mechi kondah” is flexible and cheap and is in our own hands and it also strengthens our brotherhood but the people of Kashmir are more attracted to comforts, he said.
He said that the art should gain momentum of revival in every part of Kashmir valley because it was not only an art but the best example of brotherhood and self reliant.
Notably, in ancient times People would make bricks for construction purposes themselves with neighbors joining them without any returns. The art was only used for self purposes. However with latest technologies came to fore in Kashmir, the art has been ignored and it is rarely seen nowadays in Kashmir.
