Villagers fish with wicker baskets during Panzath Nag, an annual, centuries-old, ritual that coincides with the Rohan Posh festival, at Qazigund in Kulgam district, south Kashmir on Monday, May 29, 2023.
Hundreds of men from different villages collectively go fishing to rid the spring water of weeds and silt.
The term Panzath derived from Paanch Hath meaning 500 in Kashmiri. Locals says the spring is a source of 500 smaller springs in the area.
IMAGE: A villager holds a fish. All photographs: Umar Ganie for Rediff.com
IMAGE: Villagers remove the weeds and fish with wicker baskets.
IMAGE: People from villages in the area join the ritual, here and below.
IMAGE: Villagers display their catch, here and below.
Photographs curated by Anant Salvi/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com
