A walk by way of the old and narrow lanes and by-lanes of Bandook Khar Mohalla in Rainawari of downtown Srinagar can take you again in time. The intricately developed lattice home windows and smaller brick houses from the era of Maharaja Hari Singh distinguish this locality from the concrete constructions all around them. This locality stands out for its craftsmanship also. This area continues to be abuzz with folks coming from adjoining places for fixing their previous gizmos. They arrive to satisfy and greet the well known German Khaars (blacksmiths)—who have the difference of restoring all sorts of machines and other objects, mainly pre-electronic period. The craftsmen, largely previous their ’70s, in this locality have been portion of the technology-previous-development-tale. Throughout the Maharaja’s routine, they came to be recognised as ‘German Khaars’ just for their potential to repair German-made machines.
Like Kashmir’s exquisite woodworking or papier-mache, blacksmithing far too would seem like an aged-time craft that has been recognised as just one of the grasp arts—these craftspeople are equipped to produce usable objects out of iron or metal, usually by making use of rigorous warmth until the metal gets to be pliable. “The issue that really amazes me is how artwork, architecture, heritage and mechanics dot this spot of Srinagar. In our locality, just about every domestic used to have a famous mechanic and craftsperson. But anything is fading absent now,” says a fragile-looking Abdul Rehman Ahangar, a professional mechanic, the most lively of the German Khaars alive.
Ahangar, who is in his late ’70s, has been functioning tirelessly at his little workshop, manufacturing and restoring tiny medical center applications manufactured of iron, steel and other material. His around 5 decades of do the job have taught him quite a few lessons in lifestyle. “Remaining steadfast and solely targeted is what my career has taught me. Despite the fact that I really don’t have significantly earnings now, my brothers and I as soon as acquired the name and fame and that would have built even our ancestors very pleased,” he claims, adding, “We would make handsome revenue as there were no machine-based mostly workshops all over. We would restore and replicate a lot of compact tools and Germany-made goods, which brought us the title of German Khaars.” Rehman Ahangar’s brother, Ghulam Mohiuddin, is way too previous now and just can’t operate at his workshop as he has to be on the oxygen guidance post-Covid after he developed chest complications. Mohiuddin, 73, is considered a single of the greatest restoring masters who have a heritage of correcting and repairing hospital gadgets—mostly German-made.
Before, Bandook Khaar Mohalla was inhabited by only blacksmiths but now people today have modified professions. Just one can see a selection of retailers dotting the previous constructions of the alleys, lanes and by-lanes below. A couple of them are doing work as labourers, authorities staff members, or employed in the personal sector, although only two to a few households are certified to manufacture and mend guns made use of for hunting. “We are not into the gun small business any more. Before we utilized to maintenance guns way too. But that too vanished now,” Rehman claims.
Maharaja’s earning
Rehman states that performing at the Maharaja’s court docket gave them ample practical experience to lay their fingers on the gadgets that were hugely refined and highly-priced as very well. He says that though the Maharaja’s rule ended in Jammu and Kashmir, the German Khaars obtained big quantity of perform from the Military as very well. Rehman recalled that his forefathers ended up questioned to open a box which the Maharaja experienced got from Germany. “Nobody could open the box. Our forefathers sat on that and opened it and produced a replica of it.” Rehman says that a lot of moments he thought of switching his trade. Nevertheless, he couldn’t.
“It is not just the cash that drives you into something that you do. From time to time your passion or often your push normally takes you into a little something that you retain performing for the relaxation of your lifestyle,” he states. The older titans, both the Ahangars, say that with every single passing 12 months and with the arrival of equipment-based mostly craft, their financial ailment deteriorated. “Now the time has come, our small children are into their respective trades. Some operate their possess outlets. I can see the curtains falling on this trade,” Rehman adds.

“It can take a large amount of toll on your wellness to stay confined to just one particular space (get the job done station) and fetch a meagre profits for the complete daily life. Now our children, grandkids are growing quick and they want to working experience additional and a lot more in their everyday living and not continue to be confined to 1 area,” he says.
All the legendary German Khaars are in their late-70s, whilst some of them are too fragile and can not operate the whole day. Their young children and grandchildren just arrive to check out on them and hand about a cup of tea when they are in the workshop. Rehman is far too weak and simply cannot stand without help, but he tends to make it a issue to occur in excess of to the workshop daily at 10 in the morning and leaves at 5 or 6 in the night.
Earlier, Bandook Khaar Mohalla had only blacksmiths but now One can see a variety of shops dotting the outdated buildings of the alleys, lanes and by-lanes.
Various several years ago, when there utilised to be a significant influx of shoppers, the Ahangar people would preserve abuzz with activities. Most of them used to reserve the whole ground ground of their house for workshops. At that time, 19 persons, all relatives, would get the job done as German Khaars. But as time handed and issues started out to modify in Kashmir, and following the death of most of the famed craftsmen in his staff, the dimension of the workshops of most of the German Khaars began dwindling. “It is sometimes too saddening to see the curtains slipping on the organization of our forefathers,” says Ahangar. “Now what is remaining of that massive workshop is just a tiny mattress-sized-area constructed inside the property. The rest of it has crumbled, or manufactured helpful to accommodate household customers.”
Khalid Ahmad, a young copperware craftsman, though commenting on the functions of the German Khaars, shared that most of them are without the need of any official education. “Whenever you fulfill them, you will not even get an concept that they never have a official education. They are so very good at fixing the things that a normal engineer does,” he says. “Repairing and making a replica advanced gadget is some thing of a new working experience for the youthful generations.”
Official apathy
The German Khaars and their sons are of the feeling that the governing administration has remaining them in the lurch. They say while the authorities took many initiatives to boost certain arts, very little was carried out to uplift this local community. “The government in no way assisted us and they could in no way spend us back again,” claims Suhail Ahmad Ahangar, son of a German Khaar. “The government could have assisted us with some stipend or could have supported us in some way so that we could teach new youth,” he sighs. “The Muftis, the Abdullahs just created guarantees. (Former chief minister) Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in his past tenure promised us he would offer us with a pension but he arrived, ruled and forgot.”
In accordance to neighborhood stakeholders, not only do the the German Khaars know how to mend iron like other blacksmiths, they are also masters at other, special crafts. They are the individuals who know how to make marvels out of metals, which includes copper, iron, steel, silver and even gold although repairing and making replicas. “We are not just the routine blacksmiths, we are craftsmen with one of a kind crafts techniques and eyes and hands for building fantastic things,” says Rehman.
Rahman explained that along with his brothers, uncles and grandfather, he employed to make silver and gold boxes for the Maharaja who was punctilious about the intricacies and minute specifics of his belongings. “We have created a large amount of packing containers, wristwatches, cigarette holders, tobacco pipes, cigarette situations for Dogra rulers from time to time.”
Through Maharaja Hari Singh’s rule they arrived to be acknowledged as ‘German Khars’ just for their capacity to mend German-created devices.
Whilst many govt-run departments went on the web and also went a move forward in issuing world wide tenders, inviting firms to mainten their devices, the community German Khaars had been badly strike. This smaller blacksmith community proceeds to deal with the pressures of the recent scenario. “The present-day technique has pretty much paralysed us. Nowadays, each business offers restoring services to their clients. For that reason, our requirement has declined,” they say.
But there was a time when they heeded calls for support from all quarters. Abdul Rehman recollects the time when a complex machine utilized for carrying out surgical procedures in one particular of the private hospitals created a complex fault. “I was known as to the medical center to examine it and I repaired it in just a several minutes,” he claims. “Even foreigners utilized to come wanting for us with their equipment as absolutely everyone trustworthy our techniques. As soon as a overseas tourist experienced some trouble with his digicam and I fixed it. He was quite content with my perform.” But, he rues, the German Khaars are now remaining to make plates, flags, badges, medals and these sundry objects. “Now we only cater to the army gentlemen,” states Rehman, whose son owns a shop in Sonwar around the army cantonment.”
Dejected and derailed
Several kids of this community at Bandook Khaar Mohalla are “dejected” and accuse the federal government of “apathy” toward them. They claimed that soon after remaining in the company for in excess of a century, the fifth generation is likely to say goodbye to this household enterprise. “Like our forefathers, we do not want to go it on to their up coming generation. We aren’t capable to enable our spouse and children grow and then there is no aid from the govt,” explained Shabir Ahmad Ahanger, who runs a uniform store in Srinagar.
“Initially, our forefathers, great-grandfathers, fathers, would get acknowledgement from the Maharaja. At the stop of the working day, what issues is money in your pocket. I did not choose it up. My father didn’t want me to get into this trade. I never want my little ones to go into it and wreck their lifetime. My father Rehman Ahanger has been practising this craft for the last 50 decades now and the kind of tales we hear from him is actually unpleasant,” he provides.
Muhammad Maqbool, a mechanical engineer, labored for various decades with the Jammu and Kashmir Electric power Distribution Section (JKPDD) ahead of he joined his father, Ghulam Ahmad, aka ‘Ami Wasti’ at their unit, popularly regarded as ‘Simon Engineers’ found in the downtown place in Srinagar. Until 2005, Maqbool states, the work of repairing was truly booming. Even so, now he struggles to make ends meet.
The director of the industries department, Mahmood Ahmad Shah, says that this community has mae a substantial contribution as much as this sector is concerned and provides that so much was desired to uplift the common artisans downtown and in other places. “Srinagar city is incredibly famous culturally and usually and this old, aged, abundant craft has enormous value. Not long ago, Srinagar produced it to the UNESCO record of resourceful towns owing to its artwork and craft,” he suggests. “We are creating attempts to teach travellers, people and locals about the expertise these artisans carry in, by involving the tourism and travel fraternity, and the tourism department.”
(This appeared in the print edition as “The Last Titans”)
Nazir Ganaie is a journalist centered in Srinagar and writes extensively on health and fitness, atmosphere, artwork and tradition