The Heenz/Hanjis of the Valley

The Hanjis are an integral part of the “water civilization” of the Kashmir Valley. Kashmir which blossomed out of a legendary primeval lake and is replete with water-bodies of various descriptions has been home to this ethnic community from ancient times. They consider themselves as descendants of Noah and mainly operate and live in the Dal, Wular, Anchar, Manasbal Lakes and the Jhelum River especially between the Khanabal District, Anatnag and Chattabal in Srinagar District. Belonging to a low social strata, Hanjis are occupationally subdivided into: (a) Demb-Heenz (they grow and sell vegetables); (b) Geer-Heenz (they collect water chestnuts); (c) Gaadi-Heenz(Fishermen and fish sellers); (d) Kar-naav-Heenz ( They grow and sell a special kind of willow that is used for making baskets, cricket bats etc); (e)Dunga-Heenz( they own passenger boats); (f) Bahasthi-heenz (they live in bahasthi or flat bottomed large boats that are used for carrying timber); (g) Mata-Heenz (they deal in timber); (h) Shikara-Heenz(they ply shikaras), (i) Houseboat-Heenz and (j) Khoch-Heenz (they sell vegetables and flowers from such roofless flat boats). Despite changing times and fortunes, the Hanjis continue to showcase and sell their ware from beautifully crafted Kashmiri boats of various kinds and makes, made of deodar thus representing an aesthetically humane face of the Valley caught in perpetual strife.