Soanth Thaal Buthi Aaw....Batta Kak Gosse Traw...Nov itihas Banaw...yezath te Tarqi Praaw...
Historical background
“Sonth Mubarak”- Advent of Spring in Kashmir 🌺🌸💐
Thaal Barun / Buth Wuchun 😊 🔍
“Kaw Karaan Taw Taw
Hear Vanan sonth aaw
Bilbechero Dil Shehlaw
Tekabatni josh aaw
Hukmatien Zuv Chaw
Poashnuul che vanan “Hee Shambho”!
Kastoor chu vanan sonth ho aaw sonth ho aaw”! (Anyn)
For Kashmiri Pandits, sonth has special significance as it marks arrival of spring in Kashmir
With fresh Morning cool breeze,migratory birds like swallow (katij) and whistling poshinol (harbingers of spring), blooming flowers like yemberzal, tekebaten, phulay of almond trees and mystical Dal Lake all epitomes of love , happiness and peace .... a sketch to inner beauty of a Kashmiri Pandit.
On sonth a night before ; Sonth thali is decorated with the below mentioned items and the first thing in the morning is to see this thal . It is called "Buth wuchun " - which means "see face". The thal is decorated with these 12 items each having a traditional and religious importance :
1. Rice🍚 Rice, the principle diet of Kashmiris is a symbol of abundance, life, growth, development, expansion and prosperity.
2. Roti 🥯Bread kept on the rice thali is a symbolic representation for absorption, expansion and integration in one's socio-cultural surrounding.
3.Cooked Rice 🍚 Cooked rice indicates metaphoric process through which paddy has passed upto the cooked form. As such, the cooked rice is a symbol of transformation and progression in life in the right direction.
4. Currency 💴 A coin or a currency note or a gold ring or a bangle represents good fortune, prosperity, wealth and material strength.
5. Inkpot & pen 🖊 The pen, inkpot and the book taken together are symbols for wisdom, knowledge, awareness, insight, enlightenement, learning and intellectual brilliance.
6. Photo of karnateet i.e of ShivParvati or any diety : For blessings🙏🏻
7.Viy(a herb) 🌱 The medicinal herb of 'Vai' known by the name of sweet flag or Acorus Calamus is a symbolic representation for disease free life and good health.
8. Curd 🍦 Curd is a symbolic representation for fullness, stability and cohesiveness in life.
9. Seasonal Flowers 💐 Flowers represent freshness, hope, fragrance, compassion and concerns in life.
10. Walnut : The walnuts indicate regeneration, evolutionary process, continuity and flow of life. The four kernals present in the walnut represent the four aspects of dharma or divinity. Wealth or arth, Kama or wish fulfilment and moksha or salvation.
11. Mirror🔍 Mirror due to its' attribute of reflection stands for duplication of auspiciousness, apart from all the good events of life.
12. Salt 🧂 Salt, which is central to our day to day life is supposed to generate positive energy and drive away negative retardants and bad luck.
It won’t be wrong to say that “ Sonth Thal” is a reflection of all aspects in life and this occasion attributes to the positivity and happiness in our lives that our rich Kashmiri culture has to offer . 💐🙏🏻👌
[God bless the author as well for this lovely explanation.]
(Wish you a happy and prosperous life with family and friends
Kanwal Peshin)