Celebrating women of Gohal-Chaku: A Place, where seventy percent women earn their livelihood from Chestnuts (Goajj)
Gohal-Chaku Pattan:A Place were 70% women earn their livelihood from Chestnuts-Goaj
Mohammad Yaseen Malik
Pattan : A Village in Baramulla district, Gohal-Chaku in pattan Tehsil, Where 70% of women’s are working tirelessly in preparing water chestnuts from dawn to dusk to meet with daily ends.
As per the Kashmir Publication (KP) , the 70 percent of Women Populace in Gohal-Chaku village in Pattan Baramulla remains bemuse in preparing water chestnuts till late evenings to sell them next morning at different places in the valley or to sell it Local traders.
A 65-year-old women, Mehti Begum told Kashmir Publication that I’ve been making dried water chestnuts since I got married. Our male family members get the chestnuts from local trader after Checking their water content (Nammi) , then we make a round bonfire on big patch of ground, put steel rods onto it and then pour the chestnut layers on it, After almost one hour we buffet it with Bamboo stick or any fat baton and only then we get chest out from its shell.
She adds! people even prefer to eat it without drying as the chestnuts are good for health and are mineral rich.
18-year-old old, ruqsana said to Kashmir Publication that I’ve been accompanying my mother in preparing chestnuts from last three years, as this work is blessing of our forefathers.
“It needs much patience to cook chestnuts, it starts with getting it from Jhelum or Wular river, then boiling it in warm, we mostly preffer using “Kashmiri Dambur” ( Firewood stove) for at least 40 to 60 minutes, then we gradually start removing the burr”.
“Usually all Womens here in our village are doing this work of making chestnuts till dusk, while our men remain busy in selling it in different places of the valley whole day and till then we make another stock ready for next day” She adds.
Chestnuts have more health benefits, it’s often prescribed by doctors for patients with underlying diseases like hyperthyroidism and Hyperglycaemia.
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