DAAN (Fireplace)

DAAN (Fireplace)

Fireplace or kitchen stove (Daan in Kashmiri) was part and parcel of every kitchen in every household in Kashmir used for cooking food, producing ember for Kangri during harsh winters and maintaining the temperature of the kitchen and the room called ‘Vout’ an adjacent room with kitchen (present dining room). On the back side of the Daan there used to be an earthen ‘Maet’, erected in a wall, the water of which gets hot by the warmth of the ‘Daan’ and was used for bathing.

Daan was made from husk and clay. A ‘T’ shaped clay structure (locally called Vour) was first prepared and dried under Sun. This ‘T’ shaped structure was put on the top of the earthen mass making two upper outlets (stoves).

Some accessories of Daan are Krutch (an iron pan with a long handle) for removing the burning embers from Daan and putting them into a Kangri. Tcheni Laij (usually embedded) for storing the extra burning embers later used as coal for kangris and Seekh(locally called Drikroan) an iron rod used to wiggle the burning material inside the Daan.

Dried cow dung was commonly used as fuel for burning in Daan.

Friends please recall : काकनेय त्रावी नारह क्रोछा !

© Chander M Bhat

1959 photograph from TN Madan's book "The Hindu Householder" showing a Kashmiri Pandit woman from the twin village hamlet of Uttarsu (Brari Angan) preparing/constructing "Daan" for cooking.

Courtesy: Vintage Kashmir.

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