Pashmina

Pashmina is a fine type of cashmere wool. The textiles made from it were first woven in Kashmir. The name comes from Persian: پشمینه‎‎ / pašmina, meaning "made from wool" and literally translates to "Soft Gold" in Kashmiri. The wool comes from four distinct breeds of the Cashmere goat; namely the Changthangi or Kashmir Pashmina goat from the Changthang plateau in Kashmir region, the Malra from Kargil area in Kashmir region, the Chegu from Himachal Pradesh in northern India, and Chyangara or Nepalese Pashmina goat from Nepal. Pashmina shawls are hand spun, and woven in Indian Kashmir and Nepal, and made from fine cashmere fibre.

History

The fibre is also known as pashm or pashmina for its use in the handmade shawls of the Himalayas. The woolen shawls made in Kashmir are mentioned in Afghan texts between the 3rd century BC and the 11th century AD. However, the founder of the Pashmina industry is traditionally held to be the 15th century ruler of Kashmir, Zayn-ul-Abidin, who introduced weavers from Central Asia and even today, the master craftsmen in Kashmir pay tribute at his grave.

Kashmir

Kashmir (Kashmiri: كشهير kaśhīr, Urdu, Shina: کشمیر kaśmīr, कश्मीर, Hindi) is a geographical region in the north-west of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range. Today, it denotes a larger area that includes the Indian administered territories of Jammu and Kashmir (which consists of Jammu, the Kashmir Valley, and Ladakh), the Pakistan administered territories of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit–Baltistan, and the Chinese-administered regions of Aksai Chin and the Trans-Karakoram Tract.

Although Jammu is part of the disputed Kashmir region, it is not geographically part of the Kashmir valley nor the Ladakh region. The Jammu Division is inhabited by the Dogra people who are historically, culturally, linguistically, and geographically connected with the Punjab region and the Pahari regions of the former Punjab Hills States that now comprise the state of Himachal Pradesh.

Kashmir (song)

"Kashmir" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin from their sixth album Physical Graffiti, released in 1975. It was written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant (with contributions from John Bonham) over a period of three years with lyrics dating to 1973. The song became a concert staple, performed by the band at almost every concert after its release. The song has been described as one of Led Zeppelin's two most overtly progressive epics.

Page and Plant released a longer, live version, recorded with an Egyptian/Moroccan orchestra, on No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded (1994) and continued to perform the song with an orchestra on their 1995 tour.

Overview

The song is more than eight (8) minutes long, which radio stations usually consider too long, but it still received radio plays because "Stairway to Heaven", which was almost as long, had become so popular.

Music

The song is almost entirely built upon an ascending chromatic ostinato over a pedal drone that Page had first recorded in his home studio, using the same guitar tuning (DADGAD) as he used for "Black Mountain Side", "White Summer" and the unreleased "Swan-song". Page explained, "I had a sitar for some time and I was interested in modal tunings and Arabic stuff. It started off with a riff and then employed Eastern lines underneath."

Kashmir (horse)

Kashmir (1963 – after 1980) was an Irish-bred, French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire, best known for winning the classic 2000 Guineas in 1966. Kashmir was one of the leading French-trained two-year-olds of 1965 when he won the Prix Robert Papin and was placed in both the Prix Morny and the Prix de la Forêt. In the following spring he won the Prix Djebel and then defeated twenty-four opponents in the 2000 Guineas. He was beaten in his two subsequent races and was retired to stud where he had considerable success as a sire of winners. When racing in Britain, the horse was known as Kashmir II.

Background

Kashmir was bred in Ireland by Jane Levins Moore. His coat colour was variously described as being either "black" "bay" or "brown". He was sired by Moore's stallion Tudor Melody, the top-rated British two-year-old of his generation, and later a successful sire. His other progeny included Magic Flute (Coronation Stakes), Welsh Pageant (Queen Elizabeth II Stakes) and Tudor Music (July Cup). Kashmir's dam Queen of Speed won two minor races and also produced Nick of Time, the dam of the Ascot Gold Cup winner Erimo Hawk.