It was in the last quarter of the 19th century that the boat building industry began to develop on account of the increasing rush of British civil and military servants, travellers, artists and sportsmen. All the visitors to the valley would come across numerous boatmet (Hanjis) at Baramulla. These Hanjis were the owners of doongas and each was eager for his own boat to be hired by a visitor. In the second half of the last century usually the doongas were 50 to 60 feet in length and 6 to 9 feet wide at the centre, “walled and roofed with reed matting, with a long, pointed deck”. The passenger lived in the front part of the doonga. The passenger traffic was at a standstill the doongas were used for transporting grain.
In the beginning, visitors bought their own paraphernalia and servants along with them. The doonga was not much more than a good serviceable tent on the move for the visitors. But gradually, the versatile Hanji, realized the importance of his boat. The business minded boatmen now began to care much for his guests. With the passage of time the Hanji, was serious about more comforts for the visitors such as bath tub, wicker and canvas chairs, wicker tea tables and crockery while the traveler continued to bring his own camp bed, silverware, linen, cooking utensils etc. the doonga then developed from a small craft into a relatively spacious boat 85 feet long and 8 to 9 feet wide (at its centre); from three tiny to five six rooms, from need mat roof and walls to shingled roof and sturdy wood plank walls. The doonga’s function as mobile living quarters for living foreigners changed in emphasis with the innovation of the modern type of houseboat. Mr. M. T. Kennard is said to be the first Englishman who built a houseboat in Srinagar during 1888 A.D.
Most of the houseboats are from 65-95 feet in length and about 14 feet in width in the centre. They are partitioned into a sitting, a dinning and two to three bedrooms, a pantry, and a required number of bathrooms and lavatories. They are equipped with modern furniture and sanitary fittings. The ventilation and lighting is ample, due to glazed windows and doors. The ceilings are invariably of the famous Kashmiri “Khatamband” type, arranged in beautiful geometrical designs. The roof is covered by corrugated iron sheets over which a flat deck is made of wooden planks and carved railings. This deck is accessible by a staircase running up from the pantry. The boats are built of “deodar” wood and are rarely painted. The natural color and the sweet fragrance of the wood lend a charm of its own to the houseboat. The kitchen of the houseboat is either a smaller boat attached with the main boat or the cooking is done in the doonga, yet another type of boat.
The roofs of the houseboats are also used for leisure, sun-bathing, painting and reading etc. the bracing sunshine in the morning is a treat to the visitors and they sit on the roofs for hours at a stretch.
The boatmen or Hanjis are living on the banks of river Jhelum and Dal Lake in an overcrowded and congested state. The houseboat Hanjis are concentrated involved in tourist trade. They earn mostly during summer when the tourist season is at its peak. In winter, they are almost idle and unemployed and engage themselves in other professions.
The hanjis Hanjis are one of the ancient racial groups. The entire ethnic tribes of Hanjis are the followers of Islam. The Hanjis are famous for their inventive powers and their vocabulary of abuse. They lax in morality, as their cramped dwelling preclude decent privacy.
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