The samovar is an incredibly important object in many cultures around Asia.

As well as
being just a tool for brewing tea, it is also used as a device in plays, or as a traditional
wedding gift, or simply as decoration. In this article, we will go over the Kashmiri samovar.

The craft of making Kashmiri samovar was probably introduced to Kashmir by Mir Sayyid Ali
Hamdani in the late 14th century. The samovar is not strictly a Kashmiri object, but it is also
found in Persia, Afghanistan and, notably, Russia. There are a few different forms of
Samovar, but we will limit ourselves to the standard Kashmiri Samovar in this article.

A samovar is usually constructed as a vessel with an inner chamber. Liquid is poured

between the chamber and the walls of the vessel, and then coals are filled in the chamber to
heat up the liquid. The samovar can thus be used as an important tool to brew tea with.

The process of making a samovar is quite complex. The hard parts of a vessel are made by
a metalworker called the barak saaz. The rough urn is further refined by the chargar. The
naqashqar engraves the samovar. And finally, the kalaisaaz engraves the samovar.

Samovar in Kashmir are usually made of either copper, which the Muslims use, or brass, the
inside of which is nickel-coated, which is used by the Hindus. There can be various types of
decoration on a samovar. These can include hammer and chisel work known as naqashi,
Chinar leaves, floral motifs or calligraphic inscriptions. In fact, the decoration and the weight
determine the price of a samovar.

There are a few kinds of tea one can make with a samovar in Kashmir, these are the kehvi-
a brew of sugar, cardamom, cinnamon and almonds, the bambay chay with no milk added-
the dabal chay- a bambay chay brew with milk- and the shir chay- a chay made of
bicarbonate of soda, milk and cream.

Samovars are still used to this day at wedding feasts and social gatherings to serve chay or
kahwe. They hold a special place in each and every Kashmiri’s heart. No house is complete
without a samovar.

Sadly, however, machines are beginning to replace centuries of traditional worksmanship,

and the demand for samovars is falling. If you want to keep this tradition alive in style, and
get yourself a fancy samovar, consider contacting us or browsing our shop for a samovar
you like.