Punn Deun – The sacred ritual of Kashmiri Pandits

By Omkar Dattatray

Kashmiri Pandit culture is very unique. This segment of Sanatan Dharma observes and performs various rituals, ceremonies and traditions that distinguish this small and culturally distinct community from other Hindu communities. One such ritual observed and performed by Kashmiri Pandits is known in the Kashmiri parlance as Punn Deun.

Kashmiri Pandits have preserved their rites, rituals, ceremonies and traditions even during their displacement and exile from their ancestral homeland of Kashmir. However, not all Kashmiri Pandit households observe and perform the Punn ritual. It is traditionally performed by those families whose ancestors used to observe the ritual.

Held around Ganesh Chaturthi, known as Vinayak Chorum among Kashmiri Pandits, the ritual of Punn is filled with nostalgia for the community. Around this time of the year, when summer is showing its last bout of strength and autumn begins to make its presence felt in the Valley, Kashmiri Pandits celebrate a ritual called Punn, which in Kashmiri refers to the sacred thread.

On this occasion, deep-fried wheat bread called Roth is prepared and distributed among relatives, neighbours and friends. Kashmiri Pandits have kept their rituals and festivals alive even in exile, and therefore continue to celebrate and observe Punn away from their native land of Kashmir.

Punn can be celebrated on any of the four or five auspicious days during the second bright fortnight of Bhadun. Even families in which a member has passed away during the year perform the Punn ritual on the last auspicious day. The ritual culminates on Purnimashi, or the full-moon day.

In the pre-militancy days, before 1990, if one happened to walk through certain neighbourhoods of Kashmir during this period, a heady aroma would waft from the houses, announcing the preparation of Roths.

Punn is a traditional celebration observed by Kashmiri Pandit families during the month of Bhadrapad (August–September). Delicious Roths, thick wheat pancakes, are prepared and fried in desi ghee. Some people associate the occasion with the worship of Bhagwan Ganesha, while similar observances are found in other parts of India.

Punn Deun and the distribution of Roth as Naveed among friends, relatives and neighbours are also a way of creating and maintaining social contact and strengthening community bonds. The distribution of Roth Naveed among people helps families remain aware of the well-being of their kith and kin and therefore has great importance in maintaining social connections.

The day is celebrated with devotion and reverence for the Almighty. The celebration also provides an opportunity for family members to come together, particularly giving children a chance to participate in and enjoy the traditional festivities.

For the celebration, the entire house is cleaned, particularly the kitchen, while brass utensils are thoroughly washed and cleaned. The religious significance of this festival may have several interpretations, but it holds the same importance as other traditional festivals. Punn Deun, however, remains especially important among the womenfolk of the Kashmiri Pandit community.

The head lady of the family performs the puja with the participation of all family members. A thread is spun by an unmarried girl, and the same is fastened to the ear by the senior lady who performs the principal role in the Punn Deun ritual.

A brass vessel, mainly a Gudwa, is filled with water. Dramun grass is held by all the family members and, after the Katha of Punn is recited, the grass is immersed in the water-filled vessel. Three or four Roths are placed at the mouth of the pot. In the evening, the water and grass from the vessel are immersed in a river or placed at the roots of a plant.

The ingredients required for the preparation of Roth include wheat flour, brown sugar, ghee, salt, vegetable oil, yoghurt (Zamut Dud), poppy seeds (Khashikash), cardamom and other ingredients, which are arranged in advance.

For the puja, flowers, green grass or Dramun, fruits, fresh walnuts, silver foil, Narivan and sindoor are arranged. All these items are used during the religious observance.

Kashmiri Pandits have a special place for Lord Ganesha, the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. He is revered as Siddhi Daata, the giver of accomplishment and success. According to the Ganesh Purana, the fourth day of the bright fortnight of every lunar month is known as Siddhi Vinayak Chaturthi.

The fourth day of the bright half of Bhadrapad, known as Shukla Chaturthi, is celebrated as Maha Siddhi Vinayak Chaturthi. According to tradition, it is on this day that Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva, created Ganesha for her protection.

When this Chaturthi falls on a Tuesday or Saturday, it is termed Varad Chaturthi or Shiva Chaturthi, and its religious importance is considered to increase.

The arrival of Lord Ganesha is observed for ten days, from Chaturthi to Chaturdashi, with the preparation of Roths, sweet, thick pancakes fried in ghee, and Laddoos made from wheat flour.

On this day, the women of the household get up early in the morning, take a bath and begin preparing Roths in a specially cleaned space. First, Roths are made from approximately 1¼ kg of wheat flour, mixed with about one-fourth the quantity of sugar. The dough is rolled and the Roths are fried in boiling ghee.

Some of these Roths are kept aside as Lord Ganesha’s Prasad, along with a few Laddoos prepared from the same ingredients. Additional Roths are then prepared for family members, daughters’ families, close relatives and neighbours.

After the preparation of the Roths is completed, a metallic pot known as a Gadda is placed in a specially cleaned space as a symbolic representation of Lord Ganesha. A mixture of green grass, barley and flowers is prepared in a thali, and a small quantity of this mixture is placed inside the pot.

The pot is then decorated with Mavli (Narivan) tied around its neck, while a sindoor tilak and the sacred Om symbol are applied to it. Some milk and a coin are also placed in or around the pot as part of the ritual.

The women of the household wear a small thread made from raw cotton, spun by an unmarried girl, by the side of their Athahore or Dehahor. This sacred thread is believed to be associated with the name and significance of Punn.

All family members then assemble around the pot. A sindoor tilak is applied to the forehead, and the senior household lady places the prepared mixture from the thali in the hands of all family members and gives blessings for their welfare and prosperity.

Everybody takes a seat, following which the senior lady recites the traditional story of Bib Dharam Maej. After the story is narrated and listened to by all family members with devotion, prayers are offered to Lord Ganesha. Everyone then places the mixture into the pot, symbolising Lord Ganesha.

Roths are subsequently distributed among all family members, traditionally along with a cup of Nunn Chai. Roths are also distributed among married daughters and their in-laws, other close relatives, neighbours and friends.

The ritual of Punn Deun is therefore not merely a religious observance but also an important expression of Kashmiri Pandit heritage, family bonding and community continuity. Despite displacement and the passage of time, such traditions continue to connect the community with its ancestral roots and preserve its distinctive cultural identity.

May Bib Dharam Maej and Lord Ganesha remove all obstacles in the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley, and may the community continue to keep its cherished rituals, traditions and festivals alive for generations to come.