Falak Bilal
Srinagar, May 16: In the heart of Pampore, where the aroma of saffron drifts through narrow lanes and traditional bakeries wake before dawn, one name has become inseparable from the region’s beloved Shermaal — Fatima.
For decades, residents have associated the warm, golden bread with a woman whose resilience matched the heat of the clay ovens she stood beside. Today, long after personal loss and changing times reshaped the old traditions of Kashmir’s bakery culture, Fatima’s story continues through the hands of her children, who are carrying forward a legacy built not merely on food, but on love, sacrifice and dignity.
What began as a young bride learning household traditions inside her in-laws’ home gradually transformed into one of Pampore’s most cherished family enterprises.
When Fatima arrived in Pampore after marriage, she entered a household deeply connected to the traditional art of making Shermaal — the rich, slightly sweet Kashmiri bread baked in earthen ovens and served during gatherings, celebrations and family breakfasts.
Her mother-in-law and father-in-law were respected for their skill and dedication to the craft. In those early years, Fatima watched closely.“I was new to everything,” Fatima recalled with a smile. “The kitchen, the bakery, the methods — all of it was unfamiliar. But my mother-in-law used to say, ‘If you make food with honesty and patience, people will always remember your hands.’ Those words stayed with me forever.”
According to family members, Fatima spent years mastering every stage of preparation — kneading the dough, balancing ingredients by instinct rather than measurement, managing the intense heat of the tandoor and understanding the timing that gives Shermaal its distinctive softness and color.“She never treated it as work alone,” said one of her sons. “For her, it was a responsibility and an art. She believed every bread carried the reputation of the family.”Life changed dramatically after the death of Fatima’s in-laws.
The loss created uncertainty within the family. The older generation, which had preserved the traditional methods for years, was suddenly gone. Her husband worried constantly about the future of the business and whether the family tradition would disappear.Fatima still remembers that difficult phase vividly.
“After my mother-in-law and father-in-law passed away, my husband became deeply worried,” she said. “He would often wonder who would continue this work after them. One day, I told him, ‘You don’t have to worry anymore. I am with you. We will do this together.’ That was the moment we truly began this journey side by side.”Relatives say the couple became inseparable partners after that.
Before sunrise, they worked together preparing dough and heating ovens. During festivals and wedding seasons, they often remained awake through the night to meet demand. “There were days when they barely rested,” recalled a neighbor. “But no matter how tired they were, they welcomed every customer warmly. Their bakery became part of people’s lives.”
Beyond the bakery itself, Fatima and her husband became widely known across the locality for their striking appearance and graceful presence together.
Whenever the couple stepped out into the market or attended social gatherings, people often compared them to Bollywood’s iconic pair, Hema Malini and Dharmendra.
Fatima laughed while remembering those days.“People would stop and joke, saying, ‘Look, Hema Malini and Dharmendra are here!’ At first, we used to laugh about it, but slowly the nickname stayed with us,” she said.
Over time, the comparison became so popular that the family embraced it as part of their identity.“Even our children grew up hearing those names,” she added. “Later, when they expanded the business, they decided to keep the same name because it carried memories of our journey together.”
For locals, the nickname symbolized more than physical beauty. Many say it reflected the affection, partnership and mutual respect the couple shared publicly.“They had a bond people admired,” said an elderly resident of Pampore. “In difficult times too, they stood together. That is why people remembered them.”As Kashmir modernized and commercial bakery products became increasingly common, many traditional family-run bakeries struggled to survive.
But Fatima remained determined to preserve the original methods taught by her elders.Even when machines began replacing manual preparation in many places, she insisted on maintaining traditional techniques wherever possible.“She would say that Shermaal should have the warmth of human hands,” her daughter explained. “According to her, customers can taste the difference between tradition and shortcuts.”
Family members say Fatima paid attention to details many younger bakers ignored — the texture of the dough during winter, the effect of changing weather on fermentation and the exact moment the bread should be removed from the tandoor.“She could identify a mistake just by looking at the color of the crust,” one worker at the bakery said.
Over the years, customers traveling through Pampore began making deliberate stops at the family bakery. Some purchased Shermaal for weddings and family feasts, while others carried it as gifts for relatives living outside Kashmir.“People from different districts came asking specifically for her Shermaal,” said a local shopkeeper. “Many customers would say, ‘Give us the one made by Fatima’s family.’ That became its own identity.”Despite the recognition and popularity, Fatima says her greatest satisfaction today comes from seeing the younger generation continue the work.
After the death of her husband, the responsibility of preserving the family tradition passed to their children.Rather than abandoning the demanding profession, they chose to continue what their parents had built together.“When I see my children working with dedication, I feel proud,” Fatima said emotionally. “Everything we created came through hard work and unity. Now they are carrying that legacy forward and using my name with love and respect.”
Her children say they never viewed the bakery merely as a business.“This is our family history,” one son explained. “Every customer who visits reminds us of our parents. We are not just selling bread — we are protecting memories.”The family has also become a symbol of women’s contribution to Kashmir’s traditional industries, where much of women’s labor often remained unrecognized for generations.
“People usually saw men standing in front of bakeries,” said a local social worker. “But behind many successful traditional businesses, women silently carried enormous responsibility. Fatima’s story gives that reality a face and a voice.”Even today, the scent of freshly baked Shermaal emerging from the ovens in Pampore carries echoes of an earlier era — one shaped by family labor, handwritten recipes and traditions passed from one generation to another.
For many residents, Fatima represents that disappearing world.“She reminds us of the time when businesses were built on trust and relationships,” said a long-time customer. “People did not come only for food. They came for warmth, conversation and familiarity.”As evening falls over Pampore and customers continue lining up outside the bakery, Fatima often watches quietly from a corner, observing the younger generation at work.
The ovens still burn. The recipes remain alive.And in every piece of Shermaal served across the counter, there survives the story of a woman who refused to let a family tradition fade away.“Our elders gave us this responsibility,” Fatima said softly. “As long as we can, we will continue it with honesty and respect.”
