WEARING FLOWERS: PERSONAL ADORNMENT AND EVERYDAY AESTHETICS IN TANGIR VALLEY, GILGIT-BALTISTAN

Abstract

This paper discusses the practice of wearing flowers in caps among men in Tangir Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan, focusing on personal adornment and everyday aesthetics. Based on ethnographic observations, key-informant and semi-structured interviews, and photographic documentation, the study explores how men use fresh flowers (Pharu) to adorn their woollen caps (Khori) and the meanings they attach to this practice. I also discuss how flowers evoke memories of their youth and experiences in mountain pastures among the elderly shepherds. The paper also examines changing preferences in personal adornment, including the earlier use of bird feathers, and the place of flowers in local beliefs and decorative traditions. The findings suggest that wearing flowers expresses men's aesthetic preferences, while for some it also carries personal memories associated with pastoral life.