Ranjit Thakur
For centuries, the traditional Gharats-water mills-have been an integral part of rural life in Jammu & Kashmir, providing a sustainable and eco-friendly means of grinding grains. These mills, powered by the swift currents of mountain streams, were not only an economic lifeline but also an essential component of the region’s cultural fabric. However, rapid modernization, deforestation and the advent of electric mills (Chakkis) have pushed these indigenous structures towards near extinction. Their decline marks not just a shift in technology but the erosion of a heritage that once defined the rhythm of village life.
In villages like Dessa in Doda district, the fading presence of these mills is evident. Madho Ram Thakur was the last in his family to run a Gharat, but after his passing away, none of his five sons carried forward the tradition. Instead, they moved to urban centers for education and employment. His abandoned mill now stands in ruins, its wooden paddles rotting and grinding stones covered in moss. According to Ramesh Kumar, a local resident, “There used to be hundreds of these mills in Doda alone. Now, barely 50 remain. With poor road connectivity, Gharats were once a necessity for grinding grain, but today, their relevance has diminished.”
The decline of Gharats is further exacerbated by the rise of electric Chakkis. Faster and requiring less manual labour, these mills have drawn younger generations away from their ancestral trade. In Thanamandi, Nasarullah Khan, one of the few remaining Gharati operators, insists on the nutritional superiority of Gharat-ground flour. “Unlike high-speed electric mills that generate heat and destroy nutrients, Gharats grind slowly, preserving the fiber and essential vitamins of the grain. That’s why many people still prefer this flour,” he says. Yet, the challenges remain formidable. Reduced rainfall, shrinking streams and rampant deforestation have affected water supply, making it increasingly difficult to operate these mills. “There were about 100 Gharats in this region at one point; today, we struggle to keep even 40 functional,” he adds.
The historical significance of Gharats is well-documented. Nagendra Singh Jamwal, in a 2016 article for Daily Excelsior, highlighted their prominence during the Dogra rule.
The Water Mills (Jandar and Gharat) Act of 1932 was enacted to regulate and protect these mills, assigning special land records (Khasra Nos.) to them. Colonial records, such as those by George Forster, who visited Jammu in 1783, also note their widespread presence. In Hamirpur Sidhar, Akhnoor, there were 22 functional Gharats along a single tributary of the Chenab River. Similar thriving setups once existed in Udhampur, Reasi, Ramban, and Doda. Even in Jammu city, the Pucca Gharat on Ranbir Canal was a landmark before urbanization rendered it obsolete.
Beyond their economic function, Jamwal writes, Gharats hold deep cultural significance. According to him, in Dogri literature, Bhagwat Prasad Sathe’s short story Mangte Da Gharat once featured in school curricula, encapsulating the essence of these mills in daily life. In Poonch-Rajouri, the phrase “Ghrate di Raat” (a night at the mill) is still used to describe sleepless nights, a reference to the ceaseless sound of grinding stones and the rustling of rats around flour sacks. In Kaghote village, Ramnagar, the Narsingh Dev temple houses an idol of Gharati Devta, where traditional millers offered grains in reverence.
From an engineering perspective, Gharats are a remarkable example of sustainable design. Constructed with locally sourced stone, timber, and mud, these mills operated entirely on hydropower, requiring no electricity or fossil fuels. The Gharatis were not just operators but skilled craftsmen, meticulously carving millstones from riverbed boulders and designing water channels to maintain a steady and controlled flow. However, deforestation and increased diversion of water for irrigation and drinking have significantly reduced the streams that once powered these mills, leading to their gradual demise.
Despite their historical and cultural value, Gharats have received little attention from policymakers. When questioned about preservation efforts, a senior Government official admitted that no targeted initiatives existed. Experts believe an urgent census should be conducted to assess the number of remaining Gharats and their viability.
The silent disappearance of Gharats from the landscape of Jammu & Kashmir is not merely the loss of an old milling technique; it is the vanishing of an era where sustainability, craftsmanship, and community life were intricately woven together. Without intervention, these once-thriving mills will soon exist only in folklore and fading memories, erased by the relentless march of progress.
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