Srinagar, June 4 -- In the serene corners of south Kashmir, where bean plants stretch into the summer sun, there used to be a tradition known only to those who lived it. It didn't call for crowds, loud prayers, or colourful flags. It wasn't listed on calendars. Still, it mattered deeply. They called it Kraaw.

Unlike other Kashmiri festivals celebrated in mosques or village squares, Kraaw lived inside homes. It belonged to daughters, especially those who had married and moved away. And it always came with the beans.

Sometime in the middle of summer, when the beans in the kitchen gardens grew fat and ready for picking, a father, brother, or uncle would take on a gentle task. He would knock on the door of his daughter's in-laws and ask, wi...