| Zusammenfassung: | This paper examines the role of a natural hot spring in a subsistence village economy. The village lies in the Karakorum-Himalaya, isolated from the rest of Pakistan by high mountains and glaciers. To a social geographer, what is of interest is the pattern formed by the daily activities at the hot spring, which acts as a hub, or focus, of village life. Various tasks and rituals are performed here, related to prayer, work, and play, from dawn until sunset. The research is based on participant-observation and set in a phenomenological framework. Three decades ago government initiative changed the original pond, separated by a living partition of willows for men and women, replacing it by a concrete building which now houses the women's room, while the men still bathe in an open-air pool. A 'private' room for elite visitors was also added. The effects of this arbitrary intervention into the private affairs of the community are explored.
|
|---|