10 Classic French Pastries And Desserts To Try In Paris!!

Paris is the mecca for sweet tooth! And travel we did just to please our appetite for a good desert! A weekend of walking and exploring, and experiencing a bit of what Paris has to offer! Crispy to creamy and sometimes both combined, light and flaky or totally decadent there is no end to the indulgence you can bestow upon your palette!

Here is our list of favourites, classic French pastries and desserts to try In Paris! Don’t count the calories but devour each mouthful of perfectly crafted treats because relishing a bite is the best way to feel alive!

Pistachio Chocolate Escargot from Du Pain et des Idées

1. Pistachio Chocolate Escargot

This spiral shaped flaky pastry is every Parisians love affair. Made from the multiple layers of thin buttery dough, the pastry is given a swirled shaped like a snail – which explains the name! A generous amount of pistachio paste and chocolate flakes are tucked in between the dough layers and cooked until they are perfect golden. Best eaten fresh when it still carries the warmth of the oven. Every bite of this pastry carries a symphony of flavour and texture that comes from the flaky pastry, rich nutty pistachio paste and melted chocolate bits. Perfect for breakfast, Pistachio Chocolate Escargot is popular among locals and tourists. One of the best places to try Pistachio Chocolate Escargot is at a very famous French Bakery, Du Pain et des Idées, which is a block away from Canal St Martin.

Freshly made plain croissant from Du Pain et des Idées

2. Croissant

The best way to kick start your day in Paris -A perfectly made fresh croissant and a cup of coffee! The humble looking croissant can be considered the darling of Parisian and French gastronomy but has its roots in Austria. Food historians believe that the innovation of modern-day French croissant was inspirited by the Austrian pastry kipfels which has its

own interesting yet controversial past! If legends are to be believed the crescent shape of kipfels came to existence to mimic the crescent moon of Ottoman flag after the Austrian victory over the Ottoman siege of Vienna in 1683. When kipfels came to France, the puff pastry took over the original recipe pastry dough.

A perfectly made croissant should be flaky outside yet soft, slightly chewy, very lightly moist and buttery inside. The layers of pastry should be visible and distinct when cut open. Made from pure butter and slightly sweet yeast dough, the butter and dough are mixed and rolled into multiple layers that give the fluffiness tothe puff pastry. A freshly made plain croissant is good enough to be devoured as it is, though now a days it comes fitted with pastry cream, chocolate, jams and other fillings. We tried this French classic multiple times during our weekend stay in Paris. but the best one we ate was at the patisserie Du Pain et des Idées.

Miniature Paris Brest from Stohrer

3. Paris Brest

Created by chef Louis Durand in 1910 to celebrate the Paris-Brest-Paris cycle race that used to go past his patisserie, this classic French pastry is characterised by its toasted nutty flavour and the aroma of praline cream. Hence the shape of Peris-Brest resembles the wheels of a cycle. This delicate and soft ring-shaped pastry is made by baking the pastry dough ‘pâte à choux’ topped with almond flakes till golden brown. Then the pastry ring is sliced horizontally into two and filled with a generous portion of hazelnut, almond mousseline and praliné cream. This classic pastry is now made by chefs all around the country. We tried this French delicacy at Stohrer, a famous classic Parisian patisserie. The one we tried was a smaller version/portion of the pastry though no different from the actual Paris-Brest in flavour, taste or texture.

Socked in rum - Rum Baba from Stohrer

4. Baba Ru Rhum or Rum Baba

Baba ru Rhum or Rum Baba is a spongy cake filled with raisins and soaked in rum as the name suggests. The spongy cake is baked in baba mould or a ring mould as the centre of the cake can be filled with whipped or pastry cream or fruit like raisins. The critical part of this desert is the texture of the cake which is required to be soft and spongy to absorb the rum but at the same time firm enough to hold its shape after getting absorbed all the alcoholic syrupy liquid. It is traditionally served with a cherry on top and a dollop of whipped cream. The story goes that the cake was invented by pastry chef Nicolas Stohrer who cooked it for Polish King Stanislas Lesczyńska. Thus, the Stohrer patisserie was the first in Paris that start selling this cake to Parisians. There are dividing opinions on the origin of the name for this, as few believe the name Baba ur rhum came from the Arabian Nights character Ali Baba, while others believe that the name is derived from the Slovic word baba which means grandmother. The cake we tried in Stohrer patisserie had very strong flavour of alcohol in it and the extra sweetness was bit too much for our liking. Nevertheless, it was a classic French desert to be tasted in Paris.

Lemon Yuzu Meringue Éclair from L'Eclair de Génie

5. Éclair

This sophisticated yet simple classic French pastry needs to be in every food lover’s list while visiting Paris. Made from the simple pastry dough of pâte à choux (which is also used to make other French classic pastry like profiteroles or croquembouche), Éclair is an elongated tube-shaped casing filled with pastry cream in the centre and coated on top with a layer of confectioner’s glaze. In the classic chocolate Éclair, the top glaze is made of chocolate ganache. It’s believed that the shining chocolate glaze gives the pastry its name as Éclairs in French stands for lightning. A perfectly made Éclair can be easily recognised by its crispy exterior, a soft interior and a generous portion of creamy filling in the centre. Though earlier, the Éclair used to come with traditional filling of vanilla or chocolate pastry cream and chocolate glaze, now a days chefs are infusing the pastry cream and top glaze with various other flavours such as seasonal fruits or modern classics like pistachio, salted caramel, coffee and more.

There are several patisseries in Paris that serve perfectly made Éclairs, we tried this French classic at L'Eclair de Génie as they are quite well known their Éclairs . The range of flavours available at L'Eclair de Génie is huge and we picked up three different flavours – Raspberry Mascarpone, Salted Butter Caramel and Lemon Yuzu Meringue. The Éclairs were perfectly made and the flavour or the sweetness was not overpowering!

An assortment of flavours - Macarons from Ladurée

6. Macaron

This small round colourful confection is made by sandwiching two meringue-based cookies with a layer of ganache, buttercream, or jam in between. These originated in Italy, and came to France during the 16th century, when the pastry chef of Catherine de Medici introduced the Italian Macaroni or Maccarone or Maccherone to the French people, a small round cookie without any creamy filling. However, -it was in France that the present-day macarons came into existence, when two pieces of cookies were sandwiched. Made from almond flour, icing sugar and eggwhite, a prefect macaron should have a crunchy outer layer and be soft inside. Macarons come in hundreds of flavours, with classic favourites like pistachio, chocolate, raspberry, vanilla to modern twists like coffee, salted caramel and more. There are many places in Paris to eat macarons. We treated ourselves at Ladurée which is not only well known for its macarons but has the most amazing atmosphere and décor to enjoy these little treats!

Perfectly made Ispahan from Ladurée - the birthplace of the pastry

7. Ispahan

Created by renowned pastry chef Pierre Herme, Ispahan is a modern French pastry made of Parisian macarons, rose cream, fresh raspberry and lychee. Invented in the 90s, the Ispahans are made with thin & crunchy rose favoured macarons with a soft inside. These are assembled using one shell of macaron as base, topped with rose cream in the centre and surrounded by fresh raspberries at the edges. Then centre gets filled with fresh cuts of lychee and more rose cream and top shell of macaron. then gets placed on top. The flavour-filled macaron sandwich then gets garnished with fresh rose petals and raspberries.

We tried Ispahan at Ladurée, believed to be the birthplace of this iconic pastry. The flavours were intense yet smooth. The freshness of the lychee cuts through the rich flavour and texture of the rose cream. The unique combination of flavour of rose, raspberry and lychee plus the texture which is a combination of the crunchy macaron, the soft fruits and rose cream, create a delightful magic inside your mouth.

A simple buttle and icing sugar Crêpe from a crêpery in the heart of Paris

8. Crêpe

It’s almost customary for tourists in Paris to pick up a crêpe from one of the many crêperies (where crêpes are made) spread across the city and walk down the bank of river Seine while indulging in the taste and soaking up the Parisian vibe! Accidentally created by a housewife in 13th century France, crêpe derived its name from the French word crespe which means curled, a characteristic of the curled edge of a perfectly made crêpe. Thinner than pancake, the simple and humble crêpe is made of plain flour (back in the days, buckwheat flour was used), egg and milk or water, sugar and butter are optional.

Though a perfectly made plain crêpe served with a dollop of butter and a dusting of icing sugar is perfect and elegant enough, with time, a wide range of sweet and savoury fillings started gaining popularity. These days crepes can be had with hazelnut spread, lemon and sugar, jams, fruits and even ice cream. While in Paris we grabbed a few crêpes with different fillings from different crêperies and were amazed every time! So simple yet so tasty!

The heavenly rum raisin Kouignette from Maison Georges Larnicol

9. Kouignette

This pastry looks like a croissant but in a shape of a cupcake. It is more sugary, more buttery and more flaky! This pastry is actually the smaller version of another larger pastry called Kouig-Amann which originated in Brittany in France. Kouignettes are made from multiple layers of thin sheets of dough along with lots of butter with sugar in between the sheets. Once baked, the top is crunchy, flaky and brown. The generous use of butter and sugar makes Kouignette heavy and intensely sweet in taste. Apart from the plain version of Kouignette, various other flavours such as almond, chocolate, fruits, raisin are also widely enjoyed.

We tried a few varieties of this pastry, rum raisin, pistachio paste, almond and raspberry, at a shop called Maison Georges Larnicol -. Our favourite was the rich rum raisin!

A timeless French classic - Crème Brûlée

10. Crème Brûlée

This creamy, silky and delicate baked custard, is a timeless classic! Its origin has been contested over by the French, English and the Spanish. The earliest recorded recipe of Crème Brûlée can be found in 15th century French cuisine, though the English claim to have invented this dessert during 17th century with the name ‘burnt custard’ and Spanish claim to have created this during 18th century with the name ‘cream Catalana’. Irrespective of the origin, simple yet elegant Crème Brûlée is a popular dessert in the modern world culinary map

The cream is made of egg yolks, double cream, sugar and vanilla. It is baked gently at low heat and then left to set and firm up. The creamy base is then dusted with dermera sugar and charred (brulee) to create a dark thin crispy outer layer. Crack open the top and enjoy the decadence!

We cracked ours at the French Crème Brûlée, couple of times during our food adventure in Paris and we are craving for more!

Camden Food Market– Our Pick from the Food Extravaganza

London is a melting pot of cultures of the world. A lot of rich food culture with origins from all parts of the globe give London the truly international vibe that exists today. Some of them retain their age-old historical recipes and some have evolved over the years to suit the growing population of food lovers who are hungry for novelty when it comes to food. As such it is not possible to cover all these food hot spots in a day or two, so you need to pick the top locations and start from there. When we lived in London almost a decade ago, Camden was a very different place, but today it packs all the flavours and an amazing relaxed bohemian vibe. As much as the food is a reason to draw you in, the youthful vibe adds to the flavours we think!

As non-Londoners now, we returned to get a taste of the food scene and soak in all the atmosphere! Here are our top picks to satisfy your taste buds, all in a day!

Kati roll at Kolkati

• Kolkata style Kati roll at Kolkati

True to it’s name 'Kol-kati’ brings one of the most popular street food of ‘Kolkata’, the ‘kati’ roll to the heart of London. According to their website Kolkati founders Kate and Jack brought back the much-loved ‘kati’ roll to London after their 5 month trip around India (including Kolkata). Rolled in parathas (flaky Indian flat bread) well-seasoned and spiced chicken or paneer are served with fresh tomato, green chillies, coriander and sliced onions, just like the way you would find on the busy streets of Kolkata. We tried both chicken and paneer and were immediately filled with nostalgia and fond memories from back home!

Fried halloumi at Oli Baba's

• Halloumi Fry at Oli Baba’s

This stall in Camden food market serves a number of middle eastern street food. However, the show-stopper is the deep fried halloumi cheese. Cut into long strips, the halloumi is deep fried and served hot with homemade middle eastern sauce, honey, fresh chopped herbs and a sprinkle of pomegranates.

Juicy and flavourful burger from Burger and Beyond

• Burger at Burger & Beyond

Any burger lover who happens to be at Camden, must stop by at Burger & Beyond at the food marked. Their burgers are made to perfection,- juicy and succulent meat patty smeared in sauces and hugged by soft buns – exactly as it should be! Bite in and don’t think about the calories!

Zala Grill's lamb shawarma

• Shawarma Lamb Shoulder at Zala Grill

The one stop shop for trying out traditional middle eastern food in the Camden food market. The use of authentic ingredients and simple cooking makes each dish taste even better. Though we were spoiled for choices, we opted for Shawarma Lamb Shoulder. The soft and flavourful meat sat inside fresh pitta bread, topped with yogurt based sauces and freshly chopped middle eastern style salad.

Instant lab-made icecream from Chin Chin Lab

• Ice cream at Chin Chin Lab

Creating quite a buzz in the Camden Food market, this ice cream shop looks more like a science laboratory and the fun part is that you can watch the magic in front of your eyes! All the ingredients of the ice cream are frozen almost instantaneously using liquid nitrogen. We were told that this process of instant freezing makes the ice-cream smoother as it prevents formation of tiny ice crystals which happens in conventional ice cream making. The end result is a cup of super rich and creamy ready to be devoured!

Authentic Latino style fried chicken at El Pollote

• Fried Chicken at El Pollote

This fried chicken stall in Camden food market is a haven for authentic Latino flavours. Deep fried chicken (boneless pieces or wings) are coated in Latino sauces and served with skinny fries, pickled vegetables and topped with more sauces and chilli flakes to bump up the heat! They also sell these in burger buns with your choice of sauce, cheese and more!

Juicy and succulent grilled steak from Stakehaus

• Steak at Stakehaus

If you love steaks and fries, then look no further beyound Stakehaus in Camden food market. Their perfectly cooked juicy steaks and the crunchy rosemary fries will win your heart and will satisfy your soul. The steak and chips are served with homemade sauces which elevates the experience one step further! Apart from fries they serve steaks with onion rings as well, we opted for onion rings for a change!

Authentic arepa at Arepazo Bros

• Venezuelan Street food at La Cartelua at Arepazo Bros

If you want to try some authentic Venezuelan street food in Camden food market then you have to head to Arepazo Bros for some Arepa. A staple south American street food mainly from Venezuela and Colombia, Arepas are stuffed cornmeal cakes which are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, packed with shredded chicken or beef, cheese, black beans and avocado. At Arepazo Bros, we tried La Cartelua with a filling of shredded chicken.

Grab and Go - simple yet flavourful hotdog from Oh My Dog

• Hotdogs at Oh My Dog!

If you fancy American style street food, then this hotdog place in Camden market is for you! The prime quality and relatively large sized frankfurters are served within homemade brioche bun and topped with home made ketchup, other sauces and toppings. We tried the hotdog with fried chopped onion and homemade ketchup!

Temple of Boba offers a range of flavours of bubble tea

• Bubble tea at the Temple of Boba

This bubble tea shop is not exactly located inside the main Camden food market, but on Buck street market, which is stone’s throw away from the Camden food market. Located on the first floor of Buck street market which is made from repurposed shipping containers , this boba shop serves a huge variety of milk based and fruit based bubble tea. You can also create your own mix of flavours. We tried Taro milk tea (milkbased) and Rose tea (fruit based) bubble tea. This place is a great location to call it a day with some refreshing drink after a full day of food exploration in the Camden food market.

The History of Kashmir - A Snapshot

Chashma Shahi, example of Mughal architecture in Kashmir

The history of Kashmir is complex and layered, and due to its fabric laced with turmoil in the last decades, the narratives are never free from personal bias and judgement. We are not historians, nor do we have the expertise to unpick the layers or untangle the complexities. The below is only intended to provide a historical snapshot to provide some context to the reader on the history of Kashmir in a story format.

With that disclaimer, let’s start off this story which dates back to over 5000 years! So, warning - this one is LONG!!

The earliest documentation comes from Nilmata Puran (6th to 8th century CE - Common Era. The Nimata Purana, also known as Kasmira Mahatmya, can be considered as an epic and provides us the lens to get a glimpse of the cultural history of those times. The other important document is the ‘Rajtarangini’ written by Kashmiri scholar and historian Kalhana in the 12th century CE. Rajtarangini consists of 8 books called the ‘tarangs’ meaning waves and ‘raj’ means related to Kings. Rajtarangini can be considered Kashmir's ‘political’ history, though the initial three-four books intertwine the folklores, epics and legends with the political landscape, as Kalhana used the Nilmata Puran as his source when he wrote the Rajtarangini. Kalhana's father and uncle were both in Kashmir courts and the unbiased approach to his writings, made him well equipped to document the details and his work becoming one of the most referenced work of its kind.

After Kalhana, there have been Rajtarangini’s by other historians (Jonaraj, Srivara, Prajyabhata and Suka) which documents the history until the 16th century.

The word ‘Kashmir’ in Sanskrit means desiccated or dried out land (ka meaning water, and shimeera meaning dried out). As per Nilmat Puran, Kashmir was created by the ‘draining of the lake’ by a sage called Kashyap. Kashyap is believed to be the grandson of Hindu God Brahma (his son being sage Marichi). This 'drying out' is needed because earth is submerged in water and therefore every species needs to be rescued (similar to Noah’s arc). This region surrounded by the Himalayas, seems to fit the bill perfectly for this mission, but there already exists a lake which needs to be drained out. In order to drain out the lake a kind of canal 'the Vatista' is created, which is said to be the present-day Jhelum.

Kalhana's accounts starts with the Gonanda dynasty which spanned the reign of around 47 kings. This was followed by his accounts of Ashoka’s rule in the 3rd century, and it is debated whether Ashoka’s reference by Kalhana was a Gonanda dynasty king or the great Ashoka of the Mauryan dynasty who helped propagate Buddhism, but also constructed Shiva temples. It is believed that Buddhism and Shaivism flourished side by side in Kashmir during this 'Ashoka's' time. He also set up the old capital of Srinagari. After the decline of the 'Mauryan dynasty', Ashoka’s son Jaluka became the monarch of Kashmir and revived Hinduism in this region.

The Mauryan dynasty led way to the Kushan dynasty. The Kushan's descended from the Yuezhi people who ruled over most of the northern Indian subcontinent, Afghanistan and parts of Central Asia during the first three centuries of the common era (CE). This dynasty saw the reign of kings Hushka, Jushka and Kanishka. Buddhism strengthened its roots and branched out further with the King Kanishka adopting Buddhism and thus taking Buddhism to its pinnacle in Kashmir. The Fourth World Conference of Buddhism was held in Kashmir during the Kushan dynasty’s rule.

Ruins of Parihaspora build by King Lalitaditya Muktapida of the Karkota dynasty

Kalhana also mentions about the restoration of the Gonanda dynasty. The last ruler was Baladitya married his daughter Ananglekha to Durlabhvardhan who founded the Karkota dynasty - one of the most notable dynasties in the history of Kashmir. The Karkota dynasty ruled over Kashmir for 600 years by 17 kings the 3rd century.

Ananglekha and Durlabhvardhan had 3 sons, Vajraditya, Udayaditya and Lalitaditya. Of them, Lalitaditya was determined to expand his empire and therefore underwent strenuous training. He was cognizant of the impending Arab attack. It is believed he also joined forces with Mewar’s ruler Bappa Rawal and they fought side by side several times. Lalitaditya went on to defeat the Tukharas (Turks of Turkmenistan and Tocharas from Badakshan) Bhutas from Baltistan and Tibet and also went on to gain territory upto the Narmada river. He also attacked Ladakh and other western provinces under the Tibetan rule. He also found an ally in the Tang dynasty in his fight against Tibetans and Arabs which brought today’s Bangladesh and other eastern provinces under his regime. His territory extended over central Asia too, comprising of today’s Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and eventually Turkistan extending his empire to the Caspian sea. He is also famed to build the Martanda temple or the sun temple.

After an impressive 600 years of reign, Karkota dynasty collapsed in the mid-9th century. The last king Jayapida in his last days married the ordinary and poor but young and beautiful Jayadevi and died soon after. Jayadevi was then approached for marriage by her stepson, and she agreed. However, he was less focussed on the management of the empire, which was mainly under the control of Jayadevi and her five brothers, Finally one of her brothers, Avantivarman Utpala rose to the throne and founded the Utpala dynasty and thereby ending the Karkota dynasty.

Avantivarman’s reign saw restoration of the economy of the region and was also a patron of art and literature. His engineer Suyya carried out desilting of the Jhelum river and averted floods and boosted irrigation. The Suyyapura is devoted to Suyya and is the present day Sopore. He built the Avantiswami and the Avantishwara temple in Avantipura. He died peacefully listening to recitals from the Bhagwad Gita and was succeeded by his son Shankaravarman, who unlike his father was more focussed on conquests and hence imposed taxes. He moved the capital from Avantipura to Shankarapattana, which is the present-day Pattan. After another few kings the Utpala dynasty came to an end after ruling Kashmir for over 80 years, in the 10th century.

After the Utpala dynasty, came the Gupta Brahmin dynasty, which ruled over Kashmir for over 70 years through its 10 rulers, starting from Yashaskara Deva and ending with Didda, a woman ruler and the last one of this dynasty.

Queen Didda was a daughter of the Lohara King Simharaja. Her maternal grandfather was the Bhima Shahi, one of the Hindu Shahi of Kabul. After the death of Queen Didda, the Lohara Dynasty ruled Kashmir for over 300 years from the 10th to the 14th century and spanning 23 kings. This dynasty saw the rise of feudal lords, making it increasingly susceptible to foreign invasions.

Jamia Masjid of Srinagar, build during the reign of Sultan Sikandar Shah Kashmiri from Shah Miri dynasty

During the reign of the Lohara King Suhadeva, Sufi missionaries from the Middle East and Central Asia had started arriving in Kashmir bringing Islam to the region. Suhadeva had also appointed Shah Mir, a Muslim from Swat (now in Pakistan), as a minister. During the same time, Rinchan, a Ladakhi prince of Tibetan origin entered Kashmir as a refugee with a handful of followers was given shelter by Ram Chandra, minister and commander in chief of King Sahadeva. Rinchan and Shah Mir became good friends.

Thereafter, the Mongols invaded Kashmir and Suhadeva was defeated and fled to Tibet. They appointed a Buddhist master as the governor of Kashmir and Ramachandra occupied the throne and appointed Rinchan as an administrator, but Rinchan betrayed him and following the coup, took over the throne of Kashmir and employed Shah Mir as his most trusted courtier.

In an attempt to win over support from Kashmiris, he appointed Ramachandra’s son as his chief advisor and married Ramachandra’s daughter Kota Rani, he also tried to convert to Hinduism, but the Kashmiri Brahmin community refused to accept him due to his involvement in Ramachandra’s murder. It is believed that Shah Mir arranged Richen’s meeting with a Sufi mystic, Syed Sharaf-ud-din Bulbul Shah, popularly known as Bulbul Shah and Richen converted to Islam and adopted the title Sultan Sadr-ud-din Shah. After only 3 years of rule, Richen was killed in rebel attack and his wife Kota Rani married Suhadeva’s brother Udyanadeva but was practically ran the show. She also managed to fight and defeat invasion from Mongol-Turk Achalla, and after the death of Udayanadeva, Kota Rani became the ruler of Kashmir. However, Shah Mir then staged a coup, killed her prime minister and offered to marry her. According to the historian Jonaraja, Kota Rani committed suicide and offered her intestines to Shah Mir as his wedding gift. Shah Mir established the sultanate with the title of Sultan Shams-ud-din. The Shah Mir dynasty ruled for over 200 years and spanned 18 rulers.

Hazratbal dargah, example of Mughal architecture in Kashmir

Then, Mughal emperor Akbar invaded Kashmir in the late 16th century and ruled for a period of 166 years.

After the Mughals, came the Afghans, who exercised sovereignty through Governors. Ahmed Shah Durrani was the first ruler to set Afghan dynasty in Kashmir in the mid-18th century. For over 60 years, several governors exercised sovereignty on behalf of the rulers.

The Afghan rule was followed by Sikh rule in the early 19th century, established by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The Sikh rulers like the Afghans, exercised Sovereignty through Governors for 26 years. By this time the British had also turned up uninvited, and history witnessed the first Anglo-Sikh War between the Sikh Empire and the East India Company, between 1845 and 1846. A treaty was signed by the Sikhs and the British, called the Treaty of Lahore, which marked the end of the war. As per the treaty, the Sikhs were required to pay an indemnity of 15 million rupees to the East India Company. However, in lieu of the money, the Sikhs agreed to cede Kashmir, along with other areas and territories, to the British. Within a week, in the Treaty of Amritsar, the East India Company sold Kashmir for a payment of 7.5 million rupees to the Raja of Jammu, Gulab Singh and granted him the title of Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir. The Dogras then ruled Kashmir for 101 years until 1947, when the last Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh was raided by Pakistan and he signed an Instrument of Accession with India on 26 October 1947.