CULTURE

Firdous Qadri Jammu Kashmir Government has approved the “Chief Minister’s Scheme for Introduction of Heritage Courses” under the Skill Development Department, a major initiative aimed at preserving the Valley’s dying traditional crafts and creating employment opportunities for youth. According to officials, seven traditional craft courses will be revived across 25 training units in government ITIs and Polytechnics, with a total intake capacity of 500 students. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s office said the scheme seeks to blend traditional knowledge with modern training, ensuring that age-old crafts such as wood carving, papier-mâché, shawl weaving, embroidery, and copperware continue to thrive as viable professions. Under the scheme, trainees will receive monthly stipends, whi...

The bustling Food Street in Srinagar, popularly known as Batte Gali, has undergone a remarkable change in its culinary offerings. Traditionally known for its rich variety of Kashmiri meat dishes, the street has now almost entirely abandoned serving popular delicacies such as rista, kebab, yekhni, and meethi. The only meat dish still being prepared for customers is the classic rogan josh. According to the vendors, the shift is a direct response to a series of recent incidents in which rotten meat was recovered from multiple locations in the Valley. The controversy has left a lasting impact on customer preferences, with most people now avoiding meat altogether and instead opting for vegetable and pulse-based meals. “After the rotten meat recovery, customers became reluctant to order me...

Suhail Dar In view of the continued closure of the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway, Kashmiri Pandits from the migrant colony in Vessu, Anantnag, have come together to arrange food, water, and other essentials for stranded drivers. Every day, more than 2,000 rotis are prepared along with sabzi, with both men and women volunteering for the cause. “This is our small way of sharing the pain of those stuck on the highway,” said Sanjay Pandita, a resident of the Vessu migrant colony. “For the last week, we have been pooling whatever resources we can. It is heartening to see our community come forward voluntarily, contributing flour, vegetables, and their time. Humanity comes before everything else.” Another volunteer, Rajinder Nath, echoed the sentiment. “We know what it feels like to be help...

The All India Kashmiri Samaj (AIKS) has demanded the establishment of a Kashmiri academy and a museum to showcase the community’s language, heritage, and art. The body said these institutions should be set up in the Delhi-NCR region on the pattern of existing Urdu, Sindhi, and Punjabi academies. The demand was put forth during a meeting of an AIKS delegation led by its president, Ravinder Pandita, with Union Minister for Culture and Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, in New Delhi on Tuesday. Pandita said the academy could be managed by AIKS in collaboration with the state government to promote Kashmiri language and scripture. He further requested the minister to accord approval for a two-day ‘Sharda Festival’ in Delhi in October, with plans to expand it to other parts of the country. P...

Meer Irfan Surjeet Kour, a Sikh mother from Shadimarg in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, passed away on Wednesday after a prolonged battle with liver failure. She had been referred to a hospital in Delhi from SKIMS Soura, Srinagar, for an urgent liver transplant. The 35-year-old was the mother of a six-year-old son. Her case had drawn widespread attention across Kashmir, as appeals for financial help were shared extensively on social media and local platforms. Doctors had estimated the cost of the transplant at ₹40 lakh, a sum far beyond the family’s capacity. In an extraordinary show of support, Kashmiris from all communities came together to raise funds for her treatment. Within a span of four days, over ₹27 lakh was donated, mostly in small contributions, reflecting the...

For the second consecutive year, Jammu Kashmir has witnessed a steep decline in the number of Hajj applicants. As of July 24, only 2,244 applications were received against a total quota of 7,896 seats for the region, meaning that just around 28 per cent of the available slots have been filled. The low turnout reflects deepening financial constraints and changing priorities among residents who once saw the pilgrimage as a reachable goal. In comparison, during the 2024 Hajj season,  2,922 pilgrims against the 8,000 seats allotted that year. An additional 750 seats had been reserved for private tour operators, though only an estimated 550 of those were utilized, bringing the total number of pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir in 2024 to just under 3,500. The drop this year has been ev...

Kashmiri Socio-political activist Sardar Angad Singh Khalsa has strongly criticised the musical tribute organised at Tagore Hall in Srinagar to commemorate the 350th Shaheedi Divas (martyrdom anniversary) of Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib Ji. The event, reportedly hosted by the Punjab Government in collaboration with local bodies, included performances of singing and dancing, something Khalsa described as "deeply inappropriate" for an occasion meant to honour one of Sikhism’s most revered martyrs. In a strongly worded statement, Khalsa questioned the intent and planning behind the event. “As a non-clerical individual, I do not feel inclined to offer sermons or correct others on matters of faith. However, as a member of society, I believe there is a fundamental understanding of right and wron...

In a significant boost for Kashmir’s artisanal economy, exports of handmade products have soared to ₹309.62 crore in the first quarter of the current financial year, marking a remarkable 243% jump compared to ₹126.90 crore during the same period last year. This is the highest Q1 export figure in the past four years. Officials from the Handicrafts and Handloom Department, Kashmir, have attributed this growth to rising global demand for traditional crafts and emphasized that the department is aiming to cross ₹1500 crore in exports by the end of the financial year, provided international market conditions remain favorable. A department spokesperson noted that the rise in exports directly supports the livelihood of thousands of artisans and weavers across the region. “Higher exports o...

Shabir Khan A non-local Hindu man from Nagaland died under mysterious circumstances, on Tuesday, in Al-Safa Colony of Sopore in north Kashmir's Baramulla district. After the completion of medical formalities, his last rites were performed today in Panzla Rafiabad according to Hindu traditions on Wednesday morning, On this occasion, the local administration, along with the Muslim community of the area, displayed extraordinary compassion and solidarity by not only participating in the last rites but also taking the lead in making the necessary arrangements. Local residents told The Kashmiriyat, "This was a matter of humanity. We simply fulfilled our duty for a fellow human being. Death is a reality, and in its presence, all are equal." In the presence of administrative officia...

The Akbar Jaipuri Memorial Committee has expressed deep sorrow over the demise of Shahid Budgami, one of Kashmir’s most celebrated literary and cultural voices, who passed away recently. In a heartfelt condolence message issued on Monday, the committee paid tribute to Budgami’s enduring contributions to Kashmiri and Urdu literature. Remembered not only as a prolific poet, author, and lyricist but also as a spiritual and literary companion of the late Syed Akbar Jaipuri, Budgami leaves behind a legacy that resonated deeply with generations of readers and listeners. “Budgami Sahab wasn’t just a poet. He preserved a tradition that is close to the soul of our community,” the committee said in its statement, referring to his seminal work Kashri Marsi Hund Tawareekh, which traces the histor...