CULTURE

Doodh Ganga- Valley’s Dying Lifeline, a documentary by Er Abdul Rashid Bhat from Jammu & Kashmir, has won the first prize at the NHRC Short Film Awards. The film highlights pollution in the Doodh Ganga River and calls for its restoration. It won a cash prize of ₹2 lakh. The NHRC’s 10th short film competition received 303 entries, with Fight for Rights by Kadarappa Raju (on child marriage) securing second place and GOD by R. Ravichandran (on clean drinking water) winning third. Four other films received special mentions. The awards ceremony will be held later.

The Hindu community in Kashmir, along with visiting tourists, celebrated Mahashivratri on Wednesday with prayers and rituals at various temples across the valley. Local Hindus, a minority in Kashmir, gathered early in the morning at the historic Shankaracharya Temple atop the Zabarwan hills in Srinagar to offer prayers to Lord Shiva. Officials said dozens of tourists also visited the temple to mark the occasion. Devotees were also seen at the Martand Sun Temple in Anantnag, offering prayers in celebration of the festival. Jammu Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah extended his greetings to the Hindu community, expressing his wishes for peace and prosperity. "Wishing everyone a blessed and Happy Mahashivratri! May this sacred occasion bring peace, prosperity, and divine blessings t...

Mehak Qayoom  In an inspiring initiative to protect the Kashmiri language, a young tech enthusiast has developed an AI-powered model to bridge the language gap. Saqlain Yousuf, a 25-year-old from Naina, Pulwama, created Kashmiri GPT, an AI-based platform that enables users to communicate in Kashmiri. "Large language models like ChatGPT and Claude have made communication easier in languages such as English, Hindi, Urdu, and Tamil. However, Kashmiri has been largely overlooked," Saqlain explained. "With Kashmiri at risk, I wanted to develop a model that helps people read, write, and understand the language." Saqlain was inspired by a research paper revealing that only 33% of people in Kashmir can read and write in Kashmiri, a statistic that motivated him to take action. "I lef...

Shabir Ali In the heart of Kashmir, the old city of Srinagar unfolds like a living museum, its narrow alleys lined with centuries-old buildings adorned with intricate wooden lattices and khatamband ceilings. The air here carries the faint aroma of spices, mingled with the sound of the Jhelum River flowing gently under historic bridges. This is a city where the past and present coexist, where the architectural beauty whispers tales of bygone eras. Srinagar’s rich cultural fabric has long been woven by artisans and craftspeople, many of whom migrated from rural areas during the Dogra rule and subsequent regimes. Drawn by the city’s rising prominence as a center of commerce and craftsmanship, these skilled workers brought with them a legacy of traditional arts—pashmina weaving, papie...

The devotees and locals of nearby areas have strongly opposed the installation of Air Conditioners at the historic Khanqah-e-Moula shrine, expressing concerns that it could pose a serious fire hazard. Speaking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), several devotees and local residents from nearby areas said they are willing to endure the cold and do not want air conditioning at the centuries-old wooden shrine. They urged the Jammu Kashmir Waqf Board to instead focus on strengthening fire safety measures at the revered site. "We fear that installing air conditioners in a wooden structure like Khanqah-e-Moula could increase the risk of fire incident. It is better to improve the fire-fighting system rather than install these devices,” a devotee said. Another devotee and l...

Stone carvers in Sanderkoot village of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district are grappling with the fallout of a mining ban imposed in 2019 which has now disrupted a centuries-old tradition of stone carving, leaving hundreds of families without their primary source of income. The carvers, locally referred to as sang taraash, have relied on devere stone from local mountains for generations to craft curbstones, gravestones, and floor stones. Since the 2019 mining ban, they have lost access to this essential material, halting their craft and threatening their livelihoods and a centuries-old cultural tradition. Notably, the Sanderkoot village is renowned for its centuries-old tradition of stone carving, which holds a significant place in Kashmir's cultural heritage. The skilled artisa...

A mass marriage ceremony for 50 orphan girls was held at the Marriage Hall in the Barbarshah area of Srinagar. The Nikkah ceremony was attended by family members, and well-wishers with MLA Habba Kadal, Shamima Firdous, serving as the Chief Guest. Other notable guests included social worker Syed Aijaz Kashani, public figure Umer Wani, youth leader Manzur Ahmad Bhat, and Sajad Rezvi, Regional Director of IGNOU Kashmir. During the ceremony, legislator Shamima Firdous hailed the effort of organizers in supporting underprivileged families, while social worker Mr Kashani and Mr. Wani highlighted the importance of such initiatives for the community. The ‘mass marriage’ ceremony was organized by ‘Smile Foundation.’ [KNT]

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senior leader and former minister Naeem Akhtar has strongly opposed the proposed hike in Goods and Services Tax (GST) on Kashmiri shawls from 12% to 28%. Akhtar warned that such a move would devastate Kashmir’s fragile economy and push thousands of artisans into financial distress. In a statement, Akhtar called the tax increase a "severe blow" to an already struggling sector. "This is an attempt to crush the artistic genius of Kashmir under the weight of excessive taxation," he said. He emphasized the historic significance of shawl making in the region, a craft meticulously preserved over centuries despite challenging circumstances. "Kashmiri shawl weavers, with their delicate fingers, create masterpieces admired globally. This proposed taxation i...