CULTURE

A well-known coppersmith's innovations has infused a new life to the dying art as he hasn't kept copperware confined with utensils only. Muhammad Aslam Bhat, from KK Mohalla Shamaswari, Srinagar has given new life to this dying art by making innovative things with different designs. Bhat while talking to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said that his parents and even grandparents were associated with this craft and it was his passion to make innovative things and from an early age he started working at their workshop. “I have faced many difficulties which everyone faces in any field but earning anything with hard-work always makes you feel happy,” he said. “Despite working for decades, I am still passionate about making new things that are going to benefit the public". ...

Kashmiri Pandits on Friday took out Shoba Yatra here on the occasion of Janamashtami in the heart of Srinagar city. The marchers, which included children dressed in traditional attire, started from Kathleshwar temple in Tankipora area of Srinagar and passed through Habbakadal, Ganpathyar, Barbar Shah, Regal Chowk, Lal Chowk, Hari Singh High Street and Jahangir Chowk amid tight security. Chanting religious slogans, a healthy number of Pandits took part in the event. The President of the Hindu Welfare Society of Kashmir, Chunni Lal, prayed for the peace and prosperity for the whole of humanity. He said the traditional brotherhood among the people of Kashmir should flourish for centuries peacefully.Kashmiri

Following the fresh directions regarding ban, the authorities in Waqf on Wednesday removed over 100 Mujavirs and dozens of donation boxes and other related stuff installed by them decades ago from major shrines in Srinagar and elsewhere in the Valley. Details available with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said that following the directions by the Waqf Board regarding ban on unethical practices at the shrines, the officials have removed the Muajvirs from the shrines where they had occupied the spots for decades. Officials said that it was a very hectic process to remove these Mujavirs from the shrines as they had occupied the spots a few decades ago. “We faced tremendous hardships while removing the Mujavirs from the spot, but successfully, we have managed to come up with the e...

A renowned Kashmiri Pandit cardiologist, Upendra Koul has opened a Heart Centre for needy patients in the Hawal area of south Kashmir's Pulwama district. Dr. Koul's centre which is named after his grandfather Prasad Joo Khan is expected to serve a lot of patients in the area who have to travel for several miles to reach the nearest heart facility. Originally a resident of from Pulwama’s Hawal area, Dr. Kaul, is the chairman and dean of academics and research at the Batra Hospital in New Delhi. "I will attend to patients at the centre’s outpatient department in Pulwama once in a week, and also meet them Srinagar," he was quoted as saying by the Hindu. On Saturday, locals accompanied the doctor to the inauguration of the project. Many Pandits from the Hawal transit camp also atte...

Kounsar Bashir Kashmiri Pandits on Saturday reached Srinagar's Sheikh ul Alam International Airport to welcome the first batch of 145 Hajis who returned from the Islamic pilgrimage of Hajj. An eyewitness speaking to The Kashmiriyat said that in an exemplary display of communal harmony in the region, a large number of Kashmiri Pandits reciting Kashmiri Naats welcomed the Hajis at the international Airport The Pandits congratulated the Hajis and sought the blessing of Hajis. Videos from the event were shared by several internet users including Mohit Bhan, a Kashmiri Pandit activits. Bhan wrote, "Our Kashmiri Pandits welcoming Hajis at Srinagar airport today by singing traditional Naat seeking the blessings of Prophet. This is our syncretic culture believers of Islam are enablers ...

Setting an example of communal harmony, an elderly Sikh in south Kashmir honored a Muslim youth after completing his Aetikaaf (I'tikaf) in the last ten days of Ramadan. Aetikaaf is a meritorious voluntary act. It derives from a word meaning 'to stay in one place.' It is best done in the last ten days of Ramadan since the Prophet did that. Linguistically it means devotion to a thing and sticking to it. The youth identified as Waseem Ahmed, a resident of the Padibal area of Tral in south Kashmir's Pulwama district was greeted by the Sikh community after completion of Aetikaaf in a Tral mosque. Karnail Singh (80) revered alike by both the Muslim and Sikh communities honored Waseem by tying a 'Dastaar' over his head. The video posted by Mufti Islah, a senior Kashmiri journalist has...

Suhail Dar Reconstruction of the houses of several Pandit families, that had begun the last year, is about to be completed in the Mattan area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. During the 1990s, almost 30 families left the Mattan area of Anantnag, which is renowned for its communal harmony. Among the several family heads, who are reconstructing their houses, is Pandit Kakaji who is building a two-storey house for himself and his brother’s family. The local Muslim villagers have extended support to the families, who also make sure to visit the site every day in order to enquire about the progress of the work. As the armed rebellion began in the valley towards the end of 1988, pandits migrated from Kashmir amid the atmosphere of fear. Kakaji had moved to Jammu along with his f...

A number of people visited practitioners of ‘leech therapy’ on the occasion of Novroz on Monday as the therapy is believed to be more effective on this particular day. Scores of people were seen standing in queues, waiting for their turn to go through the procedure, at many places in the valley, especially at Dargah Hazratbal in Srinagar. It is believed that leeches can cure frostbite, skin diseases and other blood infections, as they suck out the impure blood from the body. Wali Mohammad, a practitioner of leech therapy, told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), “I am doing this practice for the last 40 years and as per my experience, people are getting cured with this therapy. People understand that this therapy is the best cure for their illness which they don’t get from ot...