CULTURE

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...

Shah Basit Kashmiri Pandits on Monday celebrated their grandest annual festival of Mahashivratri- locally known as Herath. Other than the largest gathering held at the Shankaracharya Temple in Srinagar, prayers were also held at Ganpatyar temple in Habakadal and Hanuman Temple in Amira Kadal areas of Srinagar. Kashmiri Pandits observe the Herath festival for three days to mark the wedding of Hindu God- Shiva and Parvati. On this day, they distribute walnuts as a mark of respect to the Hindu Gods. Herath is the most prominent festival of Kashmiri Pandits, which is celebrated on the 13th day of the dark half of the month of Phalguna, between February and March, and not on Chaturdashi or the 14th as in the Indian mainland. On the first day, special 'Poojas' are held in all temp...

Muslim politicians on Monday extended good wishes to the Kashmiri Pandit community on the occasion of Herath, considered as the Kashmiri equivalent of Maha Shivaratri. Herath greetings to Kashmiri Pandits everywhere. May all your prayers on this special day be answered #HerathPoshte, former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah tweeted. Peoples Democratic Party president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, too, extended Herath greetings to the Kashmiri Pandits. Herath Poshte to our Kashmiri Pandit brethren. May this occasion bring you joy, prosperity & peace, she tweeted. Conveying his greetings, People's Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone wished that the good old days of bonhomie between the Muslims and the Pandits return to the valley. Herath Mubarak...