ON HERITAGE

 Iqbal Ahmad

The first blooming fruit trees!

The first blooming fruit trees!

Kashmir has rightly been described as ‘the land of fruits and flowers’. Its environment and climate has provided greater facilities for horticulture and floriculture industry to grow more rapidly when compared to the neighboring states. Scores of varieties of colorful flowers and delicious fruits are cultivated on its fertile and much suitable lands for such […]

 Iqbal Ahmad

Sharda  Peeth- an ancient architectural wonder

Sharda  Peeth- an ancient architectural wonder

No doubt that Sharada Peeth temple has significant spiritual and cultural importance for Kashmiri Pandits, for the general visitors it is an architectural marvel turned into ruins and signifies the medieval period ‘Temple Architecture’ of Kashmir.  In its appearance, it looks like the ‘Sun Temple’ of Martand and has a close architectural resemblance with it. […]

 Iqbal Ahmad

Terracotta’s of Kashmir

Terracotta’s of Kashmir

The artistic zeal of the people, who lived here centuries ago, can be well traced from the magnificent Terra-Cotta art discovered at some places in the valley. Terra-Cotta art is thus one of the earliest examples of art in Kashmir and it is found in the shape of Tiles as well as in Sculptures. The […]

 Iqbal Ahmad

Preserving culture and language

Preserving culture and language

No doubt we may belong to different faiths, beliefs, creeds and classes but we should never forget that we all represent one culture and one language and are known as Kashmiri in the entire globe. This is our basic identity and we should be proud of it.  Our culture is rich and needs to be […]

 Iqbal Ahmad

Preserving the cultural identity

Preserving the cultural identity

People of Kashmir are a peace loving nation with a documented history of about six thousand years. Archaeologists and historians who are engaged in the study of Kashmir history and culture claim that Kashmir is an old nation which, according to them, has a well documented history of six thousand years. In ancient times, it […]

 Iqbal Ahmad

Forgotten Wooden granaries

Forgotten Wooden granaries

There are several books and research papers available on Kashmir history and art, but  the traditional  Kashmir architectural has not been explored to such an extent even now and there are only a fewer details that give an inside view of the styles and designs, the materials  used in traditional architectural wonders of the vale. […]

 Iqbal Ahmad

‘Khal Chhu Maethaan Phal Muklit’

‘Khal Chhu Maethaan Phal Muklit’

There   is an ancient Kashmiri proverb ‘Khal Chhu Maethaan Phal Muklit’ which literary means  that the fruits  turns sweet but only after its stocks are  finished.  Khal in local traditions refers to the paddy storage, where the harvested stalks are first collected and stored temporarily in pyramid shaped heaps.  These heaps of paddy are locally […]

 Iqbal Ahmad

The ever disappearing Kashmiri fauna

The ever disappearing Kashmiri fauna

While the world is suffering the onslaughts of global warming and other destructive environmental phenomenon and several species of animals and birds are at the verge of extinction, here in Kashmir, we too are witnessing strange environmental issues that might rob us of the variety of fauna that we traditionally have had. The environmentalist may […]

 Iqbal Ahmad

The fine ‘Copper Works’

The fine ‘Copper Works’

Handling Metal is a bit difficult and tedious when compared to handling wood. It requires not only high skill but also improved instruments and casting as well as clipping technologies. Romans and Greeks were the first to introduce metal in various forms. Harappan people also made ornaments and seals of it and people of Kashmir […]

 Iqbal Ahmad

The old tales of natural herbs!

The old tales of natural herbs!

Kashmir, besides other things, is also known for its rich flora. Its environment and atmosphere has always been favorable for a variety of natural herbs and flowers. These herbs have been found useful by the local herbalists and are usually used for treating various diseases. The local herbalists and Hakeems were very much confident about […]