The rich socio-religious culture of Kashmir
By: Firdoos Wani
Kashmir Valley is known across the globe for its lush meadows, picturesque mountain towns like Sonamarg, Gulmarg, and Pahalgam, its apple and almond orchards, its crafts and tourism industry, its stunning Pashmina shawls, and its rich culture and traditions. Amir Khusrao’s poetry is the finest means to convey Kashmir’s natural splendor to the rest of the planet.
“Agar Firdaus Ba Roo-e-ZameenAst
HameAst-o HameAst-o HameAst”.
“If there is a paradise on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here”.
Kashmir is also known as ‘PirWaer’- abode of Sufis and saints- who journeyed long distances to foster an atmosphere of peace, love, compassion, togetherness, brotherhood, and communal harmony in Kashmir. The Sufi humanistic philosophy has had a profound impact on the establishment of Kashmiri ethnic identity.
The Sufis’ sincere advocacy of humanism in the mediaeval period resulted in a particularly rich and distinctive composite culture known as Kashmiriyat here, which was characterized by social peace and religious harmony.
The cultural ethos were such that the various Sufi shrines in the Valley are respected by both communities-Muslims as well as Hindus. Kashmir has had a peaceful coexistence amongst diverse ethnic groups for a long time. Sufism promotes religious unity and brotherhood by adhering to the tolerance and non-violent values of Islam. In a multi-religious culture like Jammu and Kashmir, Sufism, as a whole, offers a method for peace and co-existance.
The legendary Kashmiri sufi saint, Sheikh Noor ud Din Noorani (RA), used poetry to promote the Quranic teachings and message in the form of poetry for the masses here to understand fully. These four to six-line poems revolve on religious themes and emphasis morality while calling for a peaceful co-existence. He was a great advocate for Hindu-Muslim reconciliation. A well-known poem of his is:
“DuniyahasAayeBaejiBaeji, SamithKaroBaejiwath”, which translates as: We had come to the world so that we may live together just like brothers.
All other sufi saints’ teachings emphasis on peace, harmony, and fraternity. However, because of the uncertainty that has lingered on for a few decades took its toll on the cultural sensitivities of this place and also gave rise to some amount of extremism here.
Kashmiriyat and communal harmony were shattered by the continuous violence in Kashmir, which resulted in several deaths and the expulsion of Kashmiri Pandits from the valley.
The insurgency in Kashmir definitely brought about an ideological change that was never seen here and people- the masses- were as awestruck as anyone else to see such a rapid change taking place. However, the Sufi traditions are deep rooted here and people have profound love for these rich cultural and social nuances. As a Kashmiri, I implore the people to stay true to their roots and resist the temptations of any ideology that goes against harmony and love. Let us all work together to restore tranquility to Kashmir.
The author is a PhD scholar.
