Hindus’ Lord Shiva Shrine in Amarnath and Muslims’ Zain-ud-din Wali’s Shrine in Aishmuqam stand tall at a common place in Himalayas of Kashmir, Anantnag. What will you call it mere coincidence or more? Kashmir is a land of many religions cohesively bidden together in fibers of Kashmiriyat since centuries. The history holds witness to the…
Month: September 2020
Heena’s Little Story of Changing Kupwara
I choose to publish this story for it reminds me of little flutter of wings of baby bird before she flies high to kiss the sky. Heena shared this piece with me with pure innocence in white ink. How could I possibly not celebrate her leap of faith in goodness ahead ! She symbolizes the…
Shikara in Dal Lake
The shikar is a type of wooden boat found on Dal Lake and other water bodies of Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir, India. … Shikars are of varied sizes and are used for multiple purposes, including transportation of people. A usual shikar seats half-a-dozen people, with the driver paddling at the rear. Wikipedia The deodar…
Kashmir’s Divinity in its Lost Sufism
Sufism in Kashmir valley is something that is integrated with the soul of its people and has been the sole guiding factor that has led the people of Kashmir through all of their turbulent history and is something upon which the social foundations of a Kashmiri society resides. Kashmiri Sufism not only reflects the behavior…
I am Kashmir … a Melange of Emotions
When the Shikaras stir my pristine waters and create ripples of life, I smell serenity, stability, inspiration with a whiff of vulnerability and menace. When my loaded orchards add different hues of love, passion, celebration and flourish mylands embracing the wrath, perils and the outrage with pride and grace.The swarm of travelers shroud the mysterious…
Tangdhar Pass Named After 1960s Bollywood Actress
At a height of 10200 feet near Tangdhar, 134 Kilometers from Srinagar exists the Nastha Chun Pass. Nastha Chun Pass literally means a “Cut Nose Pass”, as people don’t feel their nose here due to strong and colds winds blowing throughout the year. Kashmiri name of this Pass is “Nathi Chapa Gali” which means “Numb…
Zaid was not Born a Terrorist
What a beautiful morning it is. I just love this time when Asim (my husband) and my kids haven’t woken up. This is the time I devote to my pranayam, meditation, walk and my gratitude journal. I tried to meditate but my restless mind gave up. Made a big cuppa tea with some cookies and…
Girl Education Get Wings in Kashmir
“When you invest in a girl’s education; She feeds herself, her children, her community and her nation.” Though ‘Gender Equality’ is a slogan we hear in all spheres of life in the 21st century India, we still live in a society where a marginal section of patriarchy considers women as weak and subjects them to…
Kashmir RootStock 