KASHMIR CULTURAL CENTRE

Kashmir’s idea of creating a cultural Centre is a sad tale of missed opportunities spread over almost half a century, writes M Saleem Beg

-  M Saleem Beg

Kashmir has variously been described as a crucible or a melting pot of different cultural streams and influences. These influences are homegrown and local in addition to those transferred through migrations and acquired by interactions with other societies and civilizations. This crosscultural intermingling has given Kashmir a distinct and composite identity and has been celebrated historically through arts, architecture, and literature.

In early medieval era conquests and annexations by the powerful and expansionist neighbours were the norms. Kalhana, the twelfth-century storyteller, historian, and poet gave a glimpse into its mystical and harmonious moorings stating that “the country can be conquered by force of spiritual merits but not by faces of soldiers”. This explained Kashmir’s cultural depth and superiority in an age and world where force was the only mediating factor between countries and cultures. The spiritual prowess of great religions of Buddhism and Islam is a testimony to Kalhana’s insight and the socio-cultural plurality of Kashmir.

Master Sanskrit and Persian writings help imagine Kashmir not only as a paradise but also an abode of Gods. Paradise has been described as eternal bliss and God’s ultimate creation. Again, Kalhana rings in the Sun, the life-giver of the universe when he states “in Kashmir, out of respect as it was, the sun does not burn fiercely during summer.”

MATERIAL CULTURE