Roots and Reflections - Exploring Ideas, Experiences and Wisdom

  Kashmir possesses an artistic and cultural inheritance of extraordinary historical significance. Its ancient stone sculptures, exquisite bronze images, Buddhist antiquities, temple fragments, miniature paintings, manuscripts and traditional crafts represent centuries of creative excellence and intellectual exchange. These treasures are not merely remnants of a distant past; they are material expressions of a civilisation that developed distinctive artistic traditions while maintaining meaningful connections with the wider Indian subcontinent and the Himalayan world. The Shri Pratap Singh Museum (SPS Museum) in Srinagar, one of the oldest museums in India, occupies a particularly important position in preserving this legacy. However, possessing an exceptional collection is not enough. A museum must also possess the scholarly competence to identify, interpret, document and communicate the historical importance of its holdings. This is precisely where the SPS Museum requires renewed...

The cultural history of Kashmir is enriched by personalities whose extraordinary creativity, artistic vision and intellectual accomplishments have left an enduring imprint on successive generations. Pran Kishore Kaul, popularly known as Pran Ji, occupies a distinguished position among such multifaceted personalities. An accomplished broadcaster, theatre director, actor, filmmaker, playwright, novelist, translator and painter, he made remarkable contributions to the development of Kashmiri radio drama and brought the cultural richness of Kashmir to audiences across India and beyond. His life represents a fascinating journey through the evolution of broadcasting, theatre, literature and performing arts in Jammu and Kashmir. Born in 1925 at Mallapora, Habba Kadal, Srinagar, Pran Kishore Kaul grew up in an era when Kashmir was undergoing considerable social and cultural transformation. His childhood memories provide glimpses of an older Srinagar, where traditional schools, modest lifestyle...

UNFORGETTABLE JAGAN NATH SAQI Early life and distinctive personality: Jagan Nath Saqi was born and brought up in Khankaah-e-Sokhta, a neighbourhood in downtown Srinagar. His residence was situated close to the ancestral home of Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad, owing to which he enjoyed personal familiarity with every member of the Bakshi family. His distinctive personality, unconventional habits and diverse interests made him a well-known figure in the locality. His penchant for acting, smoking, frequenting traditional gossip shops, travelling in a fully occupied Tonga, wearing an English-style hat and spending money with remarkable extravagance set him apart from others. His close association with certain local toughs from Nawa Kadal further contributed to his colourful public image. Among the Kashmiri Pandits, these peculiarities earned him several distinctive nicknames, including ‘Jagir Gunda’, ‘Raasa-kath’ (the dancing lamb) and ‘Jaga Angrez’. These sobriquets reflected the popular percepti...

(Raqib Shaw - Famous artist)               (Paintings of Raqib Shaw) Introduction : Raqib Shaw, born in 1974, is one of the most distinctive and internationally acclaimed contemporary artists of Kashmiri origin. Renowned for his extraordinarily intricate paintings, flamboyant colours, elaborate ornamental patterns, and imaginative dreamscapes, Shaw has carved out a remarkable place for himself in the international art world. His artistic creations represent a fascinating meeting point between Eastern and Western traditions, bringing together mythology, nature, literature, history, and the decorative arts in a style that is unmistakably his own. Born in Kolkata and brought up in Kashmir, Shaw developed an early familiarity with the region's rich artistic heritage. His parents were associated with the family business of carpets, handicrafts, antiques, textiles, and jewellery. This environment exposed him to the beauty of traditional craftsmanship, intric...

Introduction: The Literary World of Hari Krishen Kaul Hari Krishen Kaul (1934–2009) occupies a distinguished place in the history of modern Kashmiri literature. A gifted short-story writer, playwright and novelist, Kaul possessed an extraordinary ability to explore the complexities of human relationships, the contradictions of society and the anxieties of ordinary life. His writings reflect Kashmir not merely as a geographical landscape of mountains, rivers and valleys, but as a living society shaped by cultural traditions, changing values, political uncertainty and the universal struggles of human existence. His literary vision extended beyond the immediate circumstances of his time. Through subtle humour, penetrating satire and profound psychological insight, Kaul examined the lives of ordinary people whose experiences often revealed uncomfortable truths about society. His characters are familiar figures drawn from middle-class households, government offices and neighbourhoods, yet t...

            (Photo of Dr. Ved Kumari Ghai) Dr. Ved Kumari Ghai was a scholar, professor, intellectual, social activist and was held in high esteem in Jammu. She was the reputed Sanskrit professor and scholar and was well versed in Hindi as well as Dogri languages. Ved Kumari Gai was a literary figure of Jammu and Kashmir and his contribution to Sanskrit language, literature and society was well recognised. Ghai was born on 16th December 1931, in Partap Garh Mohallah, Jammu. She completed her school education in Jammu and passed masters degree in Sanskrit from Punjab university in 1953 and MA in Ancient History and Culture in 1958 and then PhD in Sanskrit from BHU in 1960. She was an acclaimed professor and scholar of Sanskrit and she had the distinction of having been the privilege of presiding the literary. social and religious functions. She was involved in literary and social services throughout his life.  Basically she was appointed as a professor ...

Tilakacharya: A Buddhist Adviser to Budshah Tilakacharya holds a distinctive, though sparsely recorded, place in the historical narrative of the Kashmir Sultanate. Early accounts describe him as a Bauddha Acharya, or a Parmukh, who rose to become an influential adviser to Sultan Ghiyas-ud-Din Zain-ul-Abidin, the illustrious ruler of Kashmir from 1420 to 1470, affectionately revered by his people as Budshah, meaning the Great King. The Buddhist Parmukhs of Central Asia To comprehend the reasons behind the appointment of Buddhist Parmukhs by certain Muslim sovereigns, it is essential to examine the historical connections with Central Asia. Derived from the Sanskrit term Pramukha, signifying a leader or chief, the designation Parmukh was associated with the hereditary custodians of the renowned Nava Vihara monastery at Balkh, several of whom traced their origins to Kashmir. These distinguished intellectuals possessed exceptional linguistic abilities, mastering Sanskrit, Bactrian, Tibetan,...