Kashmiri Pandits celebrate ‘Navreh’ in Srinagar with Muslims

The last 32-years of militancy in Kashmir may have caused a considerable decline among other things, in the practice, performance/exhibition of art and cultural expressions in public spaces.

Before the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits (KPs) from the Valley in 1990, Navreh, the first day of the New Year as per the Kashmiri Hindu calendar, was a celebration in which the local Muslims would also participate.

The major celebration used to be held at the Mata Sharika temple, atop the Hari Parbat hillock in the centre of Srinagar. After the exodus of KPs from the Valley, the temple went silent and the celebrations stopped.

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But this Friday Vomedh (Hope), a Jammu based Theatre and Cultural group, celebrated Navreh at Zabarwan Park on the banks of Dal Lake in Srinagar.

On the occasion, the Vomedh put up a day-long extravagant cultural program and an exhibition on Kashmiri Pandits. The program titled “Kashmir Navreh Milan-2022” was attended by local Muslims and tourists, who took a keen interest in understanding the lifestyle and culture of the displaced Pandit community.

“Navreh used to be celebrated with a lot of pomp and show in Srinagar in the good old days. We wanted to recreate the ambience of Navreh for the locals and tourists to see the rich tradition and culture of Kashmiri Pandits in its original form,” said Rohit Bhat, one of the organizers, while expressing his thoughts about the program.

He said they had also included some unique presentations of Kashmiri culture and traditions in general in the program. “We are happy to see the participation and encouragement that we received,” Bhat added.

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Mohammad Yousuf, a local Kashmiri, said both Muslims and KPs suffered immensely after the onset of militancy. “Through such events, the older generation wants to relive the past and for the new generations, who are not aware of these celebrations, it is important for them to know about them,” he said.

Yousuf added that the fact that the event is taking place on a big scale shows that things are changing for good in the Valley post abrogation of Article 370.

The program started with a painting competition organised in collaboration with J&K Private Schools’ Association and was attended by scores of children from schools in Srinagar, a statement from the organizers read.

Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Pandurang Pole, Director Tourism, G N Itoo, General Officer Commanding (GoC) of 31 Sub Area Maj. General SPS Vishwas Rao, B B Bhat, President Zestha Devi Prabhandak Committee and G N Var, President of JK Private Schools’ Association were some of the guests who attended the event, it said.

As part of the exhibition, various stalls were arranged in order to display the artefacts of Kashmiri Pandit festivals like Shivratri, typical household items, paintings and many more items showcasing their culture. There were also stalls of food, books, a bakery and quintessential Kehwa.

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