Read Of The Week (July 4 to July 10)

Perhaps the most enigmatic region in the world, Kashmir has a special place in the Indian subcontinent’s history. Over the several centuries of being ruled by kings from diverse faiths and cultures — Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Afghans, Sikhs and Dogras, the region has undergone various cycles of social, cultural and religious changes. Since India’s independence, the Kashmir valley has received more media and government attention than any other state. The reasons have been mostly political than for its natural beauty, its contribution to Indian literature or its exuberant flora and fauna.

A Kashmiri Century is a one-of-a-kind book that delves deep into the human side of living in the Valley, an aspect often missing in the cold political treatises on Kashmir. It offers a rare glimpse into the lives of Kashmiris — Hindus and Muslims alike — and how their existence revolved around the simple pleasures of life, even as they dealt with the many changes of the past 100 years.

As a native Kashmiri, writer and social worker who has spent the last fi­ve decades serving people, Khem Lata Wakhlu has seen the socio-political landscape change like few others. The stories in the book provide a glimpse of the Kashmir that her generation and her grandparents and parents grew up in. The all-encompassing view of Kashmiri ethos and culture brings a fresh outlook that is much needed in our times.