Meeras Mahal at Sopore, North Kashmir, was inaugurated in November 2023. This is a museum dedicated to the collections of Atiqa Bano. Atiqa Bano (Behan Ji) (1940 – 4 October 2017) was an Indian educationist and activist for the artistic and cultural heritage of Kashmir. She established and curated the Meeras Mahal, a private museum...
Author: admin
Photo Essay: The Dying Art of Stencil Makers, Amritsar
Gurinder Singh, now 70 years old started working in his father’s (Kulwant Singh) shop at the age of 20. Their shop located in the Akali Market, Amritsar has been making sign boards and stencils. Both handmade, have now lost out to the computer made large flex signs and signboards. Yashpal, who has been working in...
Photo Essay: Ghulam Mohd Noor Mohd Tajraan-e- Kutub
The book shop near the Budshah Tomb, has a signboard outside that reads‘ GHULAM MOHD NOOR MOHD TAJRAAN E KUTUB “. This is perhaps the oldest bookshop of Srinagar. This 133 years old bookshop sells books of literature, religion, philosophy, poetry and various other subjects, in Urdu, Persian and Arabic and was established by Ghulam...
Photo Essay: Kuja Mishri, Amritsar
Rajinder Singh has been making Kuja Mishri since almost 40 years in Amritsar and he’s the third generation in this work. Kuja Mishri is a specialty of Amritsar and almost 99% of total produced is made here. In fact an entire bazaar is named after it as Mishri Bazaar, in the vicinity of Darbar Sahib....
Photo Essay: Glazed Pottery, Kashmir
The Kumar family from Srinagar is renowned for their exquisite glazed pottery,also known as Dalgate pottery or Khanyar pottery (locally known as Rogan-i-Keam) . Abdul Salam Kumar, from Ishber Nishat, began his journey in the craft of pottery at the age of 10, working alongside his father. Today, together with his three sons, he has...
Photo Essay: Panzath Nag, Kashmir’s Spring Cleaning Festival.
Age old traditional wisdom and community initiatives have stood the test of time and are probably the knowledge and methods we need to resort to fight climate change and rising pollution levels. One such centuries old tradition is still followed in South Kashmir in the village of Panzath. Annually the local communities take a day...
Photo Essay: Papier Mache, Kashmir
A woman from Kashmir, Masrat Jan, is reviving the dying papier-mache craft, and breaking the gender stereotypes around it. Papier mache is mostly done by men in Kashmir, while women mostly do needlework and embroidery on shawls and suits. In her 50s, Jan, a well-known papier-mache artist lives in the Lal Bazar area of Srinagar....
Adil Teli – Co-funding two times Guinness World Record Holder in Cycling
Span Foundation co-funded Adil’s Leh to Manali stretch and paid for his new cycle. We are proud to be associated with a true champion. Oct 13, 2022I’m grateful to your organization, the Span Foundation, for co-funding my attempt as a professional cyclist to break the Guinness World record from Leh to Manali. Your contribution came...
Photo Essay: Craft of Kashmiri Turquoise
Nisar Ahmed Bhat,70, of Fateh Kadal, Srinagar is probably the last artist of the Valley involved in the craft of turquoise or Ferozi. The craft of Turquoise or Ferozi originated in Iran and came to Kashmir , as with many other crafts, with Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani (Shah-e-Hamdan). Nisar’s grandfather learnt it at a famous...
Photo Essay: Zaroo Gun Factory, Srinagar
Zaroo Gun Factory is one of only two family-run workshops in Srinagar. Violence in the region and crackdowns on gun licenses have decimated the business, but the Zaroos are determined to keep the craft alive. Zaroo gun factory was established in 1958 by Ghulam Mohammad Zaroo in Nowhatta, Srinagar. The small dark workshop packed with...