Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 18: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today spoke very high of State’s heritage, art and crafts describing these living celebrities telling ancient stories of a rich civilization and marvellous workmanship of the people of this heavenly beautiful land.
Inaugurating two-day Kashmir Heritage Exhibition in Lal Mandi on the bank of river Jehlum here, the Chief Minister said that the artists, craftsman, calligraphists, painters, artisans, musicians, writers, poets and scholars have depicted State’s cultural diversity living in unity, beautifully through their skill and craftsmanship.
He said that the items of art, craft, costume, musical instruments, manuscripts, archaeology, images, paintings, household items, photographs and other memorabilia placed in the exhibition organized by J&K Cultural Academy in association with Departments of Archives, Handicrafts and NGOs, are taking a viewer back to earlier periods of history and narrate the status of people in various fields of art and literature.
The Chief Minister highlighted the role of such exhibitions to make people in general and younger generation in particular aware of the State’s rich heritage, culture, literature and mesmerizing craftsmanship.
“The people in old days despite so many short comings of resources and raw material have used locally available wood, willow, clay, zinc, copper, stone and other such objects artistically and wisely to produce artefacts of everlasting relevance”, he said and asked the Cultural Academy to organize more such exhibitions in the State at various places.
The Chief Minister asked the students to visit such exhibitions and enrich their knowledge of history, heritage, people, their status, life style and workmanship of highest quality.
The Meeras Sopore, National Bhand Theatre Wathoor and Nostalgic Kashmir have contributed in the exhibitions by providing items of historic importance.
The Secretary Cultural Academy, Khalid Bashir explained the memorabilia displayed in the exhibition and presented resume of the new initiatives taken by the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages to preserve the State’s heritage and promote art, literature and culture and languages of the State.
“The exposition is a window to our past and allows people, especially the young generation, to see the life and events in old Kashmir”, said Secretary Academy.
He said similar exhibitions will be held about Jammu and Ladakh heritage. The exhibition at Jammu will be held in December and the one at Leh at a subsequent date.
At display are rare photographs of old Kashmir, wood, willow, earthen, metal and stone craft, grass works, costumes, ornaments, archaeological finds, calligraphy specimen and rare manuscripts including the 12th century calligraphed copy of the holy Quran, Bhagwana Geeta in Sharda script.
A cross section of the society including youth and students of different educational institutions visited the exhibition on the inaugural day. Gyanpeet awardee and prominent Kashmiri poet, Raham Rahi described the displays has very important for an introduction with the past.
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