During this season the maple leaves of majestic Chinar trees turn gold brown from the green which is always attracting nature lovers to the Kashmir Valley. Tourists from across the world including different parts of India are visiting the Mughal Gardens to observe the scenic beauty. The mesmerizing autumn season is at its peak in the Kashmir Valley, and the Mughal Gardens has yet again become a major tourist attraction. The Autumn season is also known as ‘Harud’ in the local language denotes the foggy season with different hues in…
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Business
Famed Paper Mache trade hangs by a thread
Sumayyah Qureshi Despite the pandemic’s devastating impact on business, foreign orders have begun to trickle in ahead of Christmas, giving the dying craft a lifeline. Ahead of Christmas, Nasir Ahmed Mir, 60, a Kashmiri Muslim artist is busy giving the finishing touches to miniature paper mache Santa Claus dolls. The order is being readied for sale in the international market. Sitting in one corner of a room strewn with paper mache articles and splattered with glitter and paint, Nasir is engrossed in his work and has no time to talk.…
Read MoreWhy Kashmir’s famed willow cricket bat industry is fighting for a big hit?
In a country where cricket is like a religion, bats are obviously prized commodities, but the industry needs sustenance By: Kalpana Sunder Driving down the national highway from Srinagar to Pahalgam, past snow-covered peaks, saffron fields, and army checkpoints, you come across Sangam. This sleepy village, located about 40 kilometers from Srinagar, greets you with grids of willow clefts stacked along the roadside and on roofs of buildings and left to dry under the mellow Kashmiri sun. Sangam’s claim to fame is its cricket bats, which find their way into…
Read MoreAutumn In Kashmir; Season to walk over the Chinar Leaves
Enter Chinar garden at Dal Lake in Srinagar. At one side of the garden, children were playing cricket on fallen Chinar leaves. Naseer Ganai “Jis khaak ke zamir mein ho aatish-e-chinar Mumkin nahien ke sard ho wok hake arajmand” (The spark that has in its conscience the fire of Chinar trees, The spark, celestial dust, will never become cold) – Sir Muhammad Iqbal For centuries the Chinar tree has attracted and inspired Kashmiri poets. And Iqbal’s couplet is on everyone’s lips. Enter Chinar garden at Dal Lake in Srinagar. At…
Read MoreHarissa to HokhGaed: Some mouthwatering Kashmiri delicacies you should try this winter
Winter s here, so are the delicacies that will rule your kitchen for the next four months. Winter in Kashmir is harsh as bone-chilling and heavy snowfall remain the order of the day. In Kashmir which usually remains cut-off from the rest of the country, the preparation for winter begins in autumn when people stockpile essentials from food to fuel. Under such circumstances, people usually remain indoors, hence a chance to savor winter delicacies both as meals and snacks. Here in this article, we will discuss the delicacies, which remain…
Read MoreShivering in major power outages, Kashmir spurs Kangri sales
It’s three years since the government promised round-the-clock electricity with ₹35,000 crore investments in new projects Prolonged electricity outages have spurred the sale of kangris, the wicker-covered, charcoal-filled earthen pot used for heating in the winters by people in Kashmir, three years after the government promised round-the-clock electricity with ₹35,000 crore investments in new power projects. Kashmir faces unscheduled power cuts of six to 12 hours a day in its urban pockets, with minimum temperatures already hovering at less than one degree Celsius in most parts of the valley. Continuing…
Read MoreGovt keen to ensure ‘Vibrant Winter Tourism’ season in Kashmir: Chief Secretary
“Government is keen to ensure a vibrant winter tourism season in Kashmir and for this purpose, provision of reliable electricity supply is of critical importance,” Chief Secretary A K Mehta said. The Jammu and Kashmir administration is keen to ensure a vibrant winter tourism season in the valley, Chief Secretary A K Mehta said on Wednesday, urging the officials to provide round-the-clock power supply to the famous resorts of Gulmarg and Pahalgam. The Chief Secretary chaired a meeting with senior officers, including Principal Secretary Power Development Department Rohit Kansal, here…
Read MorePakistan refuses use of its airspace for Srinagar-Sharjah flight
Pakistan has denied use of its airspace to Go First’s Srinagar-Sharjah flight, the government officials said on Wednesday. According to officials, Pakistan’s refusal on Tuesday forced the flight to take a longer route and fly over Gujarat to reach its destination in the UAE. Go First, previously known as GoAir, had started direct flights between Srinagar and Sharjah from October 23 and the service was inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his visit to the Valley last month. According to officials, till October 31, the flight was going…
Read MoreApple farms devastated as early snow destroyed fruits & cracked trees
Apple growers say the damages are more profound in the hilly Shopian district where snowfall has been liberal and damages extensive. Red, green, and yellow apples, some ripe and some unripe lay scattered over acres of land as Aamir Hussain paced towards his orchard on a snowy morning in south Kashmir. Minutes later as he stood there and looked around, he knelt down shaking his head in disbelief. It took him a while to process what heavy and unseasonal snow had done to trees and crops in his orchard. He…
Read MoreMigrant workers who have become integral part of Kashmir’s economy
Over the past two decades, migrant labourers from India’s heartland have become an integral part of Kashmir’s economy. In the past two weeks, 11 civilians, including migrant labour and non-Muslim Kashmiris, have been killed. By Deeptiman Tiwary & Naveed Iqbal With a forlorn look on his face, Sajjad Wani is puffing cigarette after cigarette. The owner of a furniture-making unit in Pulwama’s Litter in South Kashmir has a series of orders pending with him, but no workers to complete them. With logs of raw wood lying beside a row of…
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