Initiative Launched To Save Kashmir's Musical Heritage

A significant step toward preserving Kashmir’s rich musical heritage was marked on Tuesday where the Anant Centre for Documentation and Development of Crafts (ACDC), Anant National University, Ahmedabad, in collaboration with the Jammu & Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages inaugurated a pioneering project to document, train, and understand the designing and making of musical instruments used in Sufiana Mausiqi.

- Syed Mohammad Burhan

The event also witnessed the formal announcement of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Anant National University and Tulkul Arts and Media Collective, Kashmir. The MoU aims to preserve and revive the traditional instruments of Sufiana Mausiqi, a centuries-old classical tradition central to Kashmir's cultural identity.

The event was attended by musicians, students, academicians, cultural workers, and local community members. Speaking on the occasion, MLA Bijbehara Dr Bashir Ahmad Veeri, emphasized the need for global cultural exchange to safeguard and evolve indigenous traditions.

“We, as Kashmiris, need to open up to the world and get away from the notion that only we are the best,” he said. “The world is opening up, and so should we. Cultural exchange is essential if we are serious about preserving our Sufiana heritage.”