Srinagar
From housewife to e-rickshaw driver, Kashmiri woman rides toward financial freedom
Kaunsar Jan turned heads when she decided to become an e-rickshaw driver, navigating the bustling streets of Srinagar, breaking barriers, challenging stereotypes and embarking on a journey towards financial independence.
Fading notes of Kashmiri santoor
Ghulam Muhammad Zaz could be Kashmir’s last santoor maker, despite the instrument being integral to Sufi and Kashmiri folk music.
Asia’s largest tulip garden and its 17 lakh blooms
Nestled in the foothills of Zabarwan, Asia's largest tulip garden emerges as a rainbow of colours as different varieties of tulips blossom attracting tourists from all over the country.
Kashmir’s turquoise crafts may fade into oblivion
Turquoise jewellery encapsulates Kashmir's rich cultural heritage. The traditional craft got severely impacted due to covid as many craftsmen moved to other jobs. Mohammad Hanief finds himself the sole torchbearer of this tradition today.
Crafting Warmth for children
Abdul Rehman Mattoo is a 75-year-old blanket craftsman who has devoted his six decades to crafting blankets. Today despite his declining health and modest sales, Abdul Rehman persists in continuing his ancestral work at his workshop in Chattabal, Srinagar.
Shielding trout from climate change in Kashmir
Fish farmers combat autumn dry spell with a groundwater harvesting technique that ensures a continuous, round-the-year flow of fresh, cold water vital for their trout.
The Srinagar haveli where ‘Rockstar’ was shot
Jalali House, a downtown Srinagar marvel, hosts political dignitaries from pre and post-independence India. This heritage gem also stars in Bollywood films, drawing tourists to the valley.
How Kashmir’s Shiite Muslims commemorated 9th Muharram
In a solemn display of religious devotion, thousands of Shiite Muslim mourners gathered in the interiors of Dal Lake to observe the 9th day of Muharram. Embarking on wooden boats from Rainawari to Kaenkech, they commemorated Ashura, honouring the martyrdom of Prophet Hussain's grandson and faithful companions in Karbala, a tradition upheld with fervour for centuries in Kashmir.
Turning Kashmir’s potatoes into popular chips
Potato farmers in Kashmir’s Gurez valley hope for better economy and local employment opportunities for the youth after a corporate company’s interest in the Valley’s potatoes.
Rain washes away bumper cherry crop
With untimely rain and hailstorm almost wiping out the harvest this year, cherry farmers in Kashmir have been left struggling for money.
Kashmir’s cherry farmers battle nature’s fury
Despite the introduction of new varieties and advanced techniques, untimely rainfall has significantly impacted cherry growers in the Valley, affecting their crop after a harsh winter.
The wrung dhobi ghats of Kashmir
In the Old City of Srinagar, amidst numerous Dhobi Ghats on the Jhelum's banks, a few resilient ghats still bear the legacy of centuries. Meet Kashmir's dhobis who carry on their trade against societal odds.
Kashmir’s kani shawl weavers feel left out in cold
The weavers of Kashmir's Kanihama village entwine the world’s finest quality kani shawls with their own hands, notwithstanding modern machinery.
Kashmiri girls pedal out of taboos
Kashmiri women who cycled were once ridiculed. But the pandemic-induced lockdown spurred them to cycle their way to better health and fitness, breaking patriarchal shackles along the way.