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Kashmir's Heritage in Peril

Kashmir's Heritage in Peril: Over 7,000 Artefacts Collected by Women's Empowerment Icon Neglected. Despite efforts, Meeras Mahal's invaluable collection faces significant neglect.

By Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
New Update

When Sopore, northern Kashmir's apple hub, was evolving into the epicentre of a burgeoning insurgency, a celibate, burqa-clad educationist, Atiqa Bano, conceived the idea of preserving Kashmir heritage by safeguarding the symbols of the valley's culture. She initiated this monumental task from a small, dingy hostel room of her private education college, marking the humble beginnings of a significant cultural endeavour.

Six years after her death, in December 2023, her dream of a countryside museum remains unfulfilled for want of financial support, even as the government's cultural preservation bodies have remained unconcerned, and two nonprofit groups have renovated a repository and helped in documentation. Delhi-based Jaspreet Kaur's Span Foundation has remodelled Bano's 'museum' with a support of ₹90 lakh, but much of the collection is lying in shambles as there are no fireproof lockers, airtight containers, or properly protected galleries, not even CCTV cameras, a proper compound wall, or gate. 

Housing over 7,000 meticulously curated artefacts, Bano’s Meeras Mahal (the palace of heritage) serves as a vital repository of Kashmir heritage, offering an intimate glimpse into the life and customs of Kashmir’s past. This collection sheds light on a way of life that was an integral part of this region until the twentieth century, preserving the rich cultural legacy of Kashmir for future generations.

Kashmir's Heritage in Peril: Preserving History

Early this month, Jaspreet Kaur attended the inauguration of a three-story museum building, 'Meeras Mahal,' at the Highland Colony on the Sopore-Bandipora road, in the company of a galaxy of cultural activists. The collection of artefacts pertains to the ethnography of Kashmir’s 19th and early 20th century, ranging between wood, grass, wicker, and pottery. It also contains ethnic jewellery, coins, musical instruments, rare published books,

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