Opinion | Women as Guardians of Kashmiriyat

Since a long time ago, the dazzling valley of Kashmir has supported a rich weaving of social inheritance, woven with strings of custom, supernatural quality, and a huge regard for nature. At the center of this exuberant legacy lies the possibility of “Kashmiriyat,” a perspective that recognizes the friendly simultaneousness of various religions, customs, and conviction frameworks. Amidst this phenomenal combination of characters, the women of Kashmir have emerged as impassioned managers, safeguarding the essence of Kashmiriyat through their resolute obligation and adaptability. In the records of old Kashmir, women were agreed a position of huge respect and pride. The genuine foundations of Kashmiri society depended on a bedrock of love for the refined soul, as affirmed by the presence of worshipped women rishis (sages) who were respected. These enlightened animals exemplified the restraints of knowledge, compassion, and powerful illumination, filling in as reference points of heading for the neighbourhood.
Past the extraordinary area, Kashmiri women accepted critical parts in the spaces of organization and bearing. Inside the famous families, they were dynamic individuals in administrative issues, their voices conveying weight in framing the destiny of the domain. Their tutoring consolidated a wide group of disciplines, outfitting them with the data and sharpness to investigate the incredible weaving of legislative issues and statecraft. Lal Ded and Habba Khatoon are iconic poets who played crucial roles in preserving Kashmiriyat, the cultural ethos of Kashmir. Lal Ded, a 14th-century mystic poet, is renowned for her “Vakh”. Her poetry, which blends Shaivism and Sufism, promotes unity, humanism, and spiritual quest, transcending religious boundaries. Her works fostered a shared cultural heritage, preserved the Kashmiri language, and reinforced collective identity. Habba Khatoon, a 16th-century poetess and queen, known as “the Nightingale of Kashmir,” enriched Kashmiri literature with her Masnavis and Ghazals. Her themes of love, loss, and nature resonate deeply with Kashmiris, keeping the musical and poetic traditions alive. Her life story symbolizes resilience and strength. Together, Lal Ded and Habba Khatoon promoted syncretism, preserved cultural heritage, and emphasized identity and unity, embodying the spirit of Kashmiriyat through their timeless poetry and teachings. While their effect connected with the public space, Kashmiri women similarly filled in as the anchors of the local circle, supporting the social characteristics and customs that portrayed the substance of Kashmiriyat. Through their steady dedication to saving age-old functions, culinary articulations, and describing customs, they ensured that the rich heritage was passed down beginning with one age then onto the following, safeguarding the total memory of the Kashmiri public. All through the wild pieces of Kashmir’s arrangement of encounters, women have emerged as getting through backbones of solidarity, their spirits entire notwithstanding torment. Whether investigating the troubles of conflict, expulsion, or monetary aggravations, they have steadfastly kept up with the potential gains of Kashmiriyat, filling in as empowering signs and fortitude for their organizations. The occupation of Kashmiri women in safeguarding the area’s social heritage could never be more huge. From the unusual specialty of twisting around exquisite pashmina wraps to the protection of standard music, dance designs, and conceptual practices, their responsibility has ensured that the rich woven work of art of Kashmiri culture stays dynamic and alive.
Kashmiri cooking is a magnificent blend of flavors, methodologies, and trimmings that have been painstakingly saved and gone down through times of women. From the fragrant kahwa (standard Kashmiri green tea) to the heavenly wazwan (multi-course Kashmiri feast), each dish is a show of the culinary dominance and social pride of Kashmiri women, who have safeguarded these culinary fortunes with dependable devotion. The innovative enunciation of Kashmiri women is a weaving woven with series of imaginativeness, inventive brain, and social person. From the versatile instances of papier-mâché craftsmanships to the energetic colors of Kashmiri winding around, their innovative endeavors have defended standard systems as well as cutting edge to reflect the advancing times, ensuring that the core of Kashmiriyat stays relevant and celebrated. In the genial combination of various convictions that describes Kashmiriyat, women play had a vital effect in empowering extraordinary fortitude and understanding. Through their help in severe festivals, customs, and administrations that transcend limits, they have supported a climate of normal respect and flexibility, embodying the spirit of inclusivity that lies at the center of Kashmiri culture. As the radiance of Kashmiriyat is passed beginning with one age then onto the following, Kashmiri women have embraced the commitment of drawing in and training their young ladies and kids something very similar. Through their reliable commitment to saving the region’s heritage, they grant a profound fulfillment and having a spot in the youthful, ensuring that the substance of Kashmiriyat stays a coordinating light from now onward, indefinitely.
In the weaved fine art of Kashmiri culture, the strings woven by women are complicatedly laced with the real surface of Kashmiriyat. Their adaptability, strength, and steadfast commitment have been the primary driving force behind the protecting of this rich inheritance, ensuring that the spirit of concordance, opposition, and social pride stays alive and dynamic. As the world continues to create, the occupation of Kashmiri women as watchmen of Kashmiriyat will remain an eternal legacy, a show of the helping through power of the refined soul in shaping the destiny of a country
Writer can be reached on mnoorkashmir@gmail.com