Artisane’s ‘Dastaan-e-Bahaar’ makes artisans relive the past

SRINAGAR: Soul-stirring performances by the masters of ‘Sufiyana’ and ‘Tchakri’, traditional devotional songs otherwise fading from the mainstream artform, was organised under the banner of ‘Dastaan-e-Bahaar’ by the ‘House of Ali Shah’ in the Artisane, an art and cultural centre.

The musical performance was a tribute to the families of artisans in and around Kunzer who, for many generations, have been weaving exquisite carpets and shawls and earning fame for Kashmir. Two well-known artisans, Ghulam Muhammad, a carpet weaver, and Abdul Rasheed, a Kani shawl weaver, threw light on the centrality gained by devotional songs, especially ‘Sufiyana Mausiki’, among the tribe of artisans from Kashmir for many decades now. They reminisce about the past when such ‘mehfils’, including nightlong musical sessions, were a regular feature at the Valley’s ‘Karkhanas’ or weaving centres and “would attract foreigners too”. 

“‘Sufiyana Kalam’ makes us engross ourselves in the art work. It’s a powerful tool to focus and maintain attention on meticulous details while weaving carpets and shawls,” Muhammad said.

Ustad Muhammad Yaqoob Sheikh, a known name in ‘Sufiyana Mausiki’, and Ghulam Ahmad Kachroo, a known name for ‘Tchakir’, traditional folk music, sang soul stirring poetry and verses in an open-air setting, with candles to lit up the evening, to pay tributes to the families of the artisans of Kashmir. 

Zareef Ahmad Zareef, a folk storyteller and poet, read his poem on Kashmir, to highlight the beauty of cultural diversity, on the occasion. “It’s praiseworthy of the organisers to put the focus on those hands that have shaped the identity of Kashmir for centuries. It’s heartwarming to see the younger generation of traders paying back to those hands that laid the foundation of artwork in Kashmir. This needs to be carried forward with more events acknowledging the hard work of artisans,” Zareef said.

Highlighting the need to revive the past glory, Saleem Beg, former Director General Tourism and convenor INTACH-Kashmir, said the performances and the setting reflected the tapestry of Kashmir’s culture.

Fazlul Haseeb, deputy commissioner, Shopian, said such musical evenings, reflecting the local flavour of the culture, were rare in Kashmir of today. “I hope events like these revive the tradition of holding such musical shows and become more routine to preserve the past,” Haseeb said.

The performances during ‘Dastaan-e-Bahaar’ event were also attended by people representing different walks of life.

Mehboob Iqbal Shah, Adil Shah and Arif Shah co- founders  of the Artisane, an off-shoot of the ‘House of Ali Shah’ established in 1860, were present on the occassion

Mehboob Iqbal said the location to organise ‘Dastaan-e-Bahaar’ at Kunzer was to pay tribute to those involved in local ‘karkhanas’ for decades in the area. 

“Kunzer’s Takiya Batapora area emerged as the centre of learning for the artisans of the entire Baramulla district at one point of time. In 1970, the area was home to over 100 carpet looms, making it one of the biggest clusters in the district,” Shah said.

He said ‘Sama’, the musical performances, was indeed organised on the demand of the local artisans, who wanted to see the live performances of their folklore icons. “We are happy to bring them here and make the artisans feel good,” he added.

Mr. Shah said ‘Sama’ at the Artisane was a baby step towards the long journey of creating a sense of celebration in Kashmir, especially among artisans. “People in Kashmir no longer head for the Qamar Sahib’s shrine or flock to Badamwaeri for music at the onset of ‘bahaar’ (summer). This event was to recreate the past and celebrate the onset of summer and its colourful vibrancy,” Shah said.  

Adnan Manzoor and his group also played traditional instruments on the occassion