The Kashmir Pulse

PULWAMA — As the chill of winter gradually yields to the gentle warmth of spring, the picturesque landscape of Kashmir undergoes a remarkable transformation, painting a vivid tapestry of colours and life. Amidst the breathtaking scenery of the Pulwama district, Journalist Reshi Irshad captures the essence of this seasonal shift through a series of captivating photographs.

In the first image, the vibrant mustard blooms against the backdrop of an apple orchard, a grand mosque, and quaint residential structures in a Pulwama village create a scene straight out of a postcard. The fusion of nature's hues with the architectural and cultural heritage of the region epitomizes the charm of Kashmir in springtime.

In the second photograph, a young boy adds a touch of innocence and joy to the landscape as he navigates the narrow lanes of a Pulwama village on his bicycle, with the golden mustard fields stretching endlessly behind him. His carefree spirit mirrors the sense of rejuvenation that accompanies the arrival of spring.

The third image offers a glimpse into the pastoral life of Kashmir, as a man tends to his sheep herd against the backdrop of mustard blooms lining the roadside. Amidst the verdant fields and blossoming flowers, the timeless bond between man and nature unfolds, symbolizing resilience and harmony.

Finally, in a testament to the indomitable spirit of Kashmiri women, the fourth photograph portrays two women returning home after a day of hard work in their vegetable garden. Against the backdrop of mustard blooms, their weary yet determined strides reflect the perseverance and strength ingrained in the fabric of Kashmiri society.

As Kashmir welcomes the arrival of spring, these evocative images serve as a reminder of the region's enduring beauty and the timeless rhythms of life that unfold with each passing season. Through the lens of Journalist Reshi Irshad, Pulwama's landscape comes alive with the promise of renewal, inviting all to witness the magic of nature's symphony in full bloom.

PULWAMA — Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) Awantipora on Thursday rolled out the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY 4.0) and inaugurated Kalam Academy of Skill Development and Training.

On this occasion, Alok Kumar (IRS), who was the chief guest, congratulated the IUST for its efforts towards the implementation of the skilling mission through the government's flagship programme.

Mr Alok Kumar said that the programme aims to bridge the skill gaps and guarantee the employability of the youth and contribute to the country’s march towards progress and prosperity. He further said that nothing is more empowering than acquiring skills which open up opportunities.

In his address, Prof Shakil Ahmad Romshoo expressed thanks to the government for lending support to IUST in its initiatives. He said that in this age of innovation and entrepreneurship, where rapid technological advances create skill gaps, initiatives like PMKVY are significant.

Mr Shakil Romshoo outlined different measures being taken in the IUST at its Centre of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development, Design and Innovation Centre and cited the accomplishments made towards supporting the start-up ecosystem and inculcating innovative spirit among the youth.

He also spoke about National Education Policy 2020 implementation and said that emphasis at IUST is being laid on multidisciplinary learning, inculcation of innovative spirit, the introduction of vocational courses in different areas of contemporary relevance etc.

Later, the chief guest took a tour of the different facilities of the campus and appreciated the growth of the university. He visited CIED, departments of Food Sciences and Technology and Computer Science and Engineering and inaugurated the skill development programmes.

The Principal Secretary of the Higher Education Department appreciated IUST on its achievements and congratulated the Vice-chancellor and Director CIED for a 3.5-star ranking awarded by the Institution's Innovation Council of the Ministry of Education, GoI, in recognition of the efforts towards the promotion of entrepreneurship, innovation and start-up culture.

It is in place to mention here that the programme was coordinated by the Dean of Research, Prof Ayaz Hassan Moon and attended by the Dean of Academic Affairs, Registrar, Finance Officer, Deans of Schools, and others.

SRINAGAR — With two back-to-back Western Disturbances “mostly likely” affecting Jammu and Kashmir from January 7 evening, the Meteorological department on Friday forecasted light to moderate snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir for nearly seven days from Saturday onwards.

“Two back-to-back Western Disturbances (are) most likely to affect J&K and adjoining from 7th January (evening),” a Meteorological department official here told the news agency GNS, adding, “Under the influence of the 1st WD on 7th (evening) to 9th January (afternoon), weather is likely to be cloudy with possibility of light snow over higher reaches during 7th night and light rain/snow over plains of J&K and light to moderate snow in middle and higher reaches during January 8th/9th.”

From January 9th (afternoon) to 11th January (afternoon), he said, weather is likely to be cloudy with the possibility of light snow over isolated higher reaches of Kashmir.

“Under the influence of the 2nd WD from January 11th (afternoon) to 13th January (afternoon), the weather is expected to be cloudy with the possibility of light rain/snow over plains of Jammu and Kashmir and light to moderate snow over middle and higher reaches during 12/13 January,” he said.

He advised travellers and transporters to plan their journey accordingly, especially over the Sonamarg-Zojila-Gumni axis, Razdan Pass, Sinthan Pass, Sadhna Pass, Mughal Road etc. “There is going to be an improvement in minimum (night) temperature and dip in maximum (day) temperature.”

Meanwhile, severe cold conditions continued in Kashmir Valley even as there was a slight rise in the minimum temperature on Friday.

The Meteorological department official told GNS that Srinagar recorded a low of minus 5.5°C against last night’s minus 6.4°C which was the coldest for the season so far. "Today’s minimum temperature was 3.6°C below normal."

Qazigund recorded a low of minus 5.6°C against minus 6.2°C, the lowest recorded this season for the gateway town of Kashmir. "Today’s minimum temperature was 2.7°C below normal," he said.

Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of minus 8.6°C against minus 9.2°C on the previous night. "The coldest night recorded this season in the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district was on January 2 when the mercury plunged to minus 9.6°C," he said. Today’s minimum temperature was 1.6°C below normal for the place, as per the official.

"Kokernag recorded a low of minus 4.3°C against minus 4.4°C on the previous night," he said, adding that it was 0.3°C below normal for the place.

Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 5.0°C against minus 7.5°C on the previous night, the official said. "It was 2.8°C above normal for the world-famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district which recorded its coldest night on January 2 when the minimum temperature plummeted to minus 10.0°C," the official said.

"In Kupwara town, the mercury settled at minus 5.6°C against minus 6.0°C on the previous night in the north Kashmir area," he said. The official said that the temperature was 2.9°C below normal.

Jammu recorded a low of 3.7°C against 3.0°C on the previous night. "It was 3.7°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital," he said.

Banihal recorded a low of 5.4°C (above normal by 5.4°C), Batote 3.6°C (above normal by 2.1°C), Katra 4.6°C (1.4°C below normal) and Bhadarwah minus 0.6°C (1.6°C below normal).

"In Ladakh, Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 14.6°C and minus 18.1°C respectively," the official said.

Kashmir is under the grip of Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day-long harsh winter period that started on December 21. It does not mean an end to the winter either. It is followed by a 20-day-long period called ‘Chillai-Khurd’ that occurs between January 30 and February 19 and a 10-day-long period ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold) which is from February 20 to March 1.

SRINAGAR — Tatakooti Peak in the Pir Panjal Range, a technically challenging peak in Kashmir, was successfully scaled by an eight-member joint team from the All Jammu Kashmir Mountaineering Foundation (AJKMF) in a combined expedition with Hike The Trails Adventure Pvt. Ltd. and The North Col.

The team, which was led by Everester Mohammad Iqbal Khan, also comprised Mu'azzam Ahsan (The North Col), Inayat Ullah Bhat (The North Col), Wasim Hassan (The North Col/HTTA), Amir Lateef Dar (HTTA/AJKMF), Danish Dhaar (HTTA/AJKMF), Faizan Shafi (HTTA/AJKMF) and Arundhati Sharma.

While speaking about the expedition, Mu'azzam Ahsan said, "Alhamdulillah! We conquered Tatakooti—arguably the most difficult and the highest peak of Pir Panjal—which is approximately 4760 metres above sea level."

"On the morning of October 15, we departed from Srinagar at 08:00 AM for Doodhpathri, a popular tourist place in Budgam, some 45-50 km from Srinagar. At 10:15 AM, we arrived at Doodhpathri and unloaded the logistics from the vehicles and loaded it onto the ponies, sent them off and sat down to drink coffee at a shop," Mu'azzam added further.

According to the mountaineer, the group began the march to Tatakooti at 10:50 AM. "At the beginning of the journey, the trail was a little challenging. Our muscles took a while to warm up and it was okay before we entered Diskal."

Having reached the highland pasture of Diskal, the mountaineers could see the highest peaks of Jammu and Kashmir. "Nanga Parbat, which is located in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir and other peaks were clearly visible with white covers. The Mount Harmukh, Mount Kolahai, and the two other great peaks Nun and Kun of Ladakh were all before our eyes."

After taking some rest, they moved on to the attractive Ashtar valley which is nestled amidst the mountains where a stream bisects the valley. Running short of time, the group skipped spending much time there against their wishes.

"Around 4 o'clock, we reached Dumail where our base camp was to be installed. Tents were set up and tea was served and mountain gear was unpacked and distributed among the members by the lead climber and ace mountaineer of the valley Everester Iqbal Khan. We sat in the kitchen tent until dinner and got into bed," Mu'azzam said.

All the members assembled again in the kitchen tent on the next morning (October 16) at 4 o'clock. Everester Iqbal briefed the team on various aspects of expeditions, safety measures, the impending dangers and the ways to avoid them. After having their breakfast, Mr Iqbal led the team towards the final destination—Tatakooti peak.

At the base of Tatakooti mountain, 4-5 inches of snow greeted the team. The snow had accumulated on account of the recent snowfall in the higher reaches, which made it very difficult to walk because it was very steep and slippery at the same time. "One single mistake could push a climber to peril. We negotiated the dangerously slippery patch with great difficulty."

Another challenge for the mountaineers was a scree patch of almost 300 metres with the imminent danger of earth sliding beneath their feet. Iqbal Khan, however, fixed ropes at two to three points for the team to make it safely to the summit.

"It was at 11:30 AM that we finally set our feet on arguably the highest point of Pir Panjal. We were on top of the Tatakooti. Alhamdulillah! It was a moment of joy and accomplishment. We had done it. We prostrated before the Lord of the Universe," Mu'azzam said with a smile.

He went on to say that it was by the grace of Almighty and the able and motivational guidance of Mr Iqbal that they achieved the feat of their lives. "Iqbal Khan led us back to the base camp where we stayed overnight only to depart early next morning for Srinagar and onwards to our homes."

SRINAGAR — Family members of a civilian, killed during the Kulgam gunfight on Friday, have sought compensation as the slain was the sole source of income for the family.

Manzoor Lone of Redwani Bala was killed during an encounter between militants and security forces in Kulgam yesterday.

As per news agency KNO, Gowhara, sister of Manzoor, said that his brother was returning home when he was hit by a bullet. She said that Manzoor was married last year and he has left behind her wife and around a 2-month-old baby.

“Administration should provide some compensation to my brother’s family,” she said.

Meanwhile, former MLA Ali Mohammad Dar also sought compensation for the family, stating that the family is poor and is hardly able to make both ends meet.

“We are thankful to the administration for returning the body of the slain. Now, some relief should be provided to the widow and her child,” he said.

SRINAGAR — Despite the bumper cherry crop this year, very low rates of the produce are marring the hopes of growers across the Kashmir Valley.

Growers told news agency Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the harvesting of the cherry crop in Kashmir is underway and despite early hot weather, the farmers are pleased with the produce. However, the prevalent low prices have become a cause of concern for farmers.

Mohammad Yousuf, a grower from Shopian, told KNO that the crop is at an all time low and farmers aren't even fetching the amount they spent on spraying and fertilizers.

“Despite COVID-19 last year, we were selling a cherry box containing 2 kg cherry for Rs 300 but this year the same box with better quality cherry is fetching just 90 to 100 rupees,” he said.

Bashir Ahmad Basheer, chairman Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers and Dealers Union, while talking to KNO, said that this year due to hot weather in spring, cherry ripened a month early and produce was ready when there was bulk produce of cherry in Himachal Pradesh.

“Everything depends on supply and demand but cherry from both Himachal and Kashmir reached the market at the same time, so there was very less demand and rates are around 60 to 70 percent lower than last year,” he said.

Moreover, hailstorms, rains and windstorms during evening times every day and cherries coming from Italy and other countries are lowering the demand thereby affecting farmers, he said.

“We have good consumption of cherry this year in the Valley due to good tourism flow but it isn't helping farmers in increasing the rates of cherry,” he added.

GANDERBAL — The annual Mata Kheer Bhawani Mela started on Wednesday at Tullmulla village of Ganderbal with Kashmiri Pandits and tourists flocking the temple to pay obeisance after a gap of two years.

As per the news agency Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the Tulmulla shrine in addition to being the holiest shrine of the Kashmiri Pandit community is also the symbol of centuries-old eclectic culture and brotherhood among different communities of Kashmir.

The spring inside the shrine has historic significance as locals believe that the colour of its water on the festival day forebears the events that follow till the next year.

A local Dharmarth Trust maintains the shrine complex spread over a large piece of land surrounded by springs.

Tulmulla area of district Ganderbal witnessed enthusiastic scenes as a large number of devotees arrived at the temple of Mata Ragnya Devi.

A Kashmiri Pandit devotee said that it is after almost two years that devotees are arriving at the temple to pay obeisance and to pray for themselves and the entire humanity. “We urge Kashmiri Pandits to come to this temple and enjoy the spiritual feeling here,” he said.

Tourists were also seen paying obeisance at the temple. A group of tourists from Maharashtra told KNO that they have seen the Kheer Bhawani shrine for the first time and are feeling happy. “There is a solace and we feel enchanted over seeing Muslims and Pandits celebrating the Mela together,” said Meenakshi, a tourist.

Most Kashmiri Pandits were seen performing the rituals of the festival at the temple besides that Muslims were seen greeting Pandits and making arrangements.

A sign of communal harmony is always revisited at this temple during the historical festival which provides an opportunity to local Muslims who wait eagerly to re-unite with the Pandit community who migrated from Kashmir in the early 1990s. Muslims were seen greeting Pandits by showering flower petals.

Local shopkeepers at Tullmulla Ganderbal said they suffered heavy losses due to the pandemic and expected a good rush of devotees. “We are still hopeful that normalcy will prevail in Kashmir valley again and devotees will come here in large numbers in future,” they added.

Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, R. R. Bhatnagar, Chief Secretary, Arun Kumar Mehta, Additional Chief Secretary Agriculture Production Department, Atal Dulloo, Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal, Shyambir and other dignitaries attended the annual Kheer Bhawani Mela and paid obeisance at Mata Kheer Bhawani temple and some political leaders including Nirmal Singh, G A Mir, Tarigami, Darakshan Andrabi, SMC Mayor Junaid Mattu attended the annual Kheer Bhawani Mela and paid obeisance.

GANDERBAL — Eight families of Kashmiri Pandits lived in this village called Laduna in Ganderbal until 1990, when all of them migrated to Delhi and Jammu.

But there remains a Shiva temple in the neighbourhood, which is still being taken care of by a young Muslim, Mohammad Altaf, who says that he comes regularly to this temple and cleans it because, as a Muslim, it is his duty to care for the fellow Pandits.

"Our religion teaches us to respect our non-Muslim brothers and protect their property," he said as per news agency Kashmir News Observer (KNO).

According to Altaf, apart from taking care of the temple, the local Muslims have worked with the Panchayat body to restore the temple structure and work on it will start very soon.

An elderly Muslim man in the village, Abdul Ahad Rather, said that before 1990, the Pandits and Muslims used to live like brothers and sisters.

He said that even when the situation in the Kashmir valley deteriorated in 1990, the Muslims came to the Pandits’ help, even sleeping in their homes to guard them. “But time forced them to leave,” he said.

Rather said that a Pandit neighbour named Hira Lal sold his land to him, in return for which he paid a good price and for which he also has official documents.

He added that Hira Lal and his family come and stay at his home for two or three months every year. “We are in touch with them even today and we still share our grief with each other,” Rather said.