Srinagar is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. It is the largest city and summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an Indian-administered union territory. It lies in the Kashmir Valley along the banks of the Jhelum River, and the shores of Dal Lake and Anchar Lakes, between the Hari Parbat and Shankaracharya hills. The city is known for its natural environment, various gardens, waterfronts and houseboats. It is also known for traditional Kashmiri handicrafts like the Kashmir shawl, papier-mâché, wood carving, carpet weaving, and jewel making, as well as for dried fruits. It is the second-largest metropolitan area in the Himalayas.
Literature of Kashmir has a long history, the oldest texts having been composed in the Sanskrit language. Early names include Patanjali, the author of the Mahābhāṣya commentary on Pāṇini's grammar, suggested by some to have been the same to write the Hindu treatise known as the Yogasutra, and Dridhbala, who revised the Charaka Samhita of Ayurveda.
Lalleshwari, also commonly known as Lal Ded, was a Kashmiri mystic of the Kashmir Shaivism school of Hindu philosophy. She was the creator of the style of mystic poetry called vatsun or Vakhs, meaning "speech". Known as Lal Vakhs, her verses are among the early compositions in the Kashmiri language and are a part in the history of modern Kashmiri literature.
Swami Lakshman Joo, born Lakshman Raina and also called Lal Sahib by his followers, was a mystic and scholar of Kashmir Shaivism.
Zinda Kaul (1884–1965) was an Indian poet, writer and teacher. He composed in Persian, Hindi, Urdu and Kashmiri. Kaul also translated works of Kashmiri into English, Persian and Hindi.
Chashme Shahi, Chashma i Shahi, or Cheshma Shahi, also called Chashma Shahi or Cheshma Shahi, is one of the Mughal gardens built in 1632 AD around a spring by Ali Mardan Khan, a governor of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as per the orders of the Emperor, as a gift for his eldest son Prince Dara Shikoh. The garden is located in the Zabarwan Range, near Raj Bhawan overlooking Dal Lake in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Jammu and Kashmir is home to several valleys such as the Kashmir Valley, Chenab Valley, Sindh Valley and Lidder Valley. Some major tourist attractions in Jammu and Kashmir are Srinagar, with its renowned Dal Lake and Mughal Gardens, Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Bhaderwah, Patnitop and Jammu. Every year, thousands of Hindu pilgrims visit holy shrines of Vaishno Devi and Amarnath which has had a significant impact on the state's economy.
Munawar Abad, locally known as Muniwar (Munawarabad), is a town located in heart of Srinagar in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is 2 km from Lal Chowk. Munawar Abad is the main link between downtown Srinagar and central Srinagar.
Pandit Taba Ram Turki lived at Rainawari, Srinagar and wrote Persian poetry under the pen name (takhalus) of Betab. Betab made an important contribution to the Persian poetry and he commanded great respect among the poets of Kashmir of his time. Betab was an exceptional poet whose Persian poetry reached as far as Central Asia. Some critics have rated Betab's works at par with the Shahnama of Firdausi. Betab was also proficient with reading and writing Arabic.
Nilkanth Gurtoo (1925–2008) was a Kashmiri Sanskrit & Shaiva scholar and professor who translated many philosophical texts into Hindi or English.
Fida Muhammad Hassnain was a Kashmiri writer, lecturer and Sufi mystic. He was born in 1924 in Srinagar, Kashmir, as the child of schoolteachers. His father fought with the British Indian forces in the Boer War in South Africa in 1902. Fida Hassnain graduated from the University of Punjab and the Aligarh Muslim University, and became a barrister, but the events surrounding the partition of colonial British India made him lose faith in the law, and after a short period of social work he became a lecturer in 1947 at the Sri Patrap (SP) College in Srinagar. In 1954, he became Director of the Kashmir State Archives, retiring in 1983. Fida Hassnain on died 9 July 2016 in Srinagar, Kashmir.
Sonwar Bagh, sometimes referred to as Sonwar, is a residential area in the Badami Bagh Cantonment region on the outskirts of Srinagar city, in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is gradually becoming more commercial, as many schools, hotels and restaurants have been established there.
Som Nath Sadhu (1935–1982) was an Indian theatre personality known for his contributions to Kashmiri theatre as an actor, playwright and director.
Nund Rishi, also known as Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani, Sheikh-Ul-Alam and by the title Alamdar-e-Kashmir, was a Kashmiri Sufi saint, mystic, poet and Islamic preacher. Nund Rishi was among the founders of the Rishi order, a Sufi tradition of the region. He influenced many spiritual teachers and saints, including Hamza Makhdoom, Resh Mir Sàeb, and Shamas Faqir.
Indira Nagar is a residential area in the city of Srinagar in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It used to be a lake before but now only few hundred meters of the lake is left.
Justice Muhammad Yusuf Saraf was the Chief Justice of the Azad Kashmir High Court and the author of the voluminous work, Kashmiris Fight for Freedom. He was born in Baramulla in the then princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, but migrated to Pakistan prior to the Partition of India. He started practising law in Mirpur in 1949, rising to the bench in 1969. He served as the Chief Justice of Azad Kashmir from 1975 to 1980.
Mirwaiz Muhammad Yusuf Shah was a religious leader and politician in the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir during the British Raj. He served as the Imam of the Jama Masjid in Srinagar, a position that is also known as the "Mirwaiz of Kashmir". He relegated the majority of his political career to opposing the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference of Sheikh Abdullah, including siding with Pakistan during the First Kashmir War. He moved to Azad Kashmir and eventually served as the president of Azad Kashmir.
Kashmiri handicrafts is a traditional art of Kashmiri people and artisans who make, craft, and decorate objects by hand. Ganderbal, and Budgam are the main districts in central Kashmir which have been making handicrafts products since ages. The rest of its districts, including Srinagar, Ganderbal, and Budgam are best known for their cultural heritage which includes the handicraft industry in Jammu and Kashmir, India. Embroidery is an integral part of many Kashmiri handicrafts, shawls, carpets and Kashmiri ladies pheran are adorned with intricate embroideries or flower styles made of thin metal threads and this kind of embroidery is known as 'Tille' in Kashmiri language. Embroidery work is done by both men in women in the region conventionally.
Sampat Prakash was a Kashmiri nationalist, trade unionist and activist, known for his efforts in fighting for the rights and welfare of the working class. He played a significant role in shaping trade union activism in the region, advocating for the equitable treatment of government employees, teachers, and workers. Prakash has held several leadership positions, including Chairman of the J&K Trade Union Centre, State President of Hind Mazdoor Sabha, and State President of Retired Gazetted/Non-Gazetted Employees.
Saraf is a Kashmiri Pandit clan and surname native to the Kashmir Valley of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
