While Kashmir Valley is counted among the most creative regions of the world,&nbsp;women artisans from the valley have not been appreciated as much as their male counterparts. For the first time, a group of women has&nbsp;decided to publicly recognise the female artisans of the Kashmir Valley.&nbsp;

A group called 'Fearless Collective' has collaborated with the local artist Zoya Khan, an architect by profession, to lead this project in the Kashmir Valley. Zoya has started painting a four-storey building in the heart of Srinagar to celebrate and appreciate the women artisans of the Kashmir Valley. The mural being made by these artists is of the female artisans who work with crafts like namda, sozni, pashmina, silk and copperware.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-supreme-court-orders-authorities-to-ensure-no-hate-speech-happens-at-protests-against-nuh-violence-621673">Indian Supreme Court orders authorities to ensure no hate speech happens at protests against Nuh violence</a>

''It's for the first time in Kashmir Valley that women artisans are being appreciated. As you can see, the mural has Kashmiri women artisans making namda, copperware and sozni embroidery and pashmina. Our motive was to send across a message by making this mural on a four-storey building so that people know about the history of our crafts and also focus on Kashmiri craft getting more recognition, '' said Zoya Khan, architect and artisan.&nbsp;

The group has worked across various countries in the world, and it is for the first time that it is working in the Kashmir Valley.&nbsp;Zoya is training other local artists who will&nbsp;be taking forward this project. The group of these women say that it's very important to represent women karigars (artisans) of Kashmir by this art intervention in a public space. The female artisans in the valley have never been at the forefront and been a silent force for making sure the craft survives.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/india-a-darling-of-west-says-pak-minister-hina-rabbani-khar-mocks-ties-with-us-621507">‘India a darling of West’, says Pak minister Hina Rabbani Khar, mocks ties with US</a>

''The work of the fearless collective is to turn up public spaces across the world and work with the local communities to create these huge monuments. While we have worked in over 15 countries and painted over 50 walls with 100's of different community members including indigenous communities in Brazil, refugees in Beirut, domestic workers from Syria and this is of course the first time ever that we have worked in Kashmir and we are working with a Kashmiri artist Zoya khan who is leading this project,'' said Shilo Shiv Sulaiman, founder, Fearless Collective.&nbsp;

"We are working with the women artisans of Kashmir, and we have given them the dignity as the creators of Kashmir. Very often we think about the outstanding craft and the hands that are making them. We wanted to honour those hands,'' she added.&nbsp;

These women in the future want to create many such places where the work of the women artisans of the Kashmir Valley can be put out-front for the public to see.

&nbsp;

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While Kashmir Valley is counted among the most creative regions of the world, women artisans from the valley have not been appreciated as much as their male counterparts.

While Kashmir Valley is counted among the most creative regions of the world, women artisans from the valley have not been appreciated as much as their male counterparts. For the first time, a group of women has decided to publicly recognise the female artisans of the Kashmir Valley. A group called 'Fearless Collective' has collaborated with the local artist Zoya Khan, an architect by profession, to lead this project in the Kashmir Valley. Zoya has started painting a four-storey building in the heart of Srinagar to celebrate and appreciate the women artisans of the Kashmir Valley. The mural being made by these artists is of the female artisans who work with crafts like namda, sozni, pashmina, silk and copperware. Also read | Indian Supreme Court orders authorities to ensure no hate speech happens at protests against Nuh violence ''It's for the first time in Kashmir Valley that women artisans are being appreciated. As you can see, the mural has Kashmiri women artisans making namda, copperware and sozni embroidery and pashmina. Our motive was to send across a message by making this mural on a four-storey building so that people know about the history of our crafts and also focus on Kashmiri craft getting more recognition, '' said Zoya Khan, architect and artisan. The group has worked across various countries in the world, and it is for the first time that it is working in the Kashmir Valley. Zoya is training other local artists who will be taking forward this project. The group of these women say that it's very important to represent women karigars (artisans) of Kashmir by this art intervention in a public space. The female artisans in the valley have never been at the forefront and been a silent force for making sure the craft survives. Also read | ‘India a darling of West’, says Pak minister Hina Rabbani Khar, mocks ties with US ''The work of the fearless collective is to turn up public spaces across the world and work with the local communities to create these huge monuments. While we have worked in over 15 countries and painted over 50 walls with 100's of different community members including indigenous communities in Brazil, refugees in Beirut, domestic workers from Syria and this is of course the first time ever that we have worked in Kashmir and we are working with a Kashmiri artist Zoya khan who is leading this project,'' said Shilo Shiv Sulaiman, founder, Fearless Collective. "We are working with the women artisans of Kashmir, and we have given them the dignity as the creators of Kashmir. Very often we think about the outstanding craft and the hands that are making them. We wanted to honour those hands,'' she added. These women in the future want to create many such places where the work of the women artisans of the Kashmir Valley can be put out-front for the public to see. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Kashmir's women artisans get long-overdue recognition through murals

When Kashmiri teenager Shabnam Bashir first took up classical Sufi music three years ago, she had to practise singing in secret because all the men in her Muslim family opposed her new passion.

Now the 14-year-old is a proud member of what her teacher Mohammad Yaqoob Sheikh says is the first mixed Sufi singing ensemble in Indian-administered Kashmir, where the music has for generations been a male preserve.

&quot;It took me two months to convince them all,&quot; said Bashir as she joins four other girls, and one 13-year-old boy, for singing practice.

&quot;My father finally gave me permission on condition that it did not affect my regular studies.&quot;

Thousands of people in the Muslim-majority region follow Sufism, a mystical branch of Islam whose adherents seek spiritual communion through music and dance at the shrines of their saints.

The songs, which use the lyrics of old Kashmiri- and Persian-language devotional poetry, date back to the 15th century.

But they have evolved as a uniquely male tradition, sung by men and handed down through the male line of the family.

Sheikh is the exception, he learned the art from his maternal grandfather, Ghulam Mohammad Qaleenbaf, one of the region&#39;s best known Sufi singers.&nbsp;

&quot;The earlier masters wouldn&#39;t even pass it on to sons of their daughters, only sons or sons of sons,&quot; Sheikh told AFP at his home in the outskirts of the main city of Srinagar.

Sheikh began teaching young Kashmiris in a bid to preserve the Sufi musical tradition of the picturesque Himalayan region, which has been divided between India and Pakistan since partition but is claimed by both countries.

He said young Kashmiris were turning away from classical music and towards protest rap songs inspired by the tense politics of the heavily militarised region, where dozens of protesters were killed last year in clashes with government forces.&nbsp;

&quot;Teaching young boys and girls in a disciplined manner is the surest way to preserve this heritage,&quot; said Sheikh.

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Sheikh&#39;s students perform during the class. (AFP)
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Sheikh is the exception, he learned the art from his maternal grandfather, Ghulam Mohammad Qaleenbaf, one of the region&#39;s best known Sufi singers. (AFP)
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He said young Kashmiris were turning away from classical music and towards protest rap songs inspired by the tense politics of the heavily militarised region, where dozens of protesters were killed last year in clashes with government forces. (AFP)
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Once a feature of most public events, performances of Sufi music are now relatively rare. (AFP)
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But doing so has not been easy.When he first started teaching girls, Sheikh faced opposition from both neighbours and soldiers, and had to move the classes to a new location four times.

&quot;It looked like everything was going up in flames. I wanted to do something to save Sufiyana,&quot; he said.

Now he has trained nearly 50 Kashmiri women, although only a small minority continue to perform after marriage.

Among his current students are teenagers Rehana Yousuf and her sister, who sit in a circle with their fellow musicians, heads covered in bright colourful scarves.

Yousuf plays the Santoor, a 100-stringed instrument that accompanies Sufi singing, and says she was inspired to learn when she first saw Sheikh perform on television.

&quot;When I heard he (Sheikh) teaches girls too, I developed a strong urge to learn,&quot; she said.

&quot;My father is also his (Sheikh`s) student, and he was happy for me to come here.&quot;

A curfew imposed last year following violent protests over the killing of a popular rebel leader meant classes had to stop for four months.

The situation has calmed since, but tensions are still running high in the territory, where many favour independence from India.

On the Pakistan side of the border, Sufi music is thriving thanks to a hybrid form known as Sufi Rock, in which the original lyrics are sung to electric guitar tracks and traditional tabla beats.

The form has seen a recent revival with the advent of Coke Studio, a television show which features live music performances.

Female performers are among its biggest stars.

But over the years, political tensions have eroded Indian Kashmir&#39;s rich musical heritage.

When an armed uprising against Indian rule broke out in 1989, public performances by artists suddenly stopped and cinema halls were closed and transformed into camps for government forces.

Once a feature of most public events, performances of Sufi music are now relatively rare.

Sheikh still goes wherever there is demand.

&quot;Once in a while we go to perform in the homes of a few who still appreciate this music,&quot; he said.

&quot;For us, it`s like prayers, we cannot demand a price. They pay what they like,&quot; Sheikh said.&nbsp;

(AFP)

Political tensions over the years have eroded Kashmir's rich musical heritage

When Kashmiri teenager Shabnam Bashir first took up classical Sufi music three years ago, she had to practise singing in secret because all the men in her Muslim family opposed her new passion. Now the 14-year-old is a proud member of what her teacher Mohammad Yaqoob Sheikh says is the first mixed Sufi singing ensemble in Indian-administered Kashmir, where the music has for generations been a male preserve. "It took me two months to convince them all," said Bashir as she joins four other girls, and one 13-year-old boy, for singing practice. "My father finally gave me permission on condition that it did not affect my regular studies." Thousands of people in the Muslim-majority region follow Sufism, a mystical branch of Islam whose adherents seek spiritual communion through music and dance at the shrines of their saints. The songs, which use the lyrics of old Kashmiri- and Persian-language devotional poetry, date back to the 15th century. But they have evolved as a uniquely male tradition, sung by men and handed down through the male line of the family. Sheikh is the exception, he learned the art from his maternal grandfather, Ghulam Mohammad Qaleenbaf, one of the region's best known Sufi singers. "The earlier masters wouldn't even pass it on to sons of their daughters, only sons or sons of sons," Sheikh told AFP at his home in the outskirts of the main city of Srinagar. Sheikh began teaching young Kashmiris in a bid to preserve the Sufi musical tradition of the picturesque Himalayan region, which has been divided between India and Pakistan since partition but is claimed by both countries. He said young Kashmiris were turning away from classical music and towards protest rap songs inspired by the tense politics of the heavily militarised region, where dozens of protesters were killed last year in clashes with government forces. "Teaching young boys and girls in a disciplined manner is the surest way to preserve this heritage," said Sheikh. Sheikh's students perform during the class. (AFP) × Sheikh is the exception, he learned the art from his maternal grandfather, Ghulam Mohammad Qaleenbaf, one of the region's best known Sufi singers. (AFP) × He said young Kashmiris were turning away from classical music and towards protest rap songs inspired by the tense politics of the heavily militarised region, where dozens of protesters were killed last year in clashes with government forces. (AFP) × Once a feature of most public events, performances of Sufi music are now relatively rare. (AFP) × But doing so has not been easy.When he first started teaching girls, Sheikh faced opposition from both neighbours and soldiers, and had to move the classes to a new location four times. "It looked like everything was going up in flames. I wanted to do something to save Sufiyana," he said. Now he has trained nearly 50 Kashmiri women, although only a small minority continue to perform after marriage. Among his current students are teenagers Rehana Yousuf and her sister, who sit in a circle with their fellow musicians, heads covered in bright colourful scarves. Yousuf plays the Santoor, a 100-stringed instrument that accompanies Sufi singing, and says she was inspired to learn when she first saw Sheikh perform on television. "When I heard he (Sheikh) teaches girls too, I developed a strong urge to learn," she said. "My father is also his (Sheikh`s) student, and he was happy for me to come here." A curfew imposed last year following violent protests over the killing of a popular rebel leader meant classes had to stop for four months. The situation has calmed since, but tensions are still running high in the territory, where many favour independence from India. On the Pakistan side of the border, Sufi music is thriving thanks to a hybrid form known as Sufi Rock, in which the original lyrics are sung to electric guitar tracks and traditional tabla beats. The form has seen a recent revival with the advent of Coke Studio, a television show which features live music performances. Female performers are among its biggest stars. But over the years, political tensions have eroded Indian Kashmir's rich musical heritage. When an armed uprising against Indian rule broke out in 1989, public performances by artists suddenly stopped and cinema halls were closed and transformed into camps for government forces. Once a feature of most public events, performances of Sufi music are now relatively rare. Sheikh still goes wherever there is demand. "Once in a while we go to perform in the homes of a few who still appreciate this music," he said. "For us, it`s like prayers, we cannot demand a price. They pay what they like," Sheikh said. (AFP)

In Kashmir, girls help preserve Sufi music traditions

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Kashmir's women artisans get long-overdue recognition through murals

In Kashmir, girls help preserve Sufi music traditions