Kashmir\u2019s culture, handicrafts, iconic houseboats take centre stage on Kartavya Path<\/p>\n
Srinagar, Jan 26: The Jammu & Kashmir tableau impressed the nation today at the 77th Republic Day parade on Kartavya Path, highlighting the region\u2019s rich culture, handicrafts and iconic houseboats in the heart of India, New Delhi.
\nThe tableau featured traditional Kani shawls, hand-knotted carpets, papier-mache items, carved walnut wood artefacts and folk dances like Rouf, Kud, Pahari, Bhadarwahi and Gojri.
\nAs per the details collected by the news agency\u2014Kashmir News Observer (KNO), performers in colourful attire were accompanied by the melodious sounds of santoor, rabab and flute with bringing Kashmir\u2019s heritage to life on the national stage.
\nWhile the display brought national recognition, it also highlighted the challenges facing Kashmir\u2019s houseboats, a symbol of the Valley\u2019s culture and tourism.
\nOnce numbering in thousands across Dal Lake, Nigeen Lake, the Jhelum River and Chuntikul, houseboats are now reduced to around 750, with Dunga boats down to just over 50 and cargo boats almost disappeared.
\nSpeaking about the decline, Tariq Ahmad, a houseboat owner from Dal Lake, said, \u201cWe are proud our culture is recognised, but our boats are disappearing. Without support, this heritage could vanish completely.\u201d
\nManzoor Chairman, president of the Kashmir Houseboat Owners Association, added, \u201cFrom 2,000 houseboats in the 1980s to over 750 today, we are losing a part of our identity. Government support is urgently needed for restoration and maintenance.\u201d
\nHe said they are deeply thankful to the Government of India for showcasing the houseboat on the 77th Republic Day function.
\n\u201cIt truly gives us renewed hope that the heritage, culture and centuries-old legacy associated with the houseboats will be preserved by the Government for future generations,\u201d he added.
\nAnother houseboat owner also urged collective efforts to protect these iconic boats and preserve the Valley\u2019s unique floating heritage.
\nAs the nation applauds the J&K tableau, houseboat owners and activists hope this recognition will lead to real action to save Kashmir\u2019s lakes and boats for future generations. (KNO)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Kashmir\u2019s culture, handicrafts, iconic houseboats take centre stage on Kartavya Path Srinagar, Jan 26: The Jammu & Kashmir tableau impressed the nation today at the 77th Republic Day parade on Kartavya Path, highlighting the region\u2019s rich culture, handicrafts and iconic houseboats in the heart of India, New Delhi. The tableau featured traditional Kani shawls, hand-knotted […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":10543,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-news","category-kt-front"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10542","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10542"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10542\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10545,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10542\/revisions\/10545"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10543"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kashmirthunder.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}