During the Covid19 lockdown, Shireen Noman, a young undergraduate student of Women’s College Srinagar started compiling articles for her maiden book ‘Reminiscence of the past’ aimed at exploring Kashmir’s old heritage and culture.
Shireen says that she compiled her book in order to aware the youth of the glorious rich heritage and culture of the Valley.The 100-page book is a rare document and it has been divided into four major chapters. Shireen completed the book in August 2022 and it was released in the same month by Odina printers.
Hailing from Barzulla area of Srinagar, she says from her childhood, she was inclined toward the ancient lifestyle of Kashmir and more interested in exploring it through her own lens.
Shereen who is aiming to pursue Masters’s in Journalism and Mass Communication says books are the best medium of information to reach a mature audience.
As a lover of ancient tradition and antiques, the book consists of articles that she wrote during Covid19 for various publications regarding the lost cultures and traditions of Kashmir.
The book includes ‘Romance of Cashmere, The story of traam (copper), The tale of Hafiza, Lost folk dances and cultures, and Antique Kashmiri jewelry.
It also talks about legends of Kashmir, the story of Khtamband, welcoming Kashmiri Pandits, and other traditional things.
“The idea of writing a book came to my mind during that period, but before I could write a book, I needed to read more and thus I spent that lockdown in a deep reading about our homeland and Islamic literature,” Shireen recalled.
After receiving appreciation for her first book at a young age, Shereen now wants to give literature-filled joy to the world by writing about scenes everyone can relate to.
“Everyone is special and comes with a purpose in life. With my debut book, I intend to convey an underlying message – that Kashmir had a rich culture and tradition and our youth should be aware of it,” she said.
Shireen said her parents supported her during the project and each piece in the book is rare and unique and dedicated to her love for the valley.
To generate quality content for her book, Shireen used to visit the Bait-ul-Miraas museum In Downtown, libraries, meet people in person, etc.
“In future, I will continue to write about the rich culture and heritage of the past, so that the younger generation will know about it,” Shireen said.
