COMMUNITY TREASURES
Museums are a storehouse of old artefacts, sculptures, objects, history, etc. They are a good source of entertainment and help to preserve and promote our objects and materials of cultural, historical and religious value. They provide us an insight into the history of mankind. On May 18 every year, International Museum Day (IMD) is observed. The day was officially established in 1977 with the adoption of resolution by ICOM (International Council of Museums) general assembly in Moscow to create an annual event with the aim of further unifying the creative aspirations and efforts of museums and drawing the attention of the world public towards preservation. The day reminds us of our rich past, educates us about our ancestors, and gives us an incredible amount of tangible knowledge about our cultural heritage of the country. Regardless of age and technology, this day is the time to invest in education in its most effective manner. Now that the day is overdue, yet, I feel provide to write about my own museum i.e. Meeras Mahal which lacks publicity and craves to figure on the tourist map.
Meeras Mahal museum is the only museum apart from Govt. run Sri Pratap museum of Srinagar which contains more than 7 thousand artefacts in it. This museum is located on Sopore- Bondipora road, opposite Govt. ITI in Shah Hamdan Colony, Sopore, some 19 kilometers from district headquarters of Baramulla. The museum is a true portrayal of our rich past. But how ironical! We, the inheritors of this richest legacy, are showing just step-motherly approach towards its development due to so called modernity over the years.
Our cultural heritage seems loosing its appeal in our younger generation and we seem to be least bothered about it. No doubt, our youth should go ahead, excel in their lives and embrace prosperity at every step but at the same time they mustn’t deprive themselves of their culture and fall away from their roots.
Meeras Mahal museum was set up by late Atiqa Bano (Iron Lady of Sopore) in 2001 who besides a renowned educationist was also a visionary woman. She perhaps knew that time will arrive in Kashmir when people will forget their culture and appear strangers to it. In fact, our younger generation today doesn’t know much about their culture, and traditions etc. That how we lived and how we developed. A very least population nowadays seems connected to their roots in Kashmir. Traditions have become old, culture seems awkward to us now and language is least spoken. Besides being the inheritors, we appear total strangers when accosted. God forbid, if the situation remained the same way then the day is not far when we’ll struggle to identify ourselves!
We need to protect our Meeras (our past) and visit the places where our rich cultural legacy of our ancestors is safeguarded. The ethnographic Meeras Mahal museum is of course one such museum where almost all the artefacts have been preserved. These artefacts are the items of daily use that were a common sight until the end of 20th century. The founder of the museum late Atiqaji had collected these things from different places of Kashmir. She toiled tough to preserve these artefacts for the future generations. And the journey of preservation started with Kundal (firepot) followed by some 30 handwritten books of her grandfather Ghulam Mohammad Hanfi Sahib in 2001. Born in 1940 in Sopore, she had done masters in Economics & Urdu, started her career as a teacher in 1958 and rose to be the joint Director of School Education (J&K) in 1994.
It is believed the whenever late Atiqa Bano used to go inside any household, she would instantly visit the balcony where people placed these artefacts. Today, the museum has the richest variety of cultural item like- Kasaba (Headgear), Karakuli (traditional Kashmiri hat), Zappan (Palanquin), Khraav (wooden footwear), Pulhoer (straw footwear), Tathuol (wooden plate), Mohul- Kanz ( pestle and motar), Kanger (firepot), Yinder (spinning wheel), Kande-kaer Somavar (carved copper utensil), Katrio Tchoong ( lighting clay pot), Rahel Pate (Qur’an stand), Guldaan, (flower vase), Katrio Nout (earthen pitcher), Ashrafi theeli (money bag), and many other eye-brow raising items that leave an on-looker quite fascinated.
All these items in the museum remind us the decent and simple lifestyle of the by gone era of Kashmir. One can imagine, how simple that time was, how people worked hard, discovered and innovated things on their own. One must not forget to visit this museum once in a life time. During peak season of tourism in the valley, heritage lovers both local and outsiders, always prefer to visit the museum to acquire knowledge about the rich past of Kashmir.
Agreed, the present age is the age of science and technology, yet, we should know about our culture which is our sweet identity. Students in schools, colleges and universities should be encouraged to visit this museum so that they can match the theoretical part of their knowledge with that of practical part. Also, the very bond of brotherhood gets strengthened when one visits these museums.
Let us pledge to preserve, promote and transmit the rich legacy of our ancestors to the future generations on this Int’l Museum Day. It is our prime responsibility to look after our museums which link us with a treasure of our rich culture. Come; let’s spread awareness that museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among people.
(Author is a columnist, writer, & freelancer. He can be mailed at: [email protected])
