Kashmir’s fading Sufiyana Mausiki, Tchakri songs attract a spotlight

‘Dastaan-e-Bahaar’ was organised by Mehboob Iqbal Shah, co-founder of the Artisane Art and Cultural Centre, an off-shoot of the ‘House of Ali Shah’ established in 1860. Photo: Special Arrangement

The fast fading Sufiyana Mausiki and Tchakri, devotional folk songs that assumed centrality for carpet and shawl weavers of Kashmir for centuries, were finally replayed with the old-charm setting in a rare bid to “reconnect with the past” at Kunzer area in Baramulla of north Kashmir on Sunday.

To revive the old tradition of celebrating the vibrancy of onset of summers, Mehboob Iqbal Shah, co-founder of the Artisane Art and Cultural Centre, an off-shoot of the ‘House of Ali Shah’ established in 1860, on Sunday evening organised ‘Dastaan-e-Bahaar’ to pay tributes to the master weavers of shawls and carpets and prominent folk singers.

Ustad Muhammad Yaqoob Sheikh, a known name in Sufiyana Mausiki, and Ghulam Ahmad Kachroo, a well-known Tchakri singer, sang soul-stirring poetry and verses in an open-air setting, as candles lit up the evening to pay tributes to the families of the artisans in Kashmir.

“Sufiyana music helps to have peace at heart. This folk music has been granted classical status. It has 180 mukaams or stages and, unfortunately, several stages are lost because of decline in the tradition. The Mukaam-e-Bahaar is sung at low pitch and just before the sunset,” Mr. Sheikh said.

Two well-known artisans – Ghulam Muhammad, a carpet weaver, and Abdul Rasheed, a Kani shawl weaver – threw light on the centrality gained by devotional songs, especially Sufiyana Mausiki, among the tribe of artisans from Kashmir for many decades now. Such mehfils, including night-long musical sessions, were a regular feature at the Valley’s Karkhanas or weaving centres in the past.

Art aiding art

“Sufiyana Kalam makes us engross ourselves in the art work. It’s a powerful tool to focus and maintain attention on meticulous details while weaving carpets and shawls. It would even attract foreigners in the past,” Mr. Muhammad said.

Mr. Shah said Kunzer’s Takiya Batapora area had emerged as the centre of learning for the artisans of the entire Baramulla district at one point of time. “In 1970, the area was home to over 100 carpet looms, making it one of the biggest clusters in the district,” he added.

He said Sama, the musical performance, was organised on the demand of the local artisans who wanted to see the live performances of their folklore icons. “It is a baby step towards the long journey of creating a sense of celebration in Kashmir, especially among artisans, and reconnecting with the past and reviving the tradition,” Mr. Shah said.

He said people in Kashmir no longer head for the Qamar Sahib’s shrine or flock to Badamwaeri for music at the onset of bahaar (summer), as used to be a tradition. “This event was to recreate the past and celebrate the onset of summer and its colourful vibrancy,” Mr. Shah said.

Zareef Ahmad Zareef, a folk storyteller and poet, also read his poem on Kashmir, to highlight the beauty of cultural diversity, on the occasion. “It is praiseworthy of the organisers to put the focus on those hands that have shaped the identity of Kashmir for centuries,” Mr. Zareef said.

Highlighting the need to revive the past glory, Saleem Beg, former Director-General of Tourism and Convenor of INTACH-Kashmir, said the performances and the setting reflected the tapestry of Kashmir’s culture.