A Window On Kashmir

Kashmir has been written about and described by numerous authors of different languages. This book is different in as much as it does not describe the natural beauty, the landscape, the lofty mountains, the gushing waters, the picturesque meadows and the flora and fauna of this enchanting valley. It describes the intrinsic beauty, inherent greatness and the cultural richness of the land. It is an insider’s account of the place where he was born and brought up. It describes the people who have lived here for many millennia, their ways of living, their customs and their philosophy of life. It is truly a window on their life, language, culture, philosophy and customs. It throws light on the literature, festivals, shrines and the sages of this land of Kashyapa. It also touches briefly upon the turmoil, the terrorism and the political upheaval that has resulted in mass exodus of three lakh Kashmiri Pandits from their hearths and homes and has threatened their very identity. It is a faithful account of the milieu of this Paradise on Earth.

Born and brought up in Kashmir, T.N. Dhar (b. 1934) is an Hons. graduate from Kashmir University and a qualified ICWA from London. A renowned poet of Kashmir language, he started his career by writing for Radio Kashmir. He has worked in various capacities in the Audit Department of the Government of India, apex bodies of Sanskrit and Veda-Vidya as also in Shri Lal Bahadur Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha, a Deemed University. He has authored several books in Hindi, Kashmiri and English including two volumes of his Hindi poems and a book on Education. His book on Indian Culture has been published by the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan as a part of its Golden Jubilee series. His interests include Indian Philosophy, Culture, Comparative Study of Religions and Education, in addition to his creative writing as a poet. He is at present the Consulting Editor of a journal of 47 years’ standing issues from Delhi. He has been contributing his poems and articles to various journals and the Anthologies compiled by the Sahitya Akademi and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Language.