Architectural epigraphy of Kashmir to be on display from today

Srinagar, June 7

The first-of-its-kind exhibition on architectural epigraphy in Kashmir will open tomorrow, marking the region’s largest project to document, translate, and map historical writings on its buildings. The exhibition, to be held at Kashmir Arts Emporium on Residency Road, Srinagar, will feature drawings, images, and translations of these carvings, engravings, and paintings. Prof Shakil Ahmad Romshoo, Vice-Chancellor of the Islamic University, will inaugurate the event.

“We are delighted to announce the first open exhibition of calligraphic inscriptions on historic buildings, including khanqahs, mosques, temples, shrines, and mausoleums of Kashmir,” said Dr Hakim Sameer Hamdani, who has been awarded by the Barakat Trust (London) a year-long project to document and map architectural epigraphs from Early-Modern Kashmir.

The project is undertaken in collaboration with the School of Architecture, Planning, Geomatics (IUST, Awantipora) with Mehran Qureshi as the principal investigator.

“These inscriptions serve as important sources of public texts for understanding interpretation of the past. Collectively, they cover over four centuries of dedicatory, religious and literary writings commencing with the establishment of Sultanate rule in Kashmir in the 14th century,” Dr Hamdani said.

Kashmir has been at the crossroads of various civilizational encounters emerging as a unique melting pot of varied religious and cultural traditions. The introduction of Islam and Persianate artistic material culture into the Valley in the 14th century, with the establishment of Sultanate rule (1320-1586) resulted in the development of rich calligraphic traditions.

As the Sultans of Kashmir began to consolidate their rule on the models of Perso-Islamic understanding of sovereignty, a practice of staging the texts of spiritual, historical, and political importance was also introduced. These texts were inscribed at significant spots, objects, and sites in the visual field of an urban setting.

“This staging of inscriptions on the buildings like khanqahs, mosques, shrines, mausolea, temples, gardens, and similar public spaces, may be understood as a well-thought and strategic introduction and circulation of a linguistic script, style and content that gradually contributed to the creation of a unique Persianate habitus and cultural landscape in the Valley of Kashmir,” Dr Hamdani said.

“In case of major Sufi khanqahs in the region, we find that calligraphy was employed extensively in a complex programme of textual ornamentation drawing from Quranic verses, Prophetic sayings as well as devotional poetry establishing the spiritual status of various Sufi orders,” he added.

“Many of these specimens of public text from Shahmiri, Mughal and Afghan rule Kashmir have been lost to the vicissitudes of time, re-use of building material, destruction in fire related disasters or simply by forces of weathering,” he said.

“This exhibition highlights some of the sites covered under the project including documentation, translations, photographs and recreated drawings,” Dr Hamdani added.