Srinagar: In a significant move to safeguard Kashmir’s rich cultural heritage, Anant National University, Ahmedabad has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tulkul Arts and Media Collective, Kashmir, aimed at studying, documenting, and preserving the rare musical instruments associated with Sufiana Mausiqi — the classical music tradition integral to Kashmir’s cultural identity.
The collaboration, formally announced at a ceremony in Srinagar, seeks to build a design archive of these endangered instruments, many of which are crafted by only a handful of artisans. It also aims to map their cultural, social and historical contexts and explore ways to revive and adapt them for contemporary relevance.
The MoU signing event was attended by several dignitaries, including Principal Secretary Culture Jammu & Kashmir Government BM Sharma, MLA Bijbehara Bashir Ahmad Veeri, MLA Bamihal Hervinder Kaur, Secretary J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, along with Prof Sukamal Deb, Lead, Anant Centre for Documentation and Development of Crafts (ACDC), Prof Parth Shah, Assistant Professor at Anant’s School of Design and Manager of Makerspace, and Ravice Rashid, artist-in-residence at Anant National University.
The partnership will facilitate a two-way knowledge exchange. Under the initiative, traditional Kashmiri craftsmen and practitioners will visit Anant National University to train design students in crafting these unique instruments, while also sharing the musical and cultural heritage linked to Sufiana Mausiqi. Conversely, Anant students will gain first-hand exposure to the making processes, traditional compositions and the deep-rooted history of this musical form, enriching their understanding of indigenous design traditions from Kashmir.
Through its ACDC platform, Anant plans to document, preserve and potentially revive this art form via design-led innovations, archiving, and focused research. The centre is already engaged in revitalising India’s traditional crafts by modernising age-old practices, promoting a Mind-to-Market (M-M) approach, organising upskilling programmes and nurturing craft-based knowledge systems.
Principal Secretary Culture BM Sharma lauded Anant National University’s initiative, expressing the Jammu & Kashmir Government’s readiness to collaborate further, particularly in efforts to restore instruments that have either disappeared or are on the brink of extinction.
The initiative underscores Anant’s broader commitment to integrating traditional wisdom with modern design education and emerging technologies, while also advancing sustainable, culturally anchored solutions that honour and evolve India’s diverse heritage.
