TRENDS
Why during Ramzan, watermelons sell like hot cakes in Kashmir
Watermelon brings a cheer to its sellers in the Valley, and despite the supplies getting hit by the closure of Srinagar-Jammu national highway intermittently, truckloads of the fruit have arrived daily since the beginning of the holy month.
INDIA
Train route to Kashmir, via world’s highest railway bridge, almost ready
The record-breaking bridge, in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district, has been built at a height of 359 metres and is 1,315-metres long. With its construction completed trials can commence.
HEALTH-AND-FITNESS
World Health Day 2023: Traditional medicinal flowers, herbs and therapies of Kashmir
Traditional bone setting, leech therapy, cupping therapy and herbs and spices from dandelions to saffron and viola - a concise guide to the Kashmiri Hakim's handbook.
ENVIRONMENT
Kashmir's wetlands are shrinking fast. Dal Lake is just one of them
Kashmir is home to a vast number of wetlands but due to rapid urbanisation, extreme pollution, encroachments and siltation, most of these waterbodies have shrunk in size in the last five decades
INDIA
Is Jammu & Kashmir at risk of a big earthquake?
Parts of J&K (Srinagar, Ganderbal, Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora, Budgam, Anantnag in Kashmir and parts of Jammu region, Doda, Ramban, Kishtwar) are in the earthquake-prone Seismic Zone V.
INDIA
The intriguing history of mineral exploration in Reasi, J&K’s lithium village
It has emerged that Orissa Cement Limited, now known as Dalmia Bharat Limited, extracted raw material from the area between 1970 and 1980. Villagers meanwhile were using the material for construction and to hunt animals. In the 1990s, geologists KK Sharma and SC Uppal saw the potential for vast lithium reserves, but their report gathered dust.
TRENDS
Kashmir’s last santoor maker, conferred the Padma Shri, says the craft may die with him
On the 74th Republic Day last month, among India's 91 Padma Shri awardees, and one of the two persons from Jammu and Kashmir to be conferred the Padma Shri, was the Srinagar-based septuagenarian Ghulam Muhammad Zaz.
BUSINESS
In a first, property tax to be levied in Jammu & Kashmir from April
The region had been exempted from property tax until August 2019.
BUSINESS
Potential environmental impact from any lithium extraction in J&K worries youth in the region
Reasi district, where the lithium was discovered, is surrounded by mountains and served by the Chenab River and its tributaries. Any mining activity threatens its fragile ecology and that danger has youth in the region worried
BUSINESS
What lies ahead for India’s lithium village in Jammu
Not everyone is thrilled about the discovery. “If we are displaced, we will lose everything. Given the abundant quantity of lithium being found here, we are pretty sure that our land and properties will be taken from us,” said one villager.
BUSINESS
How lithium was discovered in J&K’s Reasi district
Lithium is used in the batteries that power EVs, mobile phones and other applications, and the discovery will be a boost for the government’s Make in India programme.
HEALTH-AND-FITNESS
Snow cricket fever grips Kashmir
As the Winter Games unfold in Gulmarg, a look at how local youth pass the time playing snow cricket in other parts of Kashmir from Gurez to Shopian.
TRENDS
Pathaan in Kashmir: After 30 years, cinema hall goes houseful, to watch SRK on big screen
In the past one week, movie lovers in Kashmir have been waiting in a queue to get tickets for 'Pathaan', bringing back houseful boards outside theatres.
TRENDS
Kashmiri startup on Shark Tank India gets Rs 90 lakh funding, vote of confidence for last-mile delivery businesses
Lenskart CEO Piyush Bansal and boAt CEO Aman Gupta committed Rs 90 lakh in funding to FastBeetle, which plans to use the money to open a branch in Ladakh, and for HR and tech expansion,
TRENDS
Republic Day 2023: Kashmir to witness a snowy show
The 74th Republic Day celebrations will begin amid snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir. A major function will be held at Srinagar's Sher-i-Kashmir cricket stadium, while the main Republic Day function of the J&K Union Territory will be held at Jammu's Maulana Azad Stadium.
TRENDS
This 11-year-old's song, blending Kashmiri Sufi and hip hop, takes listeners by storm
Ayaan Sajad is reviving Kashmir’s traditional Sufi music with a blend of hip hop after his first song, 'BeDard Dadi Chane', in local Kashmiri language, crossed 3 million views on YouTube.
TRENDS
Study abroad: Which countries do Kashmiri students prefer to pursue higher education in?
Europe, the US and, most popularly, the UK aside, increasingly Kashmiri students are opting for such countries as Bangladesh, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan for higher studies, especially for MBBS.
TRENDS
Sargam Koushal, Navy officer's wife, brings Mrs India crown to India after 21 years
Mrs India 2022: Born and brought up in Jammu’s Bahu Fort area, Sargam Koushal is married to Aditya Manohar Sharma, a Lieutenant Commander in the Indian Navy.
TRAVEL-TRENDS
Long Weekend Plans | 36 Hours in Kashmir, India
For a weekend getaway, Srinagar is a short flight away from Delhi. Here are five places you can see in Kashmir for over a weekend, from frozen lakes and waterfalls to Mughal gardens.
LIFESTYLE-TRENDS
What dishes make up Wazwan, Kashmir’s famous multi-course festive meal
No festivity in Kashmir Valley is complete without wazwan, which dates back to the 14th century Mongol invasion. While the multi-course spread is almost exclusively lamb meat based, in some places, in the middle of the feast, vegetarian dishes using paneer or mushroom are served to create a variety.
TRENDS
This eco-village in Kashmir wants to give tourists a taste of the local culture, lifestyle
Sagg charges Rs 50 per person as entry fee, while an overnight stay at the village costs Rs 500 per person.
ECONOMY
Kashmir sees rise in saffron production; 2020 record of 13 MT likely to be broken
Farmers say production this year is roughly 25-30 percent higher than the previous years. Though the state agriculture department is yet to calculate the exact numbers, they say production is expected to break the 2020 record of 13 MT. Saffron flowers are currently sold at Rs 1.5 lakh- Rs 2.5 lakh per kg.
BUSINESS
Beekepeers hit the sweet spot in the Kashmir Valley
Beekeepers in the Kashmir Valley use traditional and modern beehives, instrumental in boosting agricultural productivity as they are known to be natural pollinators for a range of fruits and crops.
TRENDS
Kashmir’s 'pickle king' makes more than 100 pickle varieties
Senoo established his pickle outlet in 1990, after three family members and his transport business perished in the Kashmir insurgency.
