Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, July 16: Anant National University (ANU) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tulkul Arts and Media Collective, Kashmir, to study, document, and preserve the musical instruments of ‘Sufiana Mausiqi’, a classical musical tradition of Kashmir.
The collaboration aims to build a design archive of these rare instruments-many of which are now crafted by only a handful of artisans-map their cultural, social, and historical contexts and explore possibilities for contemporary use, preservation and revival.
The MoU was formally announced in Srinagar in the presence of Principal Secretary Culture B. M. Sharma; Bashir Ahmad Veeri; Hervinder Kaur, Secretary, Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages; Prof. Sukamal Deb, Lead, Anant Centre for Documentation and Development of Crafts (ACDC), Anant National University; Prof. Parth Shah, Assistant Professor, School of Design and Manager, Makerspace; and Ravice Rashid, artist in residence, Anant National University, among others.
The MoU will facilitate a two way knowledge exchange under which traditional craftsmen and practitioners from Kashmir will visit Anant to teach design students the process of crafting these unique and endangered instruments, along with the cultural and musical heritage associated with them.
Anant students will, in turn, gain first hand exposure to the making techniques, traditional compositions, and the rich history of Sufiana Mausiqi, deepening their understanding of India’s rich indigenous design traditions from Kashmir.
Anant, through ACDC, will support documentation, preservation and potentially the revival of this art form through design innovation, archiving, and research.
ACDC documents, supports, nurtures, and disseminates knowledge of crafts and traditional systems.
Principal Secretary Culture, B. M. Sharma appreciated the initiative taken by Anant National University, Ahmedabad, and assured collaboration for further work, especially to restore instruments that have vanished or are on the verge of extinction.
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