Kashmiri Pandits recreate “exodus” through Jan 19 exhibition

The exhibition, at the Ajinkya DY Patil University, Dhanori, on January 19, will be complete with tents and a display of facts that retell the story of what the community remembers as a “painful eviction”

HT Correspondent

A view of snow covered Patnitop hill, about 115 km from Jammu.The Kashmiri Hindu Sabha is a registered trust under Maharashtra Charitable Trust act, and has played a commendable role in facilitating people who came to Pune from Kashmir (PICTURE FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY)

PUNE On January 19, 5,000 Kashmiris in the city will commemorate what they observe as the “exodus day”. It is a day etched in the mind of every Kashmiri Pandit living in the city and this year, during their annual ‘Yekjah’ (get-together), Kashimri’s will be revisiting their day of exodus through an exhibition.

The exhibition, at the Ajinkya DY Patil University, Dhanori, on January 19, will be complete with tents and a display of facts that retell the story of what the community remembers as a “painful eviction”.

“We began the annual gathering, Yekjah, in 2011. This year marks the 9th edition,” said Sunil Raina, organiser and member-trustee of the Kashmir Hindu Sabha in Pune.

The Kashmiri Hindu Sabha is a registered trust under Maharashtra Charitable Trust act, and has played a commendable role in facilitating people who came to Pune from Kashmir.

January 19, 1990 is the date Kashmiri Pandits remember as them being “forced to leave Kashmir”.

“This year we plan to re-enact and bring all those painful memories and set up tents and telling our youth what happened to us. Most of our children have no idea of what happened in 1990 or the life before it,” said Raina.

“This is our way of introducing to the youth a slice of history and also keeping our cultural heritage alive. The exhibition will begin on Sunday from 10am with even the commentary in Kashmiri language so that our youth as well as our elders can feel connected to their home again,” he added.

The event kickedoff with a food festival on Friday, where thousands of Kashmiri pandits, not just from Pune, but even from the USA, met at the Ajinkya DY Patil University, Dhanori, to bring back memories of forgotten Kashmiri recipes.

Roganjosh, kaliya, mach, haakh, dumaloo, chaman and Raajma were all on the menu.