Though Kashmir valley has a minuscule population of Christians, every year young Muslim men and women in localities like Zadibal and downtown Srinagar assemble two months before to design Santa Claus on stars and prepare jingle bells for their Christians brethren in Europe and the US.
"Jesus is our prophet. If we go by the Quran we are from the same root. Islam says we are ahli-kitab (from one book)," said Manzoor Ahmad Rizvi, an artisan from Zadibal. It took him one month to design X-mass tree out of walnut wood and embroider Santa Claus on jingle bells made of paper mache.
Kashmir exports a number of craft goodies every year on the occasion. Among them paper machine jingles, walnut wood Santa Claus and meticulously designed trees and stars on huge paper mache bells are liked by European buyers.
"We have sent Santa Claus and jingle bells to Germany where we have a showroom. Germans like Kashmir artwork, particularly on paper mache. They also like the off-white colour used and red stars sprinkled on the crafts which they tie to trees as part of the festivities," said Zahoor Ahmad, owner of Zahoor Associates, which has a showroom in Germany.
The clash of civilization might be a source of debate for intellectuals on the both sides of the cultural divide, but for common Kashmirs exporting of Christmas goodies to Europe and the US provides a platform to reach out to the people there with a new message.
{{/usCountry}}The clash of civilization might be a source of debate for intellectuals on the both sides of the cultural divide, but for common Kashmirs exporting of Christmas goodies to Europe and the US provides a platform to reach out to the people there with a new message.
{{/usCountry}}"We believe in brotherhood. Our gifts to them are a message. We don't hate anybody on the basis of religion and want we want to be respected for what we are," said Malik Salam, an exporter.
Salam said it gives us immense pleasure to see Muslim-made Santa Claus and jingles part of Christian festivities.