Shinon Meeras, a centre to highlight the Dard-Shina tribes that were once recorded in the chronicles of ancient Greeks and Romans for expanding their rule into Afghanistan and Tibet, was thrown open at the Gurez Valley in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Monday.
The first such cultural centre dedicated to the 38,000-strong Dard community, which speaks the rapidly fading Shina language, has been curated and developed by the Indian Army and the Lieutenant-Governor’s administration.
“The centre is a unique tribute to preserve and promote the glorious artistic heritage of the Dard-Shin tribal community, and to provide glimpses of its rich culture to the world,” L-G Manoj Sinha said.
Gurez, which once bore the brunt of the India-Pakistan conflict, and reported frequent cross-border shelling, especially during the Kargil War in 1999, has emerged as a top tourist destination in recent years.
“India’s first museum for Dardis traces the journey of Shina culture, language, and the Gurezi way of life. It acknowledges the immense contribution of the Dard-Shin community in nation-building,” Mr. Sinha said.
He said the Shinon Meeras will become the centre of attraction for travellers visiting this “best off-beat destination of India”.
Various sections of the museum will provide an opportunity to travellers and historians to explore tangible and intangible art and a vibrant space for the community to tell its stories and showcase its traditions.
The centre features a mix of digital displays, exhibits, artefacts, textiles, and interactive boards, and several geographically aligned sections, including Dardistan and the Kishanganga river, the Gurezi way of life, sections on language, the community’s symbiotic relationship with the Indian Army, a souvenir section, and an audio-visual room, an official said.
A sand art display showcases the Indian Army’s Operation Eraze to liberate Gurez from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) in 1948.
The museum also has an open air amphitheatre with seating capacity for 150 people, set up by the banks of the Kishanganga river, for performances by the local cultural dance groups during weekends.
“Gurez has witnessed transformational changes in the last three years. Our dedicated focus was to strengthen physical infrastructure, ensure adequate skilled manpower, and to provide a conducive atmosphere for new business enterprises to flourish,” the Lt. Governor said.
The tourism sector has witnessed a massive increase from the earlier 700-800 tourists a year to 35,000 till August 15 this year.
On the occasion, the L-G flagged off the Dawar-Drass-Darchik car rally, connecting the Dard community of Gurez to Ladakh. He also unveiled a Shina language primer for promoting the use of Shina as a mother tongue amongst the children of Gurez.
The Dards are one of the oldest tribes of the region. British historian Sir Aurel Stein, who translated Kalhana’s Rajtarangni, observed that Dards have been around since the writings mention them in the period of Herodotus, a fifth century Greek historian.
Kashmir’s last local Muslim king, Yusuf Shah Chak, who was imprisoned by the Mughals, was also a Dard.
