Vandana Daftari

   NAVREH (New Year Day) for Kashmiri Pandits ! First Navratra is a special day for Pandits from Kashmir. It's NAVREH (New Year Day) in Kashmir. On this day the new almanac, the annual calendar with new astronomical data and lot of other information commences for the new Hindu calendar year. With this day the most soothing season of the year, the spring starts with a renewed life. The nature wears a new look. Fresh fragrance of new flowers fill the air immediately after snow melts in Kashmir.  Navreh is also a celebration of an escape from the clutches of the severe cold of winter with a new lease of life and a season of regeneration and fertility. Prior to the festival the family elder brings in the new almanac (Panchang) of the New Year, called Janthari in Kashmiri.  On the night prior to Navreh the eldest lady of the house fills a big plate (Thali) with uncooked rice and arranges various items on it. The new Janthari occupies an important place with a twig of fresh

Jannat Zameen Par Aayi Utar Ke Khushiyon Ne Jaise Chun Sa Liya Har Kali Ko Muskurana Aa Gaya Har Sitarey Ko Mili Hai Roshani It was An Amazing Sight to behold ..! A reinvigorating experience..! World Cultural Festival at Delhi on 11-13 th March was no less than a Magnificent Marvel  that witnessed lakhs of people gathered from 155 countries.37,000 artists from across nations performing on world’s largest stage of 7 acres. More  than 8500 musicians playing 50 instruments. Colossal..!! Confluence of Musical,Cultural,Spiritual,Artistic,Leadership gathering from across the globe at one place devoid of any Hatred and Violence.The festival witnessed Convergence of Faiths, Cultures ,Ideologies under one roof which no politician or event management company has been able to achieve. Uniting such a huge gathering from Diverse Faiths ,Giving Message Of Peace, Universal Brotherhood is no mean task & only a Divine Vision & Intervention can bring this to fruition. G

The  Valley Of Rishis ,Seers n Sufi’s ..The Abode of Sharada –epitome of highest knowledge and wisdom was struck silent with the mass murder of Kashmiri Pandits . It was month of January  1990 ,all of a sudden there was mass gathering on street outside our home & people were shouting slogans   “ Yahan chalega Nizam-e-mustafa ,Kashmir banega Pakistan ,Kafiro Kashmir hamara chod do “ and throwing stones at our home, breaking window panes. I was small to realise what was happening and why was it happening..And what are they going to get by pelting stones & breaking our windows..I remember that evening we had to switch off lights of all our rooms & we had dinner in the dim light of big size radio that my grandfather had got. 19 th of January 1990 Kashmiri Pandits were asked to leave the valley..Audio tape was played in all the mosques in Kashmir after which kashmiri muslims came on streets burnt houses belonging to kashmiri pandits .Total Anarchy & to add to