An evening of Kashmiri culture, music and food

The

Kashmiri

community living in Bengaluru was recently treated to an evening of culture,

music

and

food

from their homeland. The event, Koshur Saal, which translates to Kashmiri Daawat, saw more than 700 Kashmiris in attendance, soaking in the celebration of their community.
Azmat Ali Mir, the organizer of the event, says that the fest was held with the aim of bringing together Kashmiris living in the city for an evening of celebration. “Initially, we had thought of having a small gathering at home. But once the word spread out, more and more people wanted to be part of it. That’s when we realized that we cannot do something small and we looked for a bigger venue,” says Azmat, adding that no stone was left unturned to ensure the authenticity with respect to the food and the line-up of performing artistes.

“Popular Kashmiri artistes like Reshma Rashid, a transgender who has changed the face of Kashmiri weddings, Zareef Ahmad Zareef, Rayees Mohiudeen, Mohammed Muneem and Aabha Hanjura performed at the event. We had the artistes flown in from Kashmir especially, so that the people here could have an evening of entertainment,” says Azmat, adding that the profits from the event would be used for the orphans in Kashmir under a mentorship model, where they can be trained under craftsmen. “We want to ensure that these children learn the craft at a young age, so that they can take this art form forward,” adds Azmat.

While music

performances

had the crowd whistling and cheering, the Wazwan, comprising authentic dishes like Tabakmaz, Dum Aloo, Rogan Josh, Goshtaba, Nadru Yakhni and more had the visitors wanting for more. “We had also flown in chefs from Kashmir to prepare authentic dishes. There are specific masalas that are used in Kashmiri food that you don’t get here easily. Those were brought all the way from there, so that the taste is the same,” Azmat sums up.