Omar urges students to learn about J&K's cultural heritage

A heritage exhibition began here today with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah asking students to learn about the state's rich civilisation and marvellous workmanship of its people through such events.
"The heritage, art and crafts are living celebrities telling ancient stories of a rich civilisation and marvellous workmanship of the people of this heavenly beautiful land... the students need to visit such exhibitions and enrich their knowledge of history, heritage, people, their status, lifestyle and workmanship of highest quality," Omar said after inaugurating the exhibition at Lal Mandi on the banks of river Jhelum here.
The two-day exhibition has been organised by Jammu and Kashmir Cultural Academy in association with the Department of Archives, Handicrafts and NGOs - The Meeras Sopore, National Bhand Theatre Wathoor and Nostalgic Kashmir - which have contributed by providing items of historic importance.

Omar said the artists, writers and musicians have depicted the state's cultural diversity living in unity beautifully through their skill and craftsmanship.
The items of art, craft, costume, musical instruments, manuscripts, archaeology, images, paintings, household items, photographs and other memorabilia placed in the exhibition take the viewer back to earlier periods of history and narrate the status of people in various fields of art and literature, he said.
The Chief Minister, who is also president of the Academy, highlighted the role of such exhibitions in making people in general and younger generation in particular aware of the state's rich heritage, culture, literature and mesmerising craftsmanship.

"The people in old days, despite so many short comings of resources and raw materials, have used locally available wood, willow, clay, zinc, copper, stone and other such objects artistically and wisely to produce artifacts of everlasting relevance," Omar said, asking the Cultural Academy to organise more such exhibitions in the state at various places.
The Chief Minister evinced keen interest in the exhibition and spent about 45 minutes looking at and knowing about each object.