In a maiden effort to showcase J&K’s treasure-trove of its past, the State’s Department of Culture has come out with a unique Calendar for the year 2017. The theme of the distinctive Calendar-2017 is ‘Self Discovery’.Conceived under the guidance of Minister for Culture, Dr Haseeb A Drabu, the Calendar is a collective voyage of rare manuscripts, priceless paintings, ancient scriptures and beautiful calligraphy in possession of the J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages.“Aimed at rebuilding a culturally conscious society, the Calendar designed by the Department of Culture presents a visual narrative of J&K’s treasured heritage and history,” said Dr Drabu.He said the basic concept behind this unique effort is to ‘rediscover, reflect and revive’. “It is like engaging with our past, to reorient our present and redefine our future,” he said.
Dr Drabu said that some of the rare manuscripts and ancient scriptures incorporated in the Calendar include 300 year old ‘Wasay-e-Luqman’, a calligraphic masterpiece based on the legendary Hakeem Luqman’s advice, Sharda Script, personal hand-written dairies of Shair-e-Kashmir Mehjoor, Thangka Painting of Ladakh, Mahabharata in Kashmir, gold-plated copy of Quran calligraphed in 1711 AD and other similar priceless possessions.Dr Drabu called for spreading awareness among the people about culturally rich heritage of the state and to attract youth for their active participation in preserving and promoting J&K’s distinct traditions.He said the Calendar will be formally unveiled by the Chief Minister, Ms Mehbooba at Jammu on 1st January 2017.