Srinagar 17 July 2025: Anant National University has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tulkul Arts and Media Collective, Kashmir, to study, document and preserve the musical instruments of Sufiana Mausiqi, a classical musical tradition central to Kashmir’s cultural landscape. The collaboration aims to build a design archive of these rare instruments, many of which are only being crafted by a handful of artisans, map their cultural, social and historical contexts and explore possibilities for contemporary use, preservation and revival.
The MoU was formally announced in Srinagar, in the presence of reputed dignitaries, including Principal Secretary Culture BM Sharma , MLA Bijbehera Bashir Ahmad Veeri and MLA Bamihal , Hervinder Kaur, Secretary Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, Prof Sukamal Deb, Lead, Anant Centre for Documentation and Development of Crafts (ACDC), Anant National University, Prof Parth Shah, Assistant Professor, School of Design and Manager, Makerspace and Ravice Rashid artist-in-residence, Anant National University, among others.
The MoU will facilitate a two-way knowledge exchange. Traditional craftsmen and practitioners from Kashmir will visit Anant to teach design students the process of crafting these unique and endangered instruments, along with the cultural and musical heritage associated with them. Anant students will,inturn,get first-hand exposure to the making techniques, traditional compositions and the rich history of SufianaMausiqi, deepening their understanding of India’s richindigenous design traditions from Kashmir.
Anant, through ACDC, will support documentation, preservation and potentially the revival of this art form through design innovation, archiving and research. ACDC documents, supports, nurtures and disseminates knowledge of crafts and traditional systems and seeks to revive the languishing crafts of India by promoting and preserving traditional crafts, modernising ancient practices, teaching Mind-to-Market (M-M) approach, organising upskilling programmes and more.
The initiative aligns with Anant’s commitment to promoting indigenous knowledge systemsand integrating traditional wisdom with modern design education and emerging technologies. The effort also reflects Anant’s broader vision to create sustainable, culturally rooted solutions that honour and evolve India’s heritage.
Principal Secretary Culture JK Govt BM Sharma appreciated the initiative taken by Anant National University Ahmedabad and assured to collaborate with them for more work especially to restore the instruments which have vanished or are on verge of extinction.
