Written By Sadaf Wani
Published by Aleph Book Company
Priced at ₹ 399/-
As the title suggests, the book seems to centre on Srinagar, the summer capital of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir—or, more accurately, ‘Sirinagar,’ as the author thoughtfully corrects from the very beginning, and quite rightly so.
When I first picked it up—roughly the size of the palm of an adult hand—I assumed it would be a quick read, something I could finish in a day or two. I couldn’t have been more wrong. It didn’t take long to realise that one must never judge a book by its cover—or in this case, its size. Only the content tells the real story.
This book is an immersive read where each page pulls you into the past and drags you through waves of nostalgia, especially for those who were born and/or raised during the turbulent 1990s in Kashmir.
Having said that, the book is not just about the turmoil or the tragedies that Sirinagar has witnessed but the evolution it has undergone from a flourishing hub of arts and handicrafts filled with the laughter of its inhabitants to the ghost city it became—a mere shadow of its former self—where people did not even risk looking eye to eye.
It is truly the biography of Sirinagar.
The author begins by tracing the origins of Sirinagar, drawing from Kalhana’s Rajtarangini to present its mythological foundation.
The city had been the seat of power for the kings from various dynasties and times in history. From Ashoka to the Shahmirs, Chaks, Mughals, and later the Afghans, Sikhs, and Dogras—right up to the ministers of modern times—Sirinagar has seen it all.
It’s a city that has withstood the passage of time and the weight of countless rulers—some remembered kindly, but most, not so much. Aside from the countless invasions, Sirinagar has also witnessed natural calamities like famines, massive fires (due to the city’s wooden infrastructure), and even epidemics to the point that Sirinagar was known as the cholera centre.
The author has also pressed on societal issues of classism and casteism within the city that further damage the social fabric of Sirinagar as a city, for vanity must not gain a place in any progressive community.
The city has also undergone a number of socio-cultural changes.
Sirinagar was the Buddhist learning hub in ancient times and slowly gave way to Hinduism and Islam as these faiths found their way into the hearts of the people.
At one point in time, it was a cohesive unit of secularism where Hindus, Muslims, and Buddhists thrived as a populace until seeds of discord were sown by different regimes that scattered the brethren in an irreparable manner.
The author has touched upon the topics of rising nationalism and the armed rebellion, the Pandit exodus, and enforced disappearances of Kashmiri Muslims with a lot of care and utmost sensitivity.
It never feels forced or one-sided, just honest and deeply human.
The author strikes the right chords with dedicating a chapter to Downtown—the Shahr-e-Khaas—where Sirinagar’s real heart beats.
The changing landscape of Downtown from being the epicentre of art and handicrafts and the resistance to the painful shift where residents began to conceal their identity, as if being from Downtown had somehow become a mark of shame.
As the author draws a map of the events from the 90s to 2019, I could personally visualise my repressed memories as a 90s Kashmiri kid. It’s in moments like these that the book becomes more than just a historical account—it becomes deeply personal.
And finally, would I recommend this book? Very much, yes!
The book progresses in an organic and engaging manner, which is commendable for a book of the non-fiction genre.
My favourite part of the book, however, is how the author has correctly spelled out the names of the local places within the city with their indigenous pronunciations intact, like Haer Parbat, Maisum, Baab Dyemb, Navyut etc.
It’s a meaningful gesture that adds authenticity and pays respect to Sirinagar’s soul.
