GANDERBAL: As part of the Heritage Week 2025 celebrations, District Administration Ganderbal in collaboration with Department of Archives, Archaeology & Museums today organised Seminars at Govt. Degree Colleges (GDCs) of Ganderbal and Kangan.
In the inaugural session of the week-long programme that commenced today, seminars on local history and heritage of Ganderbal was held within the college premises.
The week-long celebrations from 19th to 25th November, 2025 is aimed to create awareness among students about the rich cultural, historical, and archaeological significance of the region.
The seminars began with a brief introduction on the importance of Heritage Week and the purpose of the event. Faculty members, students, and invitees attended the sessions with great enthusiasm.
At GDC Ganderbal, the session was attended by the Additional District Development Commissioner, Manzoor Ahmad Bhat, and Principal, GDC Ganderbal, Prof. Fauzia Fatima besides the resource person of the session, Iqbal Ahmad, former Assistant Curator, SPS Museum, Srinagar and the faculty members and students of the college.
Principal of the college, in her inaugural address highlighted the importance of studying, understanding and engagement with the natural and cultural heritage of the region and its preservation.
The resource person, in his lecture on the Archaeology, Numismatic and Heritage of Kashmir discussed the importance of studying and understanding the ancient past of Kashmir through its archaeological and numismatic heritage and its relevance to the present and future of the Kashmir region.
Similarly at GDC Kangan, Prof. Zahoor from the Department of Political Science presented an insightful talk on the local history of Kangan. He highlighted the region’s historical evolution, its role in socio-political developments, and the unique cultural identity that has shaped the community over centuries.
This was followed by a presentation by Dr. Mohd Younus Thokar, who spoke about the importance of heritage sites in Kangan. He emphasized the need for preserving archaeological remains, traditional structures, and cultural landmarks that reflect the region’s past.
He also discussed the challenges faced in heritage conservation and encouraged students to actively participate in safeguarding local heritage.
The sessions concluded with this understanding and pledge that our collective destiny as a society both at the national as well as global level is tied to how we approach, study and preserve our natural and cultural heritage.