Suhail Rather

Bandipora, Aug 20 (KNS): In North Kashmir’s Bandipora district, 27-year-old Shahida Khanam has turned what began as a personal fascination into a mission that now carries the weight of an entire community’s history.

From her modest home in Aragam village, she has built the region’s first tribal museum, an archive of Gujjar identity that doubles as a platform for empowerment.

For Shahida, the journey started not with grand plans, but with a lingering curiosity. “I would often notice the vibrant dresses, jewelry, and the distinct way of life in my community,” she recalled in a conversation with Kashmir News Service (KNS). “But I also saw how little effort was being made to protect it.”

That observation pushed her to act. What followed was not just the curating of old coins, utensils, and fabrics, but the creation of a living space where the past converses with the present. Full-length tribal costumes, traditional jewelry, carpets, chairs, earthenware, and even food items now line the shelves of Shahida’s museum, each piece narrating a fragment of the Gujjar story.

But Shahida’s work stretches beyond conservation.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelRecognising the lack of opportunities for tribal women, she began organising training programmes in embroidery, tailoring, knitting, and jewelry-making. Young girls from nearby hamlets now file into her workshops, learning skills that are at once traditional and marketable.

Her efforts, however, have not been free of resistance. In many tribal households, women remain confined within rigid boundaries. Shahida has pushed against these lines, making the museum not just a repository of heritage but also a statement on gender parity. “It is about giving tribal women the confidence to step out of stereotypes,” she said.

What steadied her course was her family’s support an anchor not every woman in her community can rely on. After completing her graduation, Shahida deliberately chose not to pursue higher education. Instead, she dedicated herself full-time to what she calls “a duty towards culture.”

Her work has turned her into a cultural custodian of sorts in Bandipora, with villagers volunteering artifacts and memories to her museum. “This is only the beginning,” she said, her eyes scanning the small but growing collection.(KNS)