From the Editor’s Desk: Sonth
Namaskar!
We are thrilled to present to you the latest issue of ISBUND, our quarterly newsletter for the Kashmiri Pandit community. This issue, titled “Sonth“, celebrates the arrival of spring and the Kashmiri new year, ‘Navreh’.
We are excited to announce that this issue has been edited by two 10 or nearly 10-year-old girls, Aria and Adhya. Despite our young age, we have put together an exciting collection of articles covering a range of topics , and we sincerely hope you enjoy reading them and provide us with some constructive feedback.
In this issue, we have included an overview of artificial intelligence (AI) and we have even used AI software ChatGPT to generate a few articles. We are amazed at how far technology has come and how it can be used to enhance our understanding and knowledge. We would love to hear your thoughts on these articles, so please do share your feedback with us.
Our collection of articles includes contributions from people of all ages covering a variety of topics from life in general to our festivals, food, and some glimpses of celebrations. We have highlighted events such as the Badminton championship and the Navreh event that give you a taste of the rich and vibrant culture of our community. We hope you enjoy the recipe of Kashmiri Katlam that we have included and that you try it out for yourself.
We are excited to feature a message from Mr Sanjay Peshin, the outgoing President of the Kashmiri Pandit Association of Europe (KPAE) and also introduce the new executive committee members. We hope that you will join us in congratulating the new team and wish them all the very best for their term.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Team ISBUND: Sheetal Raina, Shivani Dudha, and Anjan Raina for entrusting us with the responsibility of editing this issue.
As we wrap up this issue, we leave you with the lines from Yayoi Kusama:
“Our world is only one polka dot among a million stars in the cosmos. When we obliterate nature and our bodies with polka dots, we become part of the unity of our environment.”
Let us all do our part to preserve our environment and celebrate the beauty of our culture.
Best regards,
Aria Raina Kumar and Adhya Raina
Aria Raina Kumar
Meet Aria—our 12-year-old junior editor at ISBUND and a whirlwind of curiosity, creativity and ambition! Proud of her Kashmiri roots, Aria draws inspiration from her heritage, her family and the world around her. Whether she’s running across the cricket ground, building intricate LEGO masterpieces or diving into the mysteries of Science and Maths, Aria brings energy and imagination to everything she does. Her love for learning is matched only by her big dreams: Aria hopes to one day become a neurosurgeon, blending her fascination with the human brain and her drive to help others. Until then, she’s busy exploring new ideas, taking on school projects and proving that you’re never too young to chase after what excites you. When she’s not exploring new projects, debating strategies with her friends or letting her imagination run wild, Aria is always ready for the next adventure. For her, every day is a chance to discover something new with a fearless heart and a mind hungry for discovery.
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