Models, Artists dressed in colorful ‘Pherans’ commemorate International Pheran Day
Suhail Khan
Srinagar, Dec 21 : The beginning of the 40-day harshest spell of winter, ‘Chillai Kalan,’ was celebrated as ‘Pheran Day’ in the Kashmir Valley on Saturday.
Reports reaching Kashmir Despatch indicate that to commemorate “International Pheran Day,” a gathering of young people, including girls wearing vibrant pherans, congregated at Lal Chowk next to the Ghanta Ghar.
Saika, one of the participants, stated that on the occasion of International Pheran Day, being celebrated across the world on December 21, it is an honor to be a Kashmiri.
“While the day is celebrated worldwide, for the people of Kashmir, the Pheran isn’t just an outfit; it’s an emotion. It represents our identity and our culture, and for this, we Kashmiri people can do anything positive.”
She mentioned that despite the numerous issues this outfit has faced in the past, we are grateful to the organizers for bringing us all together at Lal Chowk to celebrate Pheran Day.
“This is a historic day for Kashmir, and on this occasion, we want to spread a message to the whole world that the people of Kashmir are peaceful lovers who can do anything to preserve our tradition, our heritage, and our culture for ourselves and future generations,” said Nasir, another participant.
Another participant, Zainab, noted that the Kashmiri Pheran has crossed beyond Kashmir and has made its way into national and international markets.
Following the enormous amount of interest it garnered at Lal Chowk, a fashion show was held in the city, where a large number of models and artists dressed in pherans delighted the audience and commemorated the day.
A female artist speaking to Kashmir Despatch shared that the Pheran is a lovely Kashmiri custom that is currently making an international fashion statement.
“It’s wonderful to see that every model sporting a Pheran participated in this fashion show, amplifying the message about how much we value our tradition,” she added.
She further stated that it was heartening to see increased interest in commemorating International Pheran Day, and she hopes this trend continues in the coming years.
In addition to the male models, several female models participated in the fashion show, wearing pherans to promote Kashmir and its traditions, according to another participant.
He remarked that Kashmir has great talent, and a time will come when people, especially those in the film industry, will make history.
The participants expressed that they aimed to promote the Pheran in this fashion exhibition to deliver a message to those who overlook this exquisite culture.
“We are merely trying to do our part as models and artists to keep the Pheran tradition alive,” they added.
They emphasized that the motive for organizing this Pheran show was to represent our tradition on an international level so that people around the globe would learn about this unique aspect of our culture.
Pertinently, In a touching display of solidarity and compassion, the Indian Army celebrated International Pheran Day by distributing traditional Pherans to underprivileged families in the remote villages of the Kashmir Valley.
Suhail Khan is a filmmaker, content writer, and freelance journalist.
