Young Kashmiris turning into vloggers to show glimpse of 'Naya Kashmir'

Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], March 22 (ANI): With improved security situation and better tourism infrastructure in the Kashmir Valley, several Kashmiris have taken social media platforms by storm to show a fresh perspective and a glimpse of the wonderful places to visit in Kashmir via YouTube and Facebook.
Kashmir has always been known for its picturesque valleys and mountains and tourism in the valley has also increased remarkably. J-K tourism also held several roadshows across the country to attract more tourists. However, in this social media age, people tend to follow content creators on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram to learn more about places to visit.
With abundant tourism potential, the state had seen a drastic increase in tourist footfalls last year. In November 2021, the Valley saw 1,27,605 tourists visiting in comparison to only 6327 in the same month in 2020. In October 2021, 93,000 tourists visited the Valley.
There is so much one hears about the natural beauty of Kashmir. Seen through the eyes of the Kashmiris, it is even more beautiful. The passion and eye for detail of bright young Kashmiris can be seen in numerous vlogs, images and social media posts of the likes of Imad Ur Rehman, Idrees Mir and several others who have popularized the Valley through their artistic creations.
What stands out is the coming together of talent, technology and tourism for the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory as never seen before. That is why we focus our attention on some of these vloggers with the aim of learning new things about Kashmir.
A quick search onGoogle reveals scores of Kashmiri vloggers and YouTubers who have something to share about the beautiful Kashmir Valley. Recall that it was Emperor Jahangir who had said when visiting Kashmir in the 17th Century that "If there is heaven on earth, it is here, it is here". It is, therefore, heartening to know that more and more young Kashmiris are searching for their roots and giving us a glimpse of the wonderful places to visit on YouTube, Facebook and other social media platforms.
Each name has a history and a future. Faizul Manzoor is the first Kashmiri female YouTube vlogger. The 20-year old hails from the Barzulla area of Srinagar and has worked hard to earn her name as a YouTube vlogger among audiences. One of her most popular vlogs is on the Dal Lake which has been appreciated by many people. She says that vlogging has helped her to connect with people from other countries and is thankful for familial support in vlogging.
Imad Ur Rehman is another Kashmiri (Srinagar-based) content creator whose images and content of contemporary Kashmir have captured the imagination of social media users across the world. Returning to Jammu and Kashmir in 2018, he started making YouTube videos and his channel features vlogs in which Imad can be seen travelling across the sprawling landscapes of the Kashmir Valley. Drone footage of some of Kashmir's most beautiful locations is a unique aspect of Imad's work and is captured quite elegantly in the videos he shares online.
With four lakh followers on Facebook and over one lakh subscribers on YouTube, Idrees Mir is another sensation from Kashmir. Currently pursuing his PhD from NIMS, Jaipur, Idrees hails from Baramulla District. As a "lifestyle-vlogger", Idrees started content creation in 2017 and he took time to figure out his calling, eventually turning to travel videos. His aim is to be an academic but does not wish to give up content creation as this is what keeps him ticking.
With 30,000 subscribers on YouTube, Raashid Sarfaraz is keen to promote tourism in Baramulla District. Raashid started vlogging in May 2019 and wants to give a social message through his new videos. He says he will tell followers not to pollute these beautiful places and focus on sanitation as well. Importantly, he is also starting a vlog in the Phari language, to preserve his mother tongue.
Ruman Hamdani is another vlogger from the valley. He is an engineer-turned-cinematographer. His Instagram page helped the 30-year-old content creator to showcase his work and boosted his online popularity. After completing many photographs and videography projects, he co-founded the Master Visual Studios where he shoots commercials, weddings and music videos for local artists. He says that social media sites like Instagram and YouTube are his digital offices.'Explore Kashmir' is a YouTube channel run by three friends, Younis Khan, Hilal Khan and Mir Danish from Srinagar. Their objective is to give tourists a view of the unexplored parts of the Kashmir Valley. Their experience of actually going to many of these places and sharing videos has aroused the interest of several people online.
The other aspect of note is that vlogging is not restricted to just travel, but covers many issues across the board, including cooking, education, comedy and music. There are a plethora of such young content creators who have taken to the internet like fish to water. This is the 'Naya Kashmir', a new generation that seeks to bring about change. The changed circumstances have thus provided a new impetus for a healthy mix of technology, tourism, and talent to blossom in Kashmir. (ANI)