In a rare bid to save Kashmiri language, clerics to deliver sermons in vernacular language on October 16
Clerics in Kashmir have announced that Friday sermons on October 16 will be delivered in the Kashmiri language to help preserve the local culture. The initiative aims to protect the region's linguistic heritage and address social issues like drug abuse and mental health.
Why it matters
This move highlights the intersection of religious leadership and cultural preservation in a region facing modernization and identity challenges.
In a rare bid by the clergy of Kashmir to preserve the local language, all Friday sermons on October 16 will be delivered in Kashmiri language, Kashmir chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said on Friday (October 9, 2026).
“In a first coordinated khutbah [sermon] across mosques and imambargahs on October 16, it will focus on faith and delivered in the vernacular language, a cherished treasure of our distinct Islamic identity and heritage,” said the Mirwaiz.
He made the announcement on the urs (special occasion) of Hazrat Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani, a local saint from Budgam. “His ‘ shruks ’ [verses] enriched and preserved the Kashmiri language. To preserve Kashmiri is to preserve our identity, memory and civilisational heritage. Younger generations should speak, read and value their mother tongue,” said the Mirwaiz.
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