Kashmiri Artisans Win India Medal at Colorado Ice Arena

Suhail Khan

Srinagar, Jan 30: A four-member Indian team, spearheaded by two Kashmiri artisans, earned the bronze medal at the International Snow Sculpture Championships in Breckenridge, Colorado, the United States, which concluded earlier this week.

Competing under the banner ‘Snow India’, the team triumphed over participants from more than a dozen countries, including traditional snow sculpting powerhouses such as South Korea and Mongolia. The gold and silver medals were claimed by South Korea and Mongolia, respectively.

Details available with Kashmir Convener reveal that the team, which included Kashmiri sculptor Zahoor Ahmad Bhat (known professionally as Zahoor Kashmiri), Suhail Mohmad Khan from Pulwama, Mridul Upadhyay, and their American collaborator Matt Seeley, created a towering 16-foot artwork titled “Corn: The Ultimate Domesticator — Who is truly in control?” The sculpture was meticulously carved over 92 hours from a single 25-ton block of machine-compacted snow.

The artists worked under gruelling conditions, with temperatures plummeting to -31°C, using only hand tools such as shovels, saws, and chisels, in accordance with the competition’s strict rules against power tools.

Speaking to Kashmir Convener over the phone from Colorado, Zahoor, a seasoned papier-mâché and wood artist from Srinagar, dedicated the win to the artisan community of Jammu and Kashmir.

“This medal is a testament to the skill and patience inherent in our Kashmiri craftsmanship. The medium changes — it could be wood, papier-mâché, or snow — but the soul of the artistry remains the same,” he said.

Notably, this achievement marks the team’s second consecutive podium finish at an international snow sculpting event, following a previous medal win in Switzerland. However, the journey has been entirely self-funded, a point highlighted by team member Upadhyay to Kashmir Convener.

“While we carry the Indian flag with immense pride, our participation is financed through personal funds. Other national teams receive institutional sponsorship, whereas we rely on our individual resolve and resources,” Upadhyay told the publication over the phone.

The team has appealed for institutional recognition and support from the Government of India and the Jammu & Kashmir administration.

They emphasised that snow art represents a significant potential avenue for promoting winter tourism and skill development in the region, particularly in Kashmir.