THE recent reopening of the 76-year-old Jammu and Kashmir House on Amritsar’s Court Road reinforces the centuries-old ties between the holy city and the Kashmir valley. On September 17, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah inaugurated the newly renovated facility, designed to provide affordable and comfortable accommodation for Union Territory residents visiting Punjab.A lifeline for patients, travellersWhile the heritage building welcomes students, pilgrims, and general visitors, patients form a major demographic. Situated close to major hospitals, the facility offers a crucial base for those travelling to avail of Amritsar’s advanced medical facilities, particularly in ophthalmology and orthopaedics.Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Abdullah emphasised that the initiative aims to ease the hardships faced by patients and their families seeking treatment outside the UT, while ensuring budget-friendly lodging.According to the manager, Shivani, the heritage property has seven rooms equipped with modern amenities. To support vulnerable citizens, tariffs are kept at an affordable Rs 1,000, and are provided entirely free of cost for up to 15 days for those battling life-threatening illnesses.For visitors like Mohammad Ishaq, a resident of Rajouri, the facility is invaluable. Ishaq has been visiting Amritsar for the past three years for his 11-year-old son Rehan Ali Choudhary’s eye surgeries, finding much-needed comfort and convenience during repeated medical trips.Additional rooms being plannedOperated by the J&K Hospitality and Protocol Department — which also manages properties in Chandigarh, Delhi, and Mumbai — bookings for the Amritsar house are handled online. Following a year-long renovation costing nearly Rs 2.3 crore, CM Abdullah has directed officials to plan additional rooms behind the structure, which sits on roughly 19 kanals.A rich historical tapestryUnlike other regional guest houses, the Amritsar property was acquired through the Punjab government in 1950. Its reopening serves as a reminder of deep historical connections.Before Partition, families of Kashmiri descent deeply enriched Amritsar’s social fabric. Prominent figures included freedom fighter and senior Congress leader Dr Saifuddin Kitchlew and pashmina merchant Khan Bahadur Mian Muhammad Jan.Post-Independence, exchanges shifted largely toward economics, tourism, and artisanal trade. Historically, Amritsar served as a major hub supplying green tea to Kashmir and landlocked Afghanistan until the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan shifted trade dynamics.Local families, such as those of Bawa Ram and Sardari Lal, once built fortunes on this trade before Kolkata emerged as a larger commercial centre.Modern-day economic tiesDespite disruptions like the years of militancy in the Valley, the exchange of people, tourists, traders, and artisans has remained steadfast. Local shawl manufacturer Piara Lal Seth notes that the iconic J&K House cements these age-old ties and paves the way for a bright future.Textile manufacturer Gaurav Jain highlights that local manufacturers routinely send shawls to the Valley for specialised handmade and aari work. Fellow manufacturer Sudarshan Kumar Wadhwa notes that nearly 40 per cent of Amritsar’s annual 60-lakh-metre tweed production meets the demands of Kashmir valley, where locally stitched phirans remain a winter staple for residents of all ages.