Shabroz Malik
Srinagar, Dec 10: Bringing pride once again to India and the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, Team Snow India-Callisto has been selected to represent the country at two prestigious international snow sculpting events in the United States— the 2026 International Snow Sculpture Championship in Breckenridge, Colorado, and the 2026 World Snow Sculpting Championship in Stillwater, Minnesota, scheduled for January.
The selection marks another milestone for the team, which last year delivered a historic performance by winning a bronze medal for India at the Breckenridge championship. Their 2025 creation, titled “Mind in Meditation,” earned applause for its artistic depth and technical finesse, placing India third among world-class competitors from Germany, Mexico, the United States, Finland, Canada, Mongolia, South Korea, Argentina and Turkey.
Led by captain Zahoor Kashmiri, the four-member team — Mridul Upadhyay, Suhail Mohmad Khan, and Matt Seeley — had completed the sculpture over four days in extreme temperatures ranging from –25°C to –35°C, carving a 25-ton snow block entirely with hand tools. Team Snow India remains South Asia’s first-ever team to compete and win at this global platform, representing the region consistently since 2017.
For the 2026 edition, the team will present two conceptually rich and culturally rooted works. In Stillwater, they will sculpt “Nature’s Cradle,” a tribute to Kashmir’s timeless beauty. The piece depicts an infant cradled on a Chinar leaf, supported by a blooming lotus rising from the floating gardens (Rad) of Dal Lake. The sculpture is dedicated to a beloved team member who recently passed away, making it a deeply emotional creation.
In Breckenridge, their sculpture “Corn: The Ultimate Domesticator” draws inspiration from historian Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens. The artwork explores how crops influence and shape the evolution of civilizations, symbolising the intricate relationship between humans and nature.
Beyond competing, Team Snow India aims to amplify India’s artistic voice on the global winter-art stage while showcasing the untapped potential of Kashmir in winter tourism, youth engagement and rural livelihood generation. Despite their achievements, the team continues to participate without any financial or logistical support from government agencies or private sponsors, making international travel and tool procurement difficult.
The artists expressed gratitude to the organisers of the Breckenridge and Stillwater championships for recognizing Indian talent. They also appealed to the Government of India and the UT administration of Jammu & Kashmir to extend institutional backing to sustain and promote snow sculpting as a promising cultural and tourism-driven industry.
“Snow is not just our medium — it’s our message of peace, sustainability, mindfulness, and beauty from India to the world,” Team Snow India said.
