For most culture-vultures the thought of going to the opera conjures up images of big-framed and even bigger-voiced tenors and sopranos belting out powerful tunes in Italian.

But visitors to the recent Mela festival in Wardown Park were treated to a different kind of opera, India's own answer to Carmen or Rigoletto.

Kasheer.... a musical opera about the heritage of the much-disputed Kashmir region, explored the idea that the area has always been the centre of all knowledge, peace and tolerance towards people belonging to different faiths.

The opera was performed by Dhahnjay Koul and Deepali Wattal, and was part of a collaboration between the Kashmir Bhawan Centre in Albion Road, and the Kashmiri-based Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art Culture and Languages, which aims to promote the area's culture and teach youngsters living in the UK and Europe about their parents and grandparents heritage.

Writer and director of the opera, Afaq Rasool Gadda, told Luton Today: "The message of the opera is about mutual co-existence and a universal brotherhood. It was very well received by the people at the Mela, they were thrilled to know that the message of universal brotherhood was preached by Kashmiri saints way back in the 14th century.

"It was a connection of the Kashmiri people with their roots.

"It was a useful cultural interaction between so many people and different kinds of cultures."