70-year-old Kashmiri craftsman, Abdul Khaliq Najar, has spent his life making and repairing houseboats in the Valley. He is the seventh generation in his family who were engaged in construction of houseboats. Najar is the only person alive among the ones who were known for their mastery in the making of houseboats, which attract tourists...
Making of Gabba’ (Kashmiri rug embroidered with aari work) has been carried out since the late 16th century Mughal period. Gabbas are made up of wool blankets. The old blankets are dyed in vegetable colors and with a cotton backing. These can also be made new by mixing wool (one or two ply) and a...
An English Literature student from Srinagar’s Sher-e-Khas, Nazar Nasir Naik has been breaking stereotypes with his crocheting. Nazar, known as “Male Crocheter of Kashmir”, took a liking to the craft art during an unrest in 2016 when his aunt was knitting a sweater. He infused a new life in the orthodox style of knotting with...
Walnut wood carving is an ornamental and delicate craft process that is unique to Kashmir due to the concentration of walnut trees in this region. The raw material used for the fine woodcarving of Kashmir is obtained from walnut tree locally known as Doon Kul (Juglans regia tree) and is cut only once it matures...
Ghulam Mohammed Beigh, a 70-year-old sozni artisan from Zadibal, Srinagar has been embroidering Pashmina shawls from the last 40 years and continues to do so with his children to keep the glorious craft alive. Beigh grew up in a family of artisans, where his father, grandfather and uncles all were associated with Pashmina embroidery. Every...
80 year old Mir Abdul Majeed, of Kalai Andar area of the old city of Srinagar, is an award winning aari embroidery artist from Kashmir. Aari staple or hook-work is a common form of embroidery, taken to another level by master artisan Mir Abdul Majid with his landscape embroidered pieces. One of his landscape works...
Ghulam Rasool Sofi, aged 65,is probably one of the last few Kashmir’s staple artisans. Born into a lineage of artisans, he has dedicated his life to this handiwork. His craft has reached as far as Spain and America. However, he now feels that the onslaught of mechanised mass- produced goods has eroded the demand for handmade...
Copper vessels have been used traditionally in Kashmiri households for cooking and serving meals. Copperware known as Traam has been an indispensable commodity in Kashmir since ages. The household utensils include lota (pot), Tream (plate), naer (water jug), tash- naer (for washing hands), samovar for preparing tea, dishes, bowls,trays ,vessels, Lamp Shades and many more....
Maqbool Jan, an artist from Srinagar’s Lal Bazar area, has dedicated his life to perfecting the art of papier-mache. Over the years, he has won several State, National, and International Awards, including the prestigious UNESCO Seal of Excellence for Handicrafts in 2007-2008. From Mughal Mohalla in Lal Bazar, Srinagar, he was forced to learn the...
Nadru, or lotus stem, is a quintessential part of Kashmiri cuisine. The seeds are sown just once, and harvest is enjoyed for years. The harvesting season is between September and March when farmers spend all day on their boats, eating, praying and gathering the nadru from Dal Lake, and Anchar Lake in Srinagar, and Manasbal...
