A woman from Kashmir, Masrat Jan, is reviving the dying papier-mache craft, and breaking the gender stereotypes around it. Papier mache is mostly done by men in Kashmir, while women mostly do needlework and embroidery on shawls and suits. In her 50s, Jan, a well-known papier-mache artist lives in the Lal Bazar area of Srinagar....
Nisar Ahmed Bhat,70, of Fateh Kadal, Srinagar is probably the last artist of the Valley involved in the craft of turquoise or Ferozi. The craft of Turquoise or Ferozi originated in Iran and came to Kashmir , as with many other crafts, with Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani (Shah-e-Hamdan). Nisar’s grandfather learnt it at a famous...
Zaroo Gun Factory is one of only two family-run workshops in Srinagar. Violence in the region and crackdowns on gun licenses have decimated the business, but the Zaroos are determined to keep the craft alive. Zaroo gun factory was established in 1958 by Ghulam Mohammad Zaroo in Nowhatta, Srinagar. The small dark workshop packed with...
Surjeet Singh has been making swords and kirpans for the last 50 years. He is the main karigar at the Simran Industries in Ajit Nagar, Amritsar. He is the first in his family to learn this craft. He learnt it at the Ajit Singh Karkhana. The kirpan is a curved, single-edged blade that Khalsa Sikhs...
Chaur Sahib is an implement normally found next to the Manji Sahib where the Guru Granth is placed. The chaur is used to fan the Granth as a sign of reverence and respect for the scriptures. The chaur is usually constructed from yak hair mounted in a wooden or metal handle. The sevadar (volunteer) respectfully...
Print work of Kashmir is a unique form of traditional printing that combines wooden blocks and hand pressed paper still practiced in Kashmir. These are later used by design printers, commonly known as Naqashs for printing Shawls and other clothing items.Intricate designs are created through vibrant colours, known as naksha by naksha walas. Nakshai work...
Manzoor Ahmad is a 34-year-old pebble artist from the village of Guzarbal, Ganderbal district. Being a nature lover, Manzoor uses natural materials for his art. He draws inspiration from the natural world around him and often creates images that are inspired by what he sees. He first began with creating artworks of pencil waste and...
A spinning wheel is a device for spinning thread or yarn from fibres. It was fundamental to the cotton textile industry prior to the Industrial Revolution. It laid the foundations for later machinery such as the spinning jenny and spinning frame, which displaced the spinning wheel during the Industrial Revolution. The basic spinning of yarn...
Ghulam Nabi Kenzu, of Baba Mohalla, Dal Lake,smokes a hookah, taking a break from his busy schedule of making shikaras to cater to the rising tourist foot fall in Srinagar. The shikara has become a cultural symbol of Kashmir. Like the Venetian gondolas, it is a wooden boat found on Dal Lake and other water...
Polishing is a necessary stage in many manufacturing processes. Architectural metal, cookware, kitchenware, metal automobile parts, etc are some of the products that are polished before they reach the market. In other cases, metals can be polished as part of general repairs or restoration. Metal polishing is a finishing method that uses an abrasive material...
