With Srinagar making it to the coveted list of the United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in Crafts and Folk Arts Category for 2021, Handicrafts and Handloom Department, Kashmir has started a Craft Safari.
As a part of the Safari, the department has identified several artisans and clusters in old Srinagar city. At the same time, the Safari has different routes. Going for a safari through a single route will take around 2-3 hours during which you will meet different craftsmen and also come across heritage structures of downtown Srinagar. The rich legacy and heritage of the old city rendered in myriad arts and crafts are preserved by generations of skilled craftsmen and artisans.
Safakadal: A melting pot of art
Safakadal, located at a distance of 3.6 km from the city center Lalchowk in Srinagar is a melting pot of art and artisans in Srinagar. The first route of the crafts safari is Safakadal and its every stop tells a tale of craftsmanship as each artisan is a reservoir of centuries of craft legacy. One would feel an overwhelming sense of nostalgia resonating from the heritage structures of Karkhanas — a birthing place of genius and creativity put into hand-made products. It will be a walk to remember and you will come across the following:
Khatamband: Qadeem by Ali Mohammad Najar
The geometrical masterpieces hand-made from walnut wood, deodar, or silver fir are used to decorate the walls and ceilings. Each piece is chiseled and carved intricately with hands in polygon patterns and designs and fixed on the surface without using nails or adhesives. Ali Mohammad’s forefathers moved to Safakadal from Tral by order of Maharaja and the family has been associated with the craft of Khatambandi since the remotest antiquity and hence named their enterprise Qadeem, meaning ancient. He is famous for his work in the Dastgeer Sahab Shrine located in the Khanyar area of Srinagar where he has revived the centuries-old patterns and frames using gold. A master artisan who has trained over a hundred artisans and is famous for his marvelous Khatamband work across the world, his work is celebrated in the Middle East for its vintage charm & exclusive hand-made designs.
Crewel: Naqash by Kursheed Naqash & Sons
Crewel, also known as hook-work embroidery, is an intricate form of Kashmiri embroidery done with an Ari — a little hooked awl — on fine fabric. The artisans use the hook like a brush to paint the canvas of fabric and bring life to the designs. Naqash, from the word Naqsh, means an artist or engraver. As a brand, Naqash was established in 2008 in the Safakadal area of Srinagar. Famous for Crewel embroidery and designs, the venture has its genesis in more than two hundred years of history from Turkmenistan when Khursheed Ahmed Naqash’s forefathers migrated to Kashmir. Naqash is known to manufacture and export exclusive hand-made customizable designs in crewel embroidered artefacts ranging from drapes, bedding, pillow covers & throws across the globe.
Wood Carving: Maizban by Ghulam Nabi Dar
The art of delicately hand-carving motifs into walnut wood is indigenous to Kashmir. The walnut woodwork depicts diverse carving techniques, ranging from a single flat layer to a seven-layer undercut effect with a subtle three-dimensional appearance. Ghulam Nabi Dar, the master artisan from Safakadal is the epitome of creativity and passion. At the tender age of 10, he started learning the art of woodcarving and later became a self-taught genius creating his exclusive designs. He has been creating intricate designs and life-size pieces for over 60 years and still tries to bring novelty to his artifacts. He is celebrated by his admirers across the globe and has been felicitated with various state and national awards
Pashmina Weaving: Mohammad Lateef Shah
The process of weaving a piece of Pashmina after traversing a journey of various steps of obtaining the raw material, washing, spinning, winding, and dyeing is arduous and requires fine attention to detail at every step. The weaver or wovur in Kashmiri tirelessly uses his hands and feet to weave each thread with the finest intricacy on the handloom, the weft is made from the yarn twirled into small bobbins. Mohammad Lateef Shah has been weaving shawls for three decades now, his story of hard work and perseverance is summed up in the fact that besides various opportunities to work conveniently using machinery, he prefers the authentic hand-woven technique of weaving a piece of Pashmina. He is a master weaver who has customized over a hundred designs with accuracy and precision.
Staple embroidery: Feroz Ahmed Bhat
Aari staple or hook-work is a common form of embroidery in Kashmir. A huge number of local artisans, particularly women, practice the staple stitching technique. In European markets, stoles with Staple needlework are favored. Some rexine/suede upholstery and goods are also embellished with staple embroidered work. Feroz Ahmed Bhat who owns a staple enterprise has been working for 30 years and believes that this craft requires immense patience and hard work. While the market is flooded with machine-made aari products, he has been preserving the essence of hand embroidery. He is widely known for his fine work and delicate designs. His pieces have survived the test of time and have created masterpieces for people across India. He manages a network of over 150 artisans, most of them are women.
Carpet Weaving: S.S Carpets by Gul Mohammad Sofi
Kashmir Carpets exhibit and sustain the spirit of historical designs while adapting them to modern needs. Each artwork is made with a fascinating pattern of hieroglyphs or a code called Taleem, which the artist weaves into each color and design. Shahnawaz with a degree in Fine Arts has taken his father ABC’s craft legacy to new vistas by coming up with the unique idea of weaving a Pashmina Carpet with threads made of natural dyes such as saffron. He revived the Mughal technique of weaving single-knotted carpets and is known for his one-of-a-kind 3D designs in carpets.
