Onlykashmir.in News Desk
The Union Ministry of Textiles has released Rs 30.46 lakh under its National Handicrafts Development Programme for the distribution of improved toolkits and skill upgradation in four traditional crafts of Kashmir: hand-knotted carpet, Sozni embroidery, papier mache and walnut wood carving. The funds are a significant boost for the region’s handicrafts sector, which supports thousands of families across the Valley.
The Directorate of Handicrafts and Handloom, Kashmir, will serve as the implementing agency for the interventions. A spokesman of the department said in a press statement issued in Srinagar on Tuesday that the office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) had considered the department’s proposal for improved toolkits and skill-based training, and had cleared it for funding.
Of the total, Rs 15.01 lakh has been allocated to two Guru Shishya Hastshilp Prashikshan Programmes, one each for Kashmir carpet and Sozni embroidery. Each programme runs for two months and is designed to transfer traditional skills from experienced master artisans, known as Gurus, to aspiring artisans, known as Shishyas. The aim, the spokesman said, is to ensure the preservation and continuity of Kashmir’s rich handicraft heritage. The programmes are intended not only to upgrade existing skills but also to rebuild a working pipeline of trained hands in the two crafts.
The trainings have been structured to take care of the practical costs that often keep artisans from attending such courses. They provide for wage compensation to trainee artisans, an honorarium for master craftsmen, rent for training space, training-related equipment and compensation for raw material. By covering lost earnings, the design recognises that most artisans depend on daily work and cannot afford to pause it for formal instruction.
The remaining Rs 15.45 lakh has been earmarked for three Improved Toolkits Distribution Programmes covering walnut wood carving, Sozni embroidery and papier mache for artisans of the Kashmir Division. The spokesman said the initiative will give artisans access to better tools, improve working efficiency and productivity, and help them raise the quality of their products.
Kashmir’s crafts have long been among the region’s best-known cultural exports, admired for the intricacy of their patterns and the skill of the hands that produce them. Yet the sector has faced a persistent challenge in drawing younger practitioners and in equipping existing artisans with modern, efficient tools. Guru Shishya training tackles the first problem directly, since it pairs experience with new entrants, while improved toolkits address the second by reducing drudgery and lifting the finish of the final product.
Through these programmes, the Directorate said, it endeavours to preserve the region’s cultural legacy while creating opportunities for continued growth and development of the handicrafts and handloom sector in Kashmir.
