Namda, a traditional woolen rug from Kashmir that was once near extinction, is now making a resurgence among locals and regaining its popularity in international markets.
Namda was once the most popular handicraft product exported from Kashmir, but production ceased due to problems with raw material quality and a shortage of skilled artisans.
According to the Director of the Department of Handicrafts, Mahmood Ahmad Shah, “Namda used to generate more revenue than Pashmina and carpets. To revive this art, the Department has created 11 training centers where young people are trained to make Namda.”
To increase productivity, the Department has collaborated with IIT Roorkee to create a small machine that has been installed at the centers.
He said the raw material requirements have been facilitated by Bagh-e-Ali Mardan Khan Institute of Carpet Technology where carding of wool is being done and then supplied to training, corporate centres, and artisans.
Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tweet on the revival of Namda craft has encouraged the artisans.
“PM Modi’s tweet on Namda is a huge encouragement for us and he is consistently promoting Kashmir’s art through his attire. This is a highly motivating thing for the artisans and for the craft,” he added.
Delighted that Kashmir's centuries-old 'Namda' craft is reviving and now reaching global shores after years! This is a testament to our artisans' skills and resilience. This revival is great news for our rich heritage. https://t.co/t0dT7sb7QU pic.twitter.com/YfNafSwuNc
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 17, 2023
Amina, one of the several Namda artisans, said she was not aware of the traditional art of Kashmir earlier.
“As this is a traditional art form of Kashmir, we as artisans want to keep this legacy alive,” she said.
Another artisan Kausar said Namda making will generate livelihood opportunities.
“Being associated with this art form and rug making will aid in employment generation opportunities as it has for me. This art was dying but through the efforts of the Department of Handicraft, this training centre has been set up that will help in keeping the legacy alive,” she added.
Imran Ahmad Shah, an instructor, said the idea behind setting up the centres was to revive and uphold the legacy of the traditional art form in Kashmir.
“At Mir Behri centre, 20 young women have been trained in Namda making which also helps in generating employment for these women and if we put more efforts into reviving this art form, it will increase employment opportunities for the youth of Kashmir,” he said.
“I believe that if the youth of Kashmir start taking interest in the heritage and culture of Kashmir it will benefit in reviving the dying art as well as help in getting rid of the current unemployment rate of Kashmir,” the instructor said.
To boost the revival of Namda making, the government has brought it under the artisan credit card scheme and loans are given to artisans.
“My father was an artist who made Namdas. In the 1970s, export was in tens of crores of rupees but in the 1990s, Namda making faced a downfall. By opening up centres where young people are being trained and educated in this craft, a revivalof the art is possible,” he said.
Cold European countries were the prime international buyers for Namda. Besides woollen Namda, Pashmina Namda is also made by one of the artists of Kashmir which gets exported to Italy, the director said.
“But unfortunately due to lack of quality supervision and maintenance of the parameters of Namda, it resulted in its downfall. Now in order to address this issue, QR code-based labelling has been adopted,” he added.
To further boost the Namda production, the Department of Handicraft Kashmir with the help of the central government has initiated the setting up of the raw material bank that has already been sanctioned. In order to boost production, a project to introduce machines is also in the pipeline.
