Every day, a group of women gather in the Baitul Meeras heritage building in downtown Srinagar to revive the city’s once thriving tapestry art. The craft of tapestry involves handweaving intricate designs with woollen thread on a cotton-based fabric. These threads are delicately and deftly woven in a cross-ply fashion. Once a flourishing craft in Kashmir, particularly in the old city areas, tapestry weaving witnessed a decline during the political unrest of the 1990s. Small workshops in the old city were shut down, disrupting the continuity and sharing of knowledge among tapestry artisans in the valley.
Muhammad Yasin Mir from Fathehkadal is a master tapestry artisan training the women at Baitul Meeras. He recalls working in a workshop where 20-30 men and women trained and practiced tapestry art until the 1990s. Multiple centres in various neighbourhoods eventually closed as the situation in the valley deteriorated in the early 1990s. “There was good demand in those days for tapestry art pieces and many customers came from foreign countries. They would place numerous orders and pay well,” says Yasin. “It encouraged the local artisans to keep working…. We see this work as an ibaadat, prayer,” he says.
Under the tapestry revival project, started by Help Foundation J&K, a non-governmental organization this June, skilled artisans teach women tapestry work. “Many underprivileged women lack access to opportunities for skill development and economic empowerment. Our aim is to address this issue by providing comprehensive skill enhancement training in tapestry, offering a sustainable pathway for these women to improve their lives,” says Asma Qureshi, program manager at the foundation. “Each tapestry is a testament to preserving and promoting traditional art forms. By bringing this artistry into contemporary homes, we hope to bridge the gap between the past and the present, allowing our clients across the world to experience the luxury and sophistication of a bygone era,” says Qureshi.
The project aims to train 150 women, from age 20 to 50, in the tapestry craft over the course of a year. After completing the year-long training, about 50 of the women will work part-time with Shehjar, a local brand that sells products of artisans online and in exhibitions. Other artisans will be encouraged to start their own home-based enterprises. The women learn to make tapestry rugs, shawls, wall hangings and cushion covers.
Rehana, 36, from downtown Srinagar started tapestry work as a teenager at a sewing centre in the Sarafkadel area of the old city but didn’t pursue it after she got married. She has been working at the centre for a year now and shares her knowledge and skills with younger women artisans. “Once you learn the craft, you can do it on your own and start your own centre,” she says, adding that it takes 15 days to a few months to complete a piece, depending on the design’s complexity.
Subeena Bano from Aalikadal has been doing tapestry work full-time for the last two years, having learned the craft from her aunt as a child. “We spend quality time here, learning and practicing our craft,” she says. “We learn from each other and teach the craft to other younger women who want to earn a living, and they in turn teach others.”
Majid Maqbool is an independent journalist based in Srinagar.
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