Kashmir: Uncertainty, Low Returns Wear Out Winter Rugs 'Namda' Despite Schemes

Srinagar: The December cold changes most things in Kashmir valley where – as winter arrives – preparations for warmth become necessary. For centuries, felted rugs or Namdas were an essential part of these preparations for making homes warm and cosy, but today, there are few takers of these once coveted rugs.

At his home in the old part of Srinagar Downtown, Farooq Khan is trying hard to revive the dying art. He is an award-winning artisan with a global clientele. Khan points toward a Namda he is making for a German client at home, which is where he works. The artisan says that he is the only one who has been trained to introduce new techniques in Namda making. Most of the products around him, however, appear ‘decorative’.

“I am trying to revive it as the art is dying. I have brought in some changes, like introducing patchwork. I am trying hard to bring it back,” Khan said.

The artisan says that in Downtown Srinagar there used to be more Namda handicraft workers than carpet or shawl weavers but this has gradually faded. “The main reason is that the felters did not receive enough wages for their work. They would work without break, for about 12 hours a day,” Khan recalls.

Mostly older people are now associated with the work and they earn around Rs 300-400 a day. The young, Khan says, do not have much dedication, and rightly so.

Namdas are felted rugs used mostly for furnishing during winters, unlike Kashmiri Qaleens or carpets that are woven. It is not exactly known how Namdas were introduced in Kashmir but many, including Khan, believe that the craft was introduced by Mir Syed Ali Hamadani (d. 1384), a popular Persian Sufi saint known to have introduced most traditional handicrafts in the valley. Others believe that it was introduced by traders and artisans from Transoxiana.

Namda was used by most households during winters, but people have now switched to cheaper and sometimes better furnishing alternatives. Artisans like Khan now make smaller products with modern or contemporary designs to attract tourists. His new products also include clothing, such as silk scarves and shawls that are extremely light-weight.

The Kashmiri Namdas, which are sold at a price between Rs 90-180 per sq feet, are being discarded despite being much cheaper than Kashmiri carpets that are sold at prices that can go even up to Rs 15,000 per sq feet, depending on the material and work involved. In November last year, the Central government launched a pilot project to revive and promote traditional Namda craft.

Two ambitious projects were announced that included 'Revival of Namda craft of Kashmir as a special pilot project under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 3.0 and 'Upskilling of artisans and weavers of Kashmir under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), component of PMKVY', according to an official spokesman.

The Namda project was aimed to benefit over 2,000 artisans in as many as 30 Namda clusters from six districts of Kashmir, including Srinagar, Baramulla, Ganderbal, Bandipora, Budgam and Anantnag.

Mahmood Ahmad Shah, the Director of Handicrafts and Handloom, Kashmir, told NewsClick that the department is also supporting the craftsmen at several levels to revive the Namda art.

“We have established craft centres for the revival and we provide raw material to the facilities as well as to businesses. The department is also providing support for the improvement and innovation in design and in the marketing of the product,” Shah said.

Meanwhile, Khan, who has been working as an artisan for more than 25 years, says he is putting all efforts for survival of the craft. He, however, laments that he left studies midway for work. “It could have helped me to grow further, especially while interacting with foreign clients or selling products online,” he said.