Kashmir’s centuries-old “namda” (wollen felt rug) craft is back from the brink of extinction.
Powering the revival of the once-dying art are more than 2,200 artisans from the Valley, mainly girls, who this week dispatched the first batch of an export consignment worth $1.5 lakh received from the UK, Japan, Holland and Germany Tribune reported.
This is the first export for J&K-made namdas in over 25 years. The turnaround happened after the artisans underwent training as part of the Centre’s special pilot project to save the art that dates back to the 11th century.
The project, launched by Minister of State for Skill Development Rajeev Chandrasekhar in November 2021, has so far certified 2,212 namda craft makers across six clusters — Srinagar, Baramulla, Ganderbal, Bandipora, Budgam and Anantnag.
“In the 1970s, Kashmiri namdas used to account for annual exports worth Rs 300 to 400 crore. But gradually due to scarcity of raw materials, skilled manpower and marketing techniques, exports declined by almost 100 per cent starting 1998. The latest export order worth USD 1.5 lakh is the first in 25 years. Artisans trained under the central project are executing it,” Arshad Mir, Chairman, J&K Handicrafts and Carpet Sector Skill Council under the Centre, explains, adding that Nepal gained at the cost of J&K namda art and has been exporting namda-type rugs worth nearly 650 million USD annually.