A-110-year old Abdul Samad Ganaie from Kehousa village of North Kashmir’s Bandipora district is busy making ‘Grass Sandals’ (Pulharoo) on the front porch of his house, smoking hooka in between.
Ganaie, is known in his village for making wonderful wearing Kashmiri traditional Grass Sandals also typically known as “Pulhoor”. The elderly man is committed to revive the age-old art of Kashmir, making sandals out of grass.
“I started doing this job at the age 40,” Ganaie told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), at his home. “I make slippers out of soft grass which is kept in water for several days.”
Ganaie said that when people of Kashmir were not able to wear foot wear. Before 1960 due to poverty, grass-made slippers were only choice for them. “Now that times have changed and peoples economic conditions have changed, there are less takers for grass slippers but I have kept the art alive.”
He said: “I used to live on this and would feed whole family but now everything has changed. Sometimes some people used to pay me Rs 10, the value of which was like Rs 1000 those days.” He said there is none in his family interested in making grass sandals. “This art will die with me,” he said amid sobs—(KNO)
Author Profile
Latest entries
Representational Image-Mehran Bhat/TKREGIONALApril 22, 2025Kashmiri Muslim clerics condemn Pahalgam attack, call it ‘inhuman and unacceptable’
INDIAApril 22, 2025Pahalgam attack: Married 5 days ago, Indian Navy officer among deceased
Representational ImageREGIONALApril 22, 2025Pahalgam attack: Mehbooba Mufti, Travel, trade and business bodies call for Kashmir bandh tomorrow- REGIONALApril 22, 2025Pahalgam attack: At least two Karnataka tourists among deceased, one injured