
Kashmir’s Gujjar Women fight to save traditional Skull Caps amid cultural shifts
Gujjar women in Kashmir struggle to sustain the fading tradition of crafting traditional skullcaps, facing diminishing orders and changing fashion trends, as they call for cultural programs and support to revive their unique cultural heritage.
As per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), in Namblan village of Southern district of Pulwama, 65-year-old Zulaikha sits on the grass in front of her kotah (mud and wood house), stitching a skullcap. Despite receiving fewer orders, Zulaikha is content, as any order brings hope that the tradition will endure.
Gujjar and Bakerwal women, forming the third largest ethnic group in the region, have distinctive traditional caps known as "topi." Stitched from cloth and embroidered with colorful threads, these caps hold cultural significance. Howev...