In 2002, weaver Shabir Ahmed was facing a dilemma. Demand had fallen sharply for his famed Kani shawls. After decades at the loom, the artisan from Kanihama in central Kashmir’s Budgam district was unsure if there was a future in a craft his family had practised for more than 65 years. Surprisingly, 15 years later, in 2017, he got a new lifeline. The state recommended him for a National Award for his sustained work in the face of odds. “After getting the award, new hope was generated,” says Shabir.
That hope is now being tested in Kanihama, where around 500 households remain connected to Kani and pashmina weaving. Designated Kashmir’s first Handloom Village by the Ministry of Textiles in 2020, the village produces about 700 shawls a year. Weavers use tiny wooden spools called kanis to create intricate patterns directly into the fabric, a painstaking technique that has earned Kani shawls a Geographical Indication (GI) tag. The effort to keep the looms going has since moved beyond individual artisans. A Common Facilitation Centre, set up in 2021, trains young people in pashmina weaving, with 20 female craft teachers working at the centre. Those enrolled receive a monthly allowance of `1,500. “We want to encourage the artisans and attract tourists,” says Mohammad Ashraf, 40, a craft teacher.
The centre has also given weavers a place to display and sell their work. “Earlier, artisans used to sell their Kani shawls in different states. Now they bring their products here for display. It has become a new platform for us,” says Shabir. Government support has included artisan sheds, solar inverters and pashmina looms, while exhibitions at Gulmarg, Pahalgam, the Tulip Garden and other tourist destinations have opened new markets.
There are signs that the craft is finding some momentum again. Artisans who had left weaving are returning, while tourists increasingly stop to watch the process. For Shabir, the next challenge is to make Kani shawls easier to sell and harder to counterfeit. Plans for a QR-code-based application could allow buyers to verify their specifications and authenticity, while online sales are opening another route to customers.
The question now is whether the generation after these artisans will carry the craft forward. Nazir Ahmed, 50, a weaver from neighbouring Batpora-Mazhama, has taught the craft to his son. “I have taught my son this trade. I have earned my livelihood from these shawls for the past 30 years, but the future of my son depends on how much government initiatives improve our lives,” he says.