SRINAGAR: Artisans in Kashmir are creating history by painstakingly weaving the world’s second-largest handmade silk carpet, knot by knot, over the past nine years, showcasing the Valley’s long tradition of fine craftsmanship.
Carpet dealer Fayaz Ahmad Shah told this newspaper that the carpet measures 30 feet by 72 feet, covering an area of 2,160 square feet—nearly equivalent to eight marlas of land.
The ambitious project has been underway since February 2015, and 18 master artisans are working nearly 10 hours a day on a specially designed loom at Kunzer area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
The special loom was made by engineers after six weeks of effort. As the carpet grows heavier with each passing week, an expert inspects the loom every week to ensure its stability and smooth functioning.
“The weight keeps increasing as weaving progresses, so regular inspection is crucial,” Shah said.
According to him, the carpet will take another year to complete and will be shipped to a Gulf country. It is expected to be completed by the end of this year or by March 2027.
“Once finished, it will contain more than 20 crore knots—an astonishing figure that reflects both the complexity and finesse of the work,” Shah said.
The carpet would weigh around one ton, although some weight will be reduced after the final cleaning and washing process.
According to Shah, the weaving of the world’s second-largest handmade silk carpet in Valley would help promote Kashmir’s carpet, handicraft, and handloom industry across the world especially in the Gulf countries.
It would also lead to upliftment of the artisans and the craftsmen associated with the industry, he said.
Kashmiri carpets are globally renowned for their intricate designs, fine workmanship, and superior quality and have an essence of their own.
This is not the first historic feat by Kashmiri weavers.
In 2024, artisans from the Valley completed Asia’s largest handmade silk carpet, measuring 72 feet by 40 feet—about 2,880 square feet, nearly half a kanal of land.
That carpet took nine years to complete at a special loom in Wail Kralpora, Tangmarg, and involved 24 master artisans who wove an astounding 36.5 crore knots.