Kashmiri breathes life in carpet industry
Srinagar, Nov 8: A 38-year-old has given a new lease of life to the hand-woven Kashmir Carpets industry, which was on the verge of closure due to low demand, by using a unique ‘Zari’ technology, incorporating a metallic thread and multi colors to make the iconic craft noticeable in the International market.
Nawaz Shah Sofi, a graduate in Music and Fine Arts, rendered a boost to Kashmir hand woven carpets, which had earlier suffered tremendously due to its low demand in the international market.
By using Zari for the first time and attractive colours of threads to make wall hangings of unique calligraphic verses of holy Quran, scenic and cultural heritage, the Kashmiri hand woven carpets had gained market in Dubai global exhibition.
Nawaz not only changed the pattern of Kashmiri carpet weaving, but also redesigned the famous “Kani” Shawl, which is being woven the carpet way.
Talking to UNI, Nawaz said that his father Ghul Mohammad Sofi and brother Mohammad Rafiq Sofi, who weave carpets, were honoured by the Jammu and Kashmir government with craftsmanship awards in 2012 and 2013 respectively, for best designed carpets.
“After completing my graduation in Music and Fine arts from Rajbagh, a campus of Kashmir University established in 2003, I took my father in confidence to make different kind of wall hangings in Carpet design which will depict our culture, scenic beauties and calligraphy of Quran versus. My father encouraged me and asked for the sample of different pieces.
He said it took him some time to prepare the design in a particular language like Talim or Rug weaving codes, which could easily be understood by the artisans working on hand woven looms. Nawaz said, “When these wall hangings were completed and sent to the local customers as samples, we started receiving huge orders.
“I was making different kinds of paints on canvas like other artists after graduation, but my mind was always on how to change the pattern of carpet designing so that it would be sold in the market at a good price,” he added.
Nawaz said he designed different categories of carpet wall hangings with verses of Quran using attractive colours and Zari, which were liked and sold to the customers in Dubai like hot cakes.
“My samples were liked and approved by my national and international friends. These designs are entirely different and attractive,” he added.
He said that earlier, carpets were woven with floral designing, but now, his design using multi thread colors with Zari creating calligraphy of Quran verses made them into beautiful wall hangings, which were admired by the customers not only in Kashmir valley but in Dubai exhibition also.
“Al Thani group of Qatar had seen our wall hangings at one of our local customer “Essa Brothers” showroom in Mumbai and were highly impressed with our carpets and wall hangings of Calligraphy of Quran verses, cultural and scenic designed carpets,” Nawaz said.
He said the group gave them a big order to their customer.
“We are the only carpet weavers who use Zari thread in carpets and Kani shawls in Kashmir valley, which are very popular in Gulf countries. I have also prepared many traditional cultural paintings of Kashmir in black and white and in old tunes in carpets, which are in much demand here also. People keep these wall hangings in their rooms as a changing trend, to make the living rooms more fascinating,” he added.
Nawaz had a dream to exhibit these wall hangings and Kashmir cultural designing carpets at different tourist places in the valley. “I had taken up the case with the government for necessary help to promote my skill work, but it could not become possible so far and the Government even did not pay any heed.
“My aim was to preserve the culture of Kashmir in carpets, which could have remained for centuries,” he added.
Nawaz had over 50 looms presently and 40 artisans working with him in this modern weaving of carpets.
When asked what caused the traditional famous Kashmir hand woven carpets lose the market in the international arena, he said a trend in the international market changed with the introduction of machine made weaving of carpets which were sold in the markets at cheap rates.
He said that usually, Kashmiri hand woven carpets were exported to Europe in big consignments and were in demand and liked by the people there. But, in modern times what an interior designer of a house suggests to an owner, in the same pattern we try to make carpet wall hangings depicting culture, floral, scenic or calligraphy to continue our business.
“I used different threads of colors and Zari in famous Kani Shawls, which are liked in Gulf countries. I am trying to allure customers in Europe also for these shawls, for which I am in contact with my friends staying in European countries,” he added.
UNI