Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) is well known as a hub of various Indian arts and crafts. In a bid to uplift the artisans and craftspeople in the region, the government has launched craft tours in the old Srinagar city. As a part of the tours, also known as craft safaris, tourists and participants are given a tour of artisans’ homes and given demonstrations of their crafts. It also allows the artisans to interact directly with tourists and potential buyers. Crafts that are a part of the tour include crewel embroidery, shawls, wood carvings, and Khatamband.
Srinagar’s first craft safari took place from the Safakadal area starting from national award-winning artisan Ali Mohommad Najar’s karkhana. Najar is an expert in the Khatamband craft which entails handmade traditional roofs made from walnut wood. The safari also included workplaces of artisans demonstrating the crewel embroidery, handcrafted wooden motifs, as well as carpet weaving.
Speaking about the newly launched tours in Srinagar, which is a part of UNESCO’s creative cities network, the Director Handcraft of Kashmir, Mehmood Ahmed Shah said, “Kashmir is always pitched as a tourist destination be it Gulmarg, Srinagar or Pahalgam, etc. We have not aggressively marketed ourselves as a craft destination. So our focus has to be craft.” He continued to add how more tours are expected to be launched and how it’s a great opportunity for artisans and buyers to interact directly.