Srinagar, Apr 15: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday inaugurated the ‘Know Your Artisan’ initiative aimed at promoting the region’s handicrafts and artistic heritage, under the ‘Soulful Kashmir’ campaign.
He emphasised that artisans are the custodians of the region’s cultural identity, saying the programme aims to provide them direct market access, ensure fair value for their work, and strengthen the authenticity of traditional products.
The latest edition of the ‘Soulful Kashmir’ campaign builds on last year’s momentum in keeping with the chief minister’s commitment during his budget speech, where he assured strengthening of “Brand Jammu and Kashmir” and promoting the region’s rich handicrafts and handloom traditions, an official spokesman said.
Abdullah also inaugurated a new geographical indication (GI) testing lab and giant LED video walls, and launched high-precision fibre analysis equipment and the DesignNWeave software, founded by the Indian Institute Of Carpet Technology (IICT) Srinagar.
He inspected the handicrafts and handloom department’s new ‘Try Your Hands’ initiative; aimed at providing an immersive experience to visitors and tourists, the segment features live demonstrations that seek to acquaint people with the hard work put in by the artisans, and the various back-end processes involved in the making such niche crafts.
The chief minister also tried his hands at warping a yarn, an arduous exercise intrinsic to the craft of hand-weaving pashmina.
Speaking on the occasion, Abdullah said the initiative marks a significant step in promoting “Brand Jammu and Kashmir”, and enhancing the visibility of the region’s handicrafts sector.
Abdullah urged holding such events with greater frequency and duration, so that the “golden hands” and rich cultural heritage of Jammu and Kashmir get an ideal platform to reach global audiences.
He directed the handicrafts and handloom department to institutionalise the ‘Know Your Artisan’ initiative as a regular feature and to extend this campaign to maximise outreach and impact.
Abdullah urged people to visit Kashmir Haat to experience the world-class arts and crafts created by the “magical hands” of Kashmir’s artisans.
He said such visits not only allow people to witness the rich cultural heritage of the region firsthand, but directly support local artisans by encouraging the purchase of authentic handmade products.
