Kanihama: A Kashmir village that produces world’s finest handmade shawls

Srinagar: Shabir Ahmad, 29, was very young when he was introduced to the art of weaving Kani Shawls.

It was not a compulsion for him to give up studies in the 12th standard to choose this craft. It is customary for all people in Kanihama to remain associated with the art of weaving Kani Shawl.

“I was very young when I got interested in Kani shawl weaving. I would observe my family weaving shawls. I eventually learnt this art from them,” he said.

Though Shabir claimed that this craft is not as lucrative as it was before, he would not choose any other profession over Kani Shawl weaving.

Not just Shabir, hundreds of people are taking pride in making Kani Shawls in Kanihama village. Popularly called the `handloom village of Kashmir’, Kanihama is situated on the Srinagar-Gulmarg highway.

Home to 400 families, the roads and lanes of this village remain abuzz with artisans heading to their looms to weave the finest shawls.

 The village has an important contribution to the revival of the Kani Shawl weaving in Kashmir. 

The quest to revive the Kani Shawl began some 50 years ago when this art was becoming extinct.

Locals credit Ghulam Mohammad Kanihama, a former member of the Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly, for reviving the craft.

“Back in the 18th century, the art had almost diminished when heavy taxes were leveled on Kani Shawls. He took it as a challenge and inspired the entire village to take up this craft,” said Ali Mohammad, a local artisan.

Bashir Ahmad Wani, an artisan said almost every family in the village is associated with the Kani shawl weaving.

“We have some 400 households in the village and nearly 80 percent are associated with Kani shawl weaving,” he said.

The village as per the official estimates produces almost 700 shawls a year. The price of Kani Shawls range from Rs 50,000 to Rs 3.5 lakh.  

 “Not just Kanihama, Mazhama and Batpora in the vicinity too adopted the craft. We have scores of artisans here who have earned a name in this art at the national level,” Wani said.’

In 2020, the government declared Kanihama as a “Handloom Tourist Village” to promote the art form at the national and international level.

The village was given a Kani Shawl Weaving factory by the government to train and produce shawls on a mass scale within the village.