Pilot Project Revive Namda Craft
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A pilot project to revive the Namda craft of Kashmir was launched by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
Highlights:
The project was Inaugurated under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 3.0.
It is to be achieved in twenty-five batches trained in three cycles, and each training cycle will last for three and a half months.
The project will benefit 2,250 people by enhancing the learning of the people through Recognition of Prior Learning.
Due to a lack of experienced workforce and low availability of raw material, the export of Namda craft has reduced by 100% between 1998 and 2008.
Namda craft
Namda is a rug produced by sheep wool crafted by a felting technique instead of the normal weaving process.
Namda craft is mainly used to make floor pieces and make mattresses, and bed covers.
Every Kashmiri household, rich or poor, has a culture of sitting on the floor. And the floor becomes extremely cold in winter. This is why Namda craft developed in Kashmir.
Making:
Wool is evenly spread in a thick layer of grass or jute mat. The mat is then rolled tightly.
The rolled mat is then tied up with a rope and compressed by rolling to and fro on the floor, and the rolling is done by using hands and legs and goes for an hour.
During rolling, the fibre fuses and the rope is then untied, and the mat is unrolled.
The plain Namda is then hand embroidered, but for a patterned Namda, the craftsmen felt the design into the Namda fibre itself.
The Namda market is initially located in the Baramulla, Rainwari and Anantnag areas of Kashmir.
Europe and Japan are the most attractive shipping destinations of Namda. Namda is also done in Tonk in Rajasthan.
