Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, June 22: Aiming to become independent and keep the traditional craft alive, nearly 20 women in the Lar area of Ganderbal have come together to learn the craft of Namda making at a skill center.
Set up by the Department of Handicrafts and Handloom, the skill center has been functional in the area since October, enrolling women who expressed interest in learning the craft.
Apart from being taught Namda making from the basics, the trainees are also trained in creating handmade designs using Aari, making the traditional Kashmiri rugs even more attractive.
Shahida Shamim from Watlar, one of the educated trainees at the center, said that she enjoyed learning the skill and will ensure that what she learned is imparted to others. She also spoke at length about the process of making the rugs.
“We started learning the skills in October when the skill center was established here. When I heard about the center being set up by the department, I wasted no time and enrolled,” she said.
The trainees, who receive a remuneration of Rs 1000 per month, said that Namda making was new to them and they never thought they would be able to learn it. “But when we started, we picked it up in a few weeks,” they said.
Another trainee, Fatima Jan, said that unemployment drove her to learn the skill of Namda making. She expressed hope that the Government will continue to support them so they can earn a livelihood and sustain their families.
“I came here just to earn a few bucks and support my husband, who is the only earning member of the family. Plus, the center has imparted the necessary skills, enabling us to become independent,” she said.
While expressing gratitude to the department, the trainees said that once they complete their training and can sustain themselves, they plan to set up a Self-Help Group, bringing together all the women who have learned the skill.
Regarding the making of designs using Aari, they initially learned on Pheran cloth and then progressed to working on namdas.
Ghulam Hassan Ganai, Senior Craft Instructor at the center, said: “The trainees are trained for three months, and after that, they are given different tasks. They have now become expert enough in namda making and design creation. They can now set up their units, teach the craft to others, and enable them to earn a livelihood.”
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