The beautiful territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) situated in the Himalayan mountains is rightly known as 'Heaven on Earth'. Srinagar is the summer capital of this state, while Jammu is its winter capital. This state has Kashmiri and Urdu as its major languages. The state can be divided into three major parts: Jammu, the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh. The state of Kashmir is not only famous for its wonderful climate and natural beauty but also for its exquisite textile crafts. This article aims at studying the major textile crafts that have been prevalent in Kashmir since long, such as Kashmiri carpets, shawls, tweed, silk as well as embroidery.
The Kashmir carpet industry is famous the world over. Kashmiri carpets are loved not only by the people of India but also by people in other countries. It is believed that the art of weaving Kashmiri carpets originated in Persia. Usually either silk or wool is used in making carpets. Sometimes a combination of silk and wool is used. Mercerized cotton is also sometimes used in making carpets. Mercerized cotton is a man-made fibre with sheen similar to that of silk. It is costlier than wool, but it is cheaper as compared to silk.
The base of these carpets is either made of cotton or silk. The 'tree of life' is a design that is very commonly found on Kashmiri carpets. Though the carpets made in Kashmir are expensive on account of their uniqueness and exquisite weaving, they are considered to be an investment.
Kashmiri shawls
Like Kashmiri carpets, shawls made in Kashmir are adored both in India and internationally. The Shahtoosh and Pashmina shawls made in Kashmir are world famous.
source: ezinearticles.com
No comments:
Post a Comment