Master craftsmen and women from the central Kashmir’s Budgam district have completed work on exquisite handmade Kashmiri carpets which shall adorn the new parliament building on Rajpath.

Rising Kashmir first reported on August 13 that a total of 12 families, including 48 artisans, are preparing handmade carpets for the new parliament building.The artisans were preparing the silk carpets for the last eight months in the Shunglipora village where nearly 60 percent of the population is associated with handicrafts which has been their livelihood for generations.

Khan Imtiyaz, one of the carpet weavers, told Rising Kashmir that it was a privilege for them to weave carpets for the new parliament building.

"There were nine Kashmiri carpets in our Shunglipora village, of which seven carpets have been handed over to the local dealer who has provided this work order to us," Khan said.

 "The other three carpets have been prepared by artisans from nearby villages of Lachmanpora, Chill and Lassipora. Rest there is some minor work on two carpets which shall be completed in a few days, "he said. 

Gulzar Ahmad Malik, another carpet weaver, said all the 12 carpets are rectangular in shape and are embedded with 12 different colours.

“It is a special order; this carpet has been provided at a cost of Rs. 4000 per foot. However, the normal cost of the Kashmiri carpet is Rs 1500 to 1800 per foot.”

The carpets each measuring 8 ft x 11 ft, do not carry contemporary patterns but will reflect a combination of Kashmiri and Indian traditional designs

“We are very thankful to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who recently appreciated us all during his ‘Aawam ki Aawaz’ programme.”

He said artisans in Budgam are now hopeful that they will receive more such orders, which will eventually provide a big boost to this traditional art.

Tariq Ahmad Khan, carpet weaver associated with the project, said Deputy Commissioner Budgam visited their villag a few days and met all the artisans who prepared these carpets.

Qamar Ali Khan, who received the order, said “we received this order from a Delhi-based company.