Namda: A Dying Craft

In a dimly lit workshop, 70-year-old Ghulam Ahmad Dar meticulously cards sheep wool with his gnarled fingers, preparing to craft a Namda — the traditional felted rug. Ghulam Ahmad is the last remaining artisan in Monghama village, once home to over a dozen Namda craftsmen in the Pulwama district of South Kashmir.

The deep lines on his face tell the story of a dying art. "I am the only one left in the village, struggling to make a living from this ancient craft," Dar says, his voice tinged with both pride and sorrow. He recalls the golden days when he was surrounded by a team of artisans. "At one point, I had dozens of craftsmen working alongside me," he reflects, his hands never pausing in the intricate process of carding wool.

Namdas are created from sheep wool using a felting technique, instead of traditional weaving methods. However, over the past two decades, these once-popular rugs have nearly disappeared from Kashmiri homes, replaced by mass-produced machine carpets. "Some rural areas still use Namdas, and a few urban families buy them for decorative purposes," Dar notes. But the demand has dwindled significantly.

Several factors contributed to the decline of Namdas, including a shortage of quality wool, a lack of skilled artisans, and the rise of modern furnishing alternatives. Dar adds, "It has become increasingly difficult to source pure wool for crafting Namdas." Furthermore, younger generations show little interest in learning the craft, as they see it as less profitable.

The export of Namdas saw a sharp decline between 1998 and 2008. In an effort to revive this heritage craft, the government launched a Skill India initiative under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), training 22,000 candidates from six districts — Srinagar, Baramulla, Ganderbal, Bandipora, Budgam, and Anantnag — in the art of Namda making.

In 2023, the first batch of Namdas was exported to the UK, earning praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who hailed it as a significant achievement for Kashmir’s cultural heritage. One artisan from neighboring Budgam district believes that with government support, Namda could once again flourish. "If the authorities take this seriously, the craft can be revived," he says, hopeful for the future of this dying tradition.