The Master Craftsmen of Kashmir

Master craftsmen Gulam Hader at work in Srinagar

Meeting with the master craftsmen is an honour and a privilege. For seven generations, these families have been working patiently with such skill and devotion specialising in hand-embroidery on 100% pure pashmina.

Working between 5 and 7 hours a day, in between tending to their small holdings, they lovingly create their hand embroidered pashmina masterpieces.

 “We need to have lots of patience, doing this for years and years – it makes our heart feel satisfied”- Gulam Hader

Noor- Mohd – Ganayee – smoking tobacco through the communal pipe!

 At the age of 13, Noor – Mohd – Ganayee followed his father into the art of pashmina embroidery. Now, at the age of 78, he is the oldest of the Master craftsmen, father of Ajaz and teacher to two generations of master craftsmen.

Gulam Nabi

Beautiful Samples of the work done by local Craftsmen

The speed and the joy with which Gulam Nabi threads a needle and sets to work is an absolute pleasure to experience. His Jamawar shawls are of the highest quality taking between 18 months to 3 ½ years to complete. His eye for colour and attention to detail make his shawls collectors items world wide. How long this tradition will contimue depends very much on the ability to bring these shawls to a wider market. The current political isolation for Kashmir has resulted in few tourists visiting the region.

Helen Philips
“Meeting with my hero Gulam Nabi” – Helen Philips, Door to the HimalayasHow long this tradition will continue depends very much on the ability to bring these shawls to a wider market. The current political isolation for Kashmir has resulted in very few tourists visiting the region.

At 'Door to the Himalayas', we aim to bring you a selection of these fine pieces, personally selected at source to ensure the finest quality.

In this way we can keep the art alive and ensure that all the families involved in producing these shawls are paid a fair price and can afford to send their children and grand children to school.