Carpet Project

Introduction:

Kashmir is known throughout the world much for its arts and crafts. Its crafts range from woollen textiles of fleecy soft texture of matchless excellence in weaving, hand-woven carpets of the finest warp and weft, to the exquisite designs worked on papier-mâché, wood work, silverware, etc. They are products of unique craftsmanship. The skill of the craftsmen and their capacity for intricate workmanship are assets, which can help development on a much larger scale. Moreover, as an export-oriented sector, it is instrumental in foreign exchange earnings worth crores of rupees annually. In a state where handicrafts have already proved their worth and where there are vast areas so remote as to make it impossible for major modern industries to be set up, a vigorous policy for developing handicrafts can be specially rewarding. The capital investment in handicrafts is low, their employment potential high and their location can be in the remotest parts of the state. Like handicrafts, the handloom industry is also the oldest traditional cottage industry in the state. The importance of this sector lies in the fact that it has enormous employment potential, it does not consume scarce resources, does not cause pollution and is environment friendly. The social cost benefit ratio, therefore of all investment in this sector goes up manifold.

The carpet is the true expression of the worker's philosophy and their

insight in to the nature. They express nature's changing moods in the form of designs on carpets. The designs, composition, color, size, finish, methods have been influenced by the incidents in Indian history, culture, myths, life style, and geographical conditions prevailing in the country.

History of Indian Carpets:

Indian carpet industry does not originated as a part of tradition, but as an act of

importation by Mughal emperors. It is believed that the first Mughal emperor Babur came to India, he was disappointed by lack of luxuries here. He...