Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Sep 8: The centuries-old art of Sozni embroidery on Pashmina and Toshe shawls is facing a steep decline, with artisans warning that the craft may soon disappear if urgent measures are not taken.
Among those raising alarm is 70-year-old Mohammad Aslam Khan, a resident of Kathidarwaza, Rainawari, who has been practicing Sozni for the last 55 years.
Khan, regarded as one of the senior craftsmen in his locality, says that the demand for authentic handmade embroidery has drastically fallen due to machine-made imitations, lack of government support and exploitation by middlemen.
Notably, veteran artisan Mohammad Aslam Khan’s picture was used as the cover picture in a book ‘Shawls and Shawlbafs of Kashmir -Legends of Unsung Heroes’ by Dr-Abdul Ahad.
“I inherited this art from my uncle, Mohammad Subhan Khan, and his student, Ali Mohammad Khan. For generations, our family kept this tradition alive, but most of my relatives have now left it as they found other sources of livelihood. Only a few of us continue, but even though we are struggling,” Khan said.
Over his long career, Khan has trained more than 200 artisans in Sozni work. But despite this, he fears the younger generation is no longer willing to take it forward. “Sozni requires extreme patience and months of hard work. A single shawl can take years to complete. But today’s youth prefer faster, more lucrative professions, while markets are being taken over by machine-made replicas,” he explained.
Khan says that while genuine Sozni embroidery on real pashmina is unmatched in quality and cultural value, the artisans receive very little in return for their efforts. “Middlemen exploit the craft. They sell our work for high profits in national and international markets, while we barely get enough to sustain ourselves,” he lamented.
Recalling his association with the government emporium in earlier years, Khan said that Kashmiri shawls once had a strong global presence. “There was a time when our designs traveled across continents and symbolized Kashmir’s identity. Today, markets are flooded with fake products that misrepresent our culture. The government must restore those original patterns and revive this sector, otherwise it will disappear forever,” he warned.
Khan particularly remembered the efforts of former Director of Handicrafts Mehmood Ahmad Shah, who had introduced initiatives to safeguard the industry. “He took some steps to promote artisans and ensure fair trade, but his transfer left those initiatives incomplete. That was a setback for us,” he said.
Expressing his concern, Khan appealed to the government to act decisively. “It is now or never. If authorities don’t step in, Sozni embroidery will survive only in memories. The legacy of generations deserves revival, respect, and recognition. Otherwise, the market of machine-made fakes will erase everything.”
