Namdas of Srinagar

Felting wool to create namdas for floor rugs is a 700 year old tradition in Kashmir. They are the less expensive options to piled carpets for local communities, used to cover the floors during the severe winter months. Most families used plain or geometric-patterned, simple namdas while the affluent used the ornate, embroidered namdas. During the 1970 and 80’s, the chain stitch, crewel embroidered namdas in floral patterns became a rage in the European market, creating a huge export potential and good earnings for the local artisans. Unfortunately, with no product upgradation or design intervention, the namdas have looked the same and hence the market share has reduced substantially. Also, namdas had a good local market before machine made carpets flooded the market, offering warm floor coverings at much cheaper prices. Till recently, Farooq Ahmed Khan, a namda master craftsman, had 30 to 40 people working with him and he produced a few thousand pieces of namdas annually. Today, with only three or four people assisting him, he produces a few hundred namdas for local traders and a few designers.

Namdas are a sandwich of minimum three or more layers of fleece, depending on thickness required. They are usually made from local sheep wool. For a patterned namda, thin felt in required colours is cut to shape and arrange on the ground. Carded, soft fleece in desired colour is spread over the design. This is levelled evenly and compressed by beating the surface with a fan shaped wicker tool, the pinjra. Then, another layer of the opened carded fleece is evenly spread over the surface and the process of levelling is repeated. Soap water, which helps in binding, is sprinkled over the surface and the pinjra is used to level the fibres. The sandwiched damp wool layers are tightly rolled and tied firmly with a rope. The roll is pressed down and rolled over and over again for more than an hour to further compress and bind the fibres. Finally, the namda is rolled out and sun dried before washing. The wool fibres have the ability to bind well and the finished namda is very strong and long lasting. The plain namdas are sent out to artisans for crewel work, embroidered with an aari hook, in chain stitches following a predetermined.

Kashmiri artisans have immense skills, with an appropriate narrative and design collaborations, new namdas can be created for urban markets.

September 22, 2021 | View: 749 | Categories: Kashmir | By: Archana Shah