Handicrafts of jammu Kashmir notes by home academy

Handicrafts of  jammu Kashmir notes by home academy 

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I. Handicrafts

 Handicrafts products are mostly defined as items made often with the use of simple tools and are artistic and traditional in nature. 

 In other words handicraft products are simply as the objects made by skill of hand carrying a part of the creator as well as centuries of evolutionary tradition. It is a small-scale hand manufacture of goods.

 Govt. of India defines it as “Product which is made by hand; should have some artistic value; they may or may not have functional utility.”Status of Handicraft in Jammu and Kashmir

 Handicraft is a centuries old tradition and specialty of the Jammu and Kashmir. It is a pivotal source of revenue generation in the state. This Industry is unique in terms of design cost and quality of products and thus provides a competitive advantage on other national and international players of handicraft market. 

 The Handicraft industry of Jammu and Kashmir is an important sector contributing to overall development of current and other allied sectors in terms of wealth and employment creation, thus occupying an important place in economy of Jammu and Kashmir.

 It is basically a cottage industry and provides direct and gainful employment to more than 

3 lakh people and has the potential to facilitate the path of raising the living standards of citizens living within and outside the state. The Handicraft products of the state have earned global acclaim for their exquisite designs, craftsmanship and functional utility.The Regional Specialties of Jammu & Kashmir state in the production of handicrafts items are as under:

 Jammu Region: Basholi Painting, Calico Painting, Phoolkari. 

 Kashmir Region: Carpets, Wood Carving, Paper-mache, Chain stitch, Crewel, Namda. 

 Ladakh Region: Wood carving & Painting, Clay Molding, Ladakh Carpet, Thanka and Fresha Painting. 

 The Jammu and Kashmir Handicraft department is playing a vital role in promoting handicraft products in rural areas as well as in urban areas by providing financial and technical assistance to unemployed youth and artisans of the state.

 Around 8500 persons are trained annually through 553 training centers in the state. 

I. Handlooms

 Handlooms are actually a sub-category of handicrafts and are specific to hand-woven 

fabrics. In other words it includes weaving of fabric using hand and a tool called ‘loom’which is made from wood.

 The process of making fabric on loom is called the weaving process. weaving is the process of intersection of warp ( vertical thread group) and weft(horizontal thread group).Status of Handicraft in Jammu and Kashmir

 The handloom industry is one of the state’s oldest traditional cottage industries. The centuries old tradition of weaving by hand is one of the richest and most vibrant aspects of the cultural heritage of the State. The level of artistry and intricacy achieved in the handloom fabrics is unique and unparalleled.

 The J&K State is famous for the weaving of specialized fabrics like Pashmina shawls, Raffal shawls, Kani shawls, Silk sarees, Kishtwari blankets, Lois, Chashme Bul Bul blankets in hilly areas of the State besides Cotton Check bed sheets and long cloth inJammu and Kathua Districts. Block printed bed sheets and Masnads of Samba are also very famous.

 There are 478 registered Handloom Industrial Cooperative Societies with a membership of 15109 weavers, in the organized sector and about 22000, in unorganized sector. Approximately 37000 handlooms exist in the State, of which Kashmir valley is having a share of about 70%.

 The J&K State Handloom Development Corporation (JKSHDC) strives to assist handloom weavers, societies and SSI units in the Handloom Sector providing handloomsand accessories for production besides rendering technical support in production and marketing of the products.

 During the year 2009-10, the corporation registered sales turnover of Rs 408.43 lac as 

against Rs 350 lac during 2008-09 registering a growth rate of 16.70%year on year basis.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Handicraft and Handloom Industry in Jammu and Kashmir

Strengths

 Huge Market potential 

 Flexible Production & design 

 Cheap labor 

 Suitable to Climatic conditions 

 Huge employment opportunities 

 Foreign revenue generation 

 Eco-friendly. 

 Needs less investment. 

 Export oriented. 

Weaknesses

 Underdeveloped infrastructure 

 Lacks global exposure 

 Lack of customer feedback system. 

 Less interest among youths. 

 Confined mostly to rural areas. 

 Still old techniques prevail. 

 Low wage structure in handicrafts. 

 Unorganized sector