Special Handloom Exhibition cum Mela inaugurated at Pahalgam

ANANTNAG, November 14: A Special Handloom Exhibition cum Sale was inaugurated at Pahalgam today by Mehmood Ahmad Shah, Director Handicrafts and Handlooms Kashmir.

The exhibition is being held from 14th to 24th of November under the theme of ‘My Handloom My Pride’ and has been organised by Govt Central Market Kashmir Haat in collaboration with Directorate of Handicrafts and Handlooms (H&H) Kashmir.

Shah expressed that the Exhibition will give artisans a suitable marketing platform to sell their beautiful products directly to the buyers and will give the tourists visiting Pahalgam an opportunity to get a glimpse of the rich art and craft of Kashmir. He also inspected various stalls installed by the local artisans to showcase the Handicrafts and Handloom.

The exhibitors from various spheres have set up stalls at the expo and various handloom items ranging from pashmina, raffal, kani shawls, crewel, jamawar, etc were on display at the stalls.

Tourists, both domestic and international thronged the expo and expressed happiness witnessing the various crafts on display. Talking to the media, the tourists said that they were happy to witness the crafts and to learn of the hard labour that goes into producing these exquisite products. They appreciated the quality of the products and commended the artists for their skill. They also congratulated the organizers for providing the artisans with such an outlet to display their craft and boost sales.

The Director, H&H Kashmir said that the Government has taken various initiatives for promoting local handlooms and provided similar platforms at various places to artisans for displaying their crafts. He said schemes like Karkhandar, 10 percent incentive on exports, etc are aimed at generating more interest and boosting sales of Kashmiri handlooms not only in other parts of the country but also globally.

The Exhibition was attended by Assistant Director Tourism Bilal Ahmad, Assistant Director Anantnag Mohd Yasin Bhat, Assistant Registrar Induscos, Anantnag Fayaz Ahmad Khaki, ARI Kulgam and Anantnag.