Srinagar: The Union Ministry of Textiles has sanctioned two specialised training programmes worth ₹14.90 lakh to support the revival of Kashmir’s traditional glazed pottery and copperware crafts, which have witnessed a decline in recent decades.
According to the Handicrafts and Handloom Department, the programmes have been approved under the Guru Shishya Hastshilp component of the National Handicrafts Development Programme (NHDP).
The Craft Development Institute (CDI), Srinagar, has been designated to implement the training programmes, with ₹7.45 lakh sanctioned for each craft.
Officials said the proposal was submitted by the department to the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) seeking customised training interventions for the two traditional crafts, both of which have been facing challenges due to shrinking artisan numbers and changing market preferences.
Under the initiative, 30 artisans each will undergo a two-month training programme in glazed pottery and copperware under the guidance of master craftsmen.
The glazed pottery programme will be conducted in clusters in Baramulla district, while the copperware training will be held in Srinagar district.
The department said the programmes have been structured to cover wage compensation for participating artisans, honorariums for master craftsmen, rent for training spaces, equipment costs and raw material expenses.
Glazed pottery, once widely used in Kashmir for household vessels, decorative tiles, kangris and ceremonial items, has gradually lost ground to cheaper plastic, aluminium and machine-made products, resulting in a sharp decline in the number of practising artisans.
Similarly, Kashmir’s traditional copperware craft, locally known as Kandkaari and historically associated with Srinagar’s Shehr-e-Khaas, has come under pressure from low-cost imitations and a dwindling artisan base.
Officials said the programmes would follow the traditional Guru-Shishya model, under which experienced artisans train younger practitioners in skills passed down through generations.
The department said the initiative aims not only to upgrade existing skills but also to create a new pool of trained artisans to help sustain and preserve the two crafts for future generations.