Workshop to revive Valley’s vanishing breed of master darners

Once sought after by Mughal emperors for their finesse, Kashmir’s master darners, known as rafugars, have become an endangered species. The Jammu & Kashmir government is now making efforts to revive this dwindling breed of craftsmen whose rare ability to repair expensive antique shawls is in great demand across the country and abroad.

J&K’s Department of Archives, Archaeology and Museums and the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) have decided to identify and expose these traditional Valley darners to the market.

Toward this end, at least 25 master darners and embroidery artists have been invited to exhibit their skills at a six-day workshop, organised from September 17-22, at Srinagar’s SPS Museum. Two masters from Uttar Pradesh’s Najibabad are among those sharing their knowledge.

J&K’s Handicraft Department says, of the 56 traditional skills (such as wood-carving), only 26 are practised today. One indicator of the decline: a post for ‘Darner Instructor’ in the department has been lying vacant for many years.

Rafugari survives

“Among the surviving skills is rafugari, which is also dying. Darners from Kashmir once impressed the Mughal emperors, who hired them to keep their shatoosh and pashmina shawls intact,” said Saleem Beg of INTACH’s J&K chapter. The workshop, Mr. Beg said, was aimed at transmitting the art to the next generation. The museum has displayed 63 rare shawls, many dating back to 1893, including one with a map of Srinagar on it.

“The darners will understand the artwork that our artists had mastered in the past. They should be able to identify problems and suggest methods of restoration. This exercise will help them hone their skills,” Mr. Beg said.

Master darner Muhammad Rafiq Kozghar, in his mid-50s, has been repairing antique shawls and sarees for 40 years now. “I picked up the skill from three teachers in Srinagar. All of them have passed away. I am the only student alive, taking it forward. Darning requires fine hands and eyesight. A darner dies once his eyesight fails him,” said Mr. Kozghar, who works in Delhi.

Mr. Beg said that there was great potential for textile conservation in Srinagar. “We need to upgrade the skills of the existing rafugars and needle work artisans to create a market for textile conservation,” he added.