Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, Dec 27: The Kangri artisans of Wasumarg village in Pulwama district are facing a tough time as their age-old tradition experiences a sharp decline in sales, compelling the majority of the skilled craftsmen to abandon the craft.
Every year, as the harsh 40-day winter descends upon the Valley, the once-thriving Wusumarg village, located 20 kilometres from Pulwama town, used to be a hive of activity, with master craftsmen diligently making the traditional firepot known as Kangri.
However, in recent years, this age-old tradition has seen a sharp decline in orders, attributed locally to the rising popularity of electrical appliances like blankets and blowers. Approximately 90 per cent of the 120 households in this village were once associated with this art form, but a majority have now abandoned it in favour of alternative livelihoods.
Bashir Ahmad, a 45-year-old craftsman who learned the art from his father, laments the decline. Despite being involved in Kangri making since childhood, he now works as a labourer, citing financial constraints.
“Ninety per cent of people have left this work. Today, not even ten households are associated with this craft in our village. They prefer daily labour as the returns are very low in Kangri making. A labourer earns Rs 500 for daily work, but in kangri making, we cannot even make that much. So, people prefer doing labour work,” he said.
Manufacturing the Kangri involves labour-intensive processes and artisanal craftsmanship. Villagers would commence preparations in the autumn, collecting twigs from shrubs, which were then scraped, peeled, soaked, dried, dyed, and finally woven around the bowl-shaped earthenware.
Seventy-year-old Abdul Majeed reflects on the transformation, recalling how their forefathers, working as labourers during summers, would gather wickers and start weaving Kangris as winter approached.
“For the last two years, neither is the dealer giving any money nor is there any demand for firepots,” he said.
The raw material is expensive, with nearly 50 kilogrammes costing around Rs 1000-1200. “The best quality firepot fetches no more than Rs 200. We cannot do anything else,” he said.
For Bashir Ahmad, the fading of the art from his village is painful, but the next generations cannot afford to carry it forward as it is hard to make a living out of it. “The new generation is not interested as they cannot meet modern-day expenses. I do not think it will survive the test of time, and in the next decade, no artisan will be left here,” he said.
The Kangri, or “kanger” in Kashmir, is a traditional fire pot covered with woven wicker. Kashmiris fill it with hot charcoal and use it inside their knee-deep cloak called pheran to stay warm in the winter.
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